I realise I am not Wonder Woman

OH DEAR! My husband and I were to enjoy an exciting trip to the Carpathian Mountains in Romania, which I would write about for Mail Travel. I’d have swapped my desk for pampering in a hilltop spa.

Before leaving we were to have a lovely lunch in London with friends, to celebrate my recovery from surgery and illness. Sadly we had to cancel everything, because my energy levels are so low and my mobility not as I expected, nearly three months after the hip replacement.

What can you do but take the tough decisions? I thought I was super-fit and would recover quickly, but you can’t anticipate complications. I imagined I would work hard at my physiotherapy exercises, but this is jolly hard when you’re in pain.

I expected much more of myself than I was able to give, and have to accept that being impatient would only lead to disappointment.

How many times do we have to face such moments?

I’m sure many of you will recognise that time when we have to admit weakness and pull out of whatever it was we wished to do. If you’re like me you might feel a failure, for not being ready (mentally as well as physically) to face the world again.

To tell a secret, I’ve always had a fantasy about being Wonder Woman, but was forced to look in the mirror and recognise a vulnerable, older woman, tired, walking with a limp and lacking red boots and a starry cloak.

What’s the answer? Starting Pilates and gym sessions, in addition to physiotherapy, gradually weaning myself off painkillers, realising it’s quite acceptable to have an afternoon nap, and believing (100 per cent) that this is just a blip. All that.

Onwards and upwards!

■ Bel answers readers’ questions on emotional and relationship problems each week. Write to Bel Mooney, Scottish Daily Mail, 20 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6DB, or email bel.mooney@ dailymail.co.uk. Names are changed to protect identities. Bel reads all letters but regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence.