Step Four: Game Time! (Part 3)

Day 6

The transplant was uneventful but afterwards they gave me a demo so I'd be able to do it myself at home. With the ten day treatment, you get two complementary treatments, which you can either take home and keep frozen to use within six months, or you can bank them at the clinic, and return to receive them there. The procedure's straightforward enough and much simpler than I imagined, so it should be fine, though I'm not looking forward to it. 

Each wing was about the size of my palm!

There was no rain in the forecast, so even though it was chilly, windy, and a bit cloudy, I figured it was as good a time as any to head to Butterfly World. I'd seen a sign on the way to Heathrow and had put it on my to-do list. 

It definitely would have been better if I could go later in the summer, but it was still a nice time. They have one greenhouse with tropical butterflies and then lots of grounds with really cool, busy, and (to me) typical English gardens, all tucked away and nestled in with each other. I imagine in the warmer months there are butterflies everywhere outside. 

My buddy

I was definitely on my own in terms of age group. Most of the other visitors were parents and kids or groups of young school children. But I listened in on some of their "lectures," and it was fine. 

Parts of the garden are designed to make you feel tiny

The cutter ant room was wild - definitely learned the most there 

Butterfly World happens to be next to a fancy rose garden, so I headed over there next. 

Most bushes were in bloom, so I just wandered around and smelled what I could.

They were on grounds for a house, but it wasn't obvious what goes on in the house and whether it was a place for visitors. There was a nice looking tea room, but I was ready to get rid of my implant and have lunch. 

Watch out for the Digoxin!

I came home for lunch and a movie, but as it was nearing dinner time I wasn't hungry yet, so I took a walk. This time I went across the street down a public bridle path and spied on some nice barns.

Day 7

The day of truth

Ok, so today I did the transplant myself with supervision. It was actually really easy and I'll have no trouble choosing a day to do it and then actually doing it on my own. They say everyone's really different in terms of when they decide to use it. Supposedly many people wait on them and use them if they need antibiotics or get food poisoning, but you have to use them within six months, so that doesn't really make sense to me. I don't see either of those things happening to me within six months. I guess those aren't things people plan on, but aside from a few futile attempts at treating SIBO (won't be bothering with that again), I haven't been on antibiotics since I got my wisdom teeth out four years ago.  And I actually don't think I've ever had food poisoning (knock on wood). I guess I could wait five and a half months just in case, and then use them, but I think I might like to spread them out. You also have an exit stool test, which happens three months post-treatment (apparently it takes three months for it to be 100% your bacteria and none of the donors'), so I'm at least supposed to wait until after that. 

Thursday was actually very warm and sunny, so, as I'm apt to do once in a while, I figured out where the closest shore was and drove in that direction. It took me to Southend-on-sea. 

To be honest, I was a little disappointed when I got there. The tide was low (and several hundred feet out) and it was more of a bay (no waves) and there was also some kind of plant in the distance (though apparently it's one of the cleanest beaches in Britain). But I walked around and got over it. The tide started to come in and there were lots of dogs having a great time. I had a picnic lunch I'd brought, read for a bit, and walked up and down the shore. It was only a little over an hour away and I was glad by the time I left, with the tide all the way in and sailboats bobbing around, filling up more space and making the plant less obvious. 

Day 8

I let myself be transplanted today :) I didn't retain it as long when I did it. Maybe that was coincidence. Afterwards, I tried to go to a pottery painting studio, only to find that you need to give them a full week to glaze your product and I'll be gone before then. That was unfortunate, because I'd really been looking forward to that. There is at least one real art supply store in town, though, and I've been feeling a bit artsy lately. Maybe one of my donors is an artist. Who knows? I also used to be into that when I was younger, so maybe I'm just coming full circle. Not that I want to be an artist or anything, or ever did, but I'm just craving a sketchbook. So I'll look into it the next time I'm in town. I also tried to buy a bag big enough to fit the two transplants I get to take home, but couldn't find one big enough at the market, so it's on my to-do list for the weekend. 

It was cloudy but warm and muggy out, so I chose today to visit Hatfield House. It's another one of those things I've been seeing signs for and thought I should check it out. It was kind of expensive, but worth it. I don't pay much attention to the history of these things, unless I'm already interested. I prefer to just enjoy the architecture and think more about the practicalities of living in these houses. Bedrooms and kitchens are always my favorite. 

Apparently some royal family still lives here...

After the house I moved on to the gardens, which were amazing. If I could time travel, I would definitely spend some time in the Victorian era, being a spunky pants-wearing girl and galloping around the grounds. The sample menus for the nobility weren't too bad, either. 

On the way out, I wandered around Hatfield Park, which is a beautiful and huge green space. There were minimal paved paths and otherwise it was mostly well-manicured lawn. There were many people with off-leash dogs, but not so much that you ever really saw more than one at a time. I took the opportunity for some legit barefoot walking. 

Heading back towards the car, I visited the farm. I think it's geared more towards kids, but whatever. You're also not supposed to touch the animals but let's just say I met some very friendly goats. In the case of the donkeys and some hens (their label was "ex-battery hens"), at least, it seemed to be more of a sanctuary than a working farm.