Thursday 30 March 2017

Getting better



First the good news. The hospital trip yesterday went well. I’ve now been dismissed from radiology. My skin is in excellent condition. So now it’s back to the surgeon. An appointment to see him is due for mid-May.  I find myself wondering if it isn’t going to be timed for just after my May visit to oncology & my next dose of bisphosphonates. We’ll find out soon enough. Meanwhile I can relax a bit in the knowledge that nothing more will happen until May.

As for the Fox, after that dreadful Friday, he seems to be on the mend. He’s still not eating well as he feels nauseous all the time & his appetite has disappeared. Nonetheless he did manage to eat all of his small portion of (poached) egg on chips with baked beans.

So much for the health update.

On a totally different subject, yesterday I listened to “50 Things That Made the Modern Economy” on Radio 4. The thing being discussed yesterday was the lightbulb. It had never occurred to me what a revolution the lightbulb must have made to society. Factories could work through the night, shops have their shelves refilled. Even simple things like moving goods from one place to another are more feasible with lightbulbs. Just go out into the open countryside at night & try driving without headlights & you’ll soon see the point. Work essentially had to stop when night fell. Certainly if you wanted to work in safety unless you were rich enough to afford a vast number of candles.

This short programme had resonance for me after our recent experience of being without electricity last week. Even reading was difficult by two candlelight. I hate to think what it would have been like trying to handle knives, dangerous machinery etc. Even moving around the house was dangerous taking a candle. We used a torch with a lightbulb.

Sometimes these short programmes make you appreciate how fortunate we are to live in an affluent country like England at this point in history.

Monday 27 March 2017

A little sunshine



The sun has shone all weekend & still it continues. I’ve put the washing out to dry, just the second time this year. The nights, it has to be admitted, are still very cold but the days are mild. I’m not about to cast my clout until those frost-filled nights have disappeared.

Today I’ve made a curry. It will be quick & easy after my massage. As I warm the sauce up, I will just add some cooked prawns. It should be suitably light to hopefully get a bit inside the Fox. He’s been continuing to feel nauseous but at least he’s not as bad as he was on Friday. He managed a bit of the chicken – even had a little extra slice of chicken. Nonetheless he continues to lose weight.

I’m still seriously questioning whether to do a big shop this week. It seems pointless doing anything much if he’s unable to appreciate it.

Wednesday will see us at the hospital once more to find out if all is well after the radiotherapy. Luckily I can see the doctor for this review just at Lancaster, not Preston. Hopefully all will be well & I move onto the next stage i.e. see the surgeon once more as he seems to be the head of the hierarchy. Fingers crossed.

Saturday 25 March 2017

Relief for some, worry for others



The sun is shining. The lawns are still white with frost. It looks set to be a lovely spring day. Tonight the clocks change so tomorrow should be lighter longer in the evening. Then I’ll start to feel spring is really here & summer’s on its way.

Yesterday we heard of a couple of local people affected by the terrible events in Westminster the other day. The family of a friend & also of a local notable figure were involved in the lock down. Fortunately none were involved in the killings. However, it was with relief our friend got a phone call to tell her that her grand-daughters were both fine. She’d only got back from a trip to London to see them just the day before.

Our day was dominated by the Fox’s ill-health. We ended up calling the surgery as waves of nausea & fever hit. He was given some medication. Unfortunately he reacted badly to the medication. We afterwards looked at the piece of paper that came with the pills to see that they were not to be taken if you’d a stroke which the Fox has had.

I’m getting very nervous about what to cook for dinner. While I was out on Thursday, I bought a chicken to roast. We’re going to have to have it otherwise it will go off. One good thing is that there are plenty of things to do with leftover cooked chicken. That can go in the freezer until he’s better.

The whole cooking business is getting soul-destroying when he can eat so little. (I suspect he only eats as much as he does to make sure I have a proper meal.)He seems to manage better when he is away from the cooking smells so I am doing all the cooking at the moment, which I’m beginning to find quite exhausting. As I’ve no food plans after today, I think whatever we eat is going to be quick & easy cooking, something that doesn’t require much effort. Yesterday’s meal turned into a bowl of soup & a smoked mackerel salad. What next I wonder. I just hope they sort out the cause of the problem soon.