Noel Fehily is ready to bounce back after two weeks out

I am pleased to report that I will be back in the saddle on Friday after two weeks out of action.

I rode out this morning and got clearance to ride at Huntingdon where I have one ride for Nicky Henderson, Daphne Du Clos (1.00).

I was very ill last week with an infection but I came out of hospital last Saturday. I find you don’t get a good night’s sleep until you get a bit of food inside you and then you start picking up and I am feeling good now again.

Two weeks ago tomorrow I rode at Huntingdon. I probably had been feeling a bit tired in the days leading up to that and I kept saying to my wife Natasha that I thought I was going to come down with the flu.

On the Friday I had a bit of a pain in my stomach but it was nothing I was too bothered about. I rode at Huntingdon and the pain became a little worse that night, but again I didn’t think I needed to see a doctor. It was no worse than a hunger pain.

By Saturday morning it was probably a little bit worse. I was getting ready to go racing and then it really hit me. The pain was horrific and that brought everything to a standstill.

My wife rang for an ambulance but as it was going to take an hour to get here she ended up taking me to hospital. I was at the hospital at 11am and I was on the operating table at 3pm when I had a four hour operation to remove my appendix.

I had a perforated appendix. The doctor’s don’t know what would have caused it. It normally happens to younger people but it is also one of those things that can happen any time. Thank God you only have to have the surgery once and once it’s out it’s done.

It was keyhole surgery. There is a very small wound. It wasn’t the operation that was the problem for me, it was more the problem caused from the perforated appendix which made me feel really ill. I was in hospital for a week.

The doctor told me before I left to have complete rest for two or three days and to see how I was after that.

He has proved to be spot on. I was very tired for the first day or two but after that I have been feeling good.

It’s all systems go again now. It means I will be at Cheltenham on Saturday to ride Black Op when he goes back over hurdles. He was the horse I was thinking about when I was lying in my hospital bed.

Noel