It rears its head once more

I didn’t bother going to the supermarket with the Fox this week. It was raining & I didn’t see much point in just sitting in the car in the rain.

It’s just as well I didn’t go as I got a phone call from the hospital.  My immediate thought was which hospital, Lancaster or Wythenshawe? It was the RLI (Royal Lancaster Infirmary). The nurse was just checking I’d received the appointment later this week with the radiotherapist. I hadn’t. Suffice to say I now have a telephone appointment with the radiotherapist on Friday to discuss post-operative radiotherapy for my shoulder.

Since hearing I was cancer-free I have been walking on air in celebratory mood. I suddenly landed. In some ways I was quite relieved, in that the surgeon who’d operated on me had suggested radiotherapy might be a good idea. The wait for the decision is now over. Whether I go ahead will be decided on Friday.

I don’t particularly object to radiotherapy. I’m not sure it achieved much when I had some in 2017 but it wasn’t unduly uncomfortable nor did it leave me with adverse side effects. It was just very tiring travelling down to Preston some 34 miles away, five days a week for a few weeks. My anxiety lies with the COVID-19 epidemic. How safe will the hospital be? This time there won’t be the option of eating out if we have a late appointment. I’m telling myself we’re moving into salad season. Surely no matter how tired we are we could put a few salad ingredients together for a meal.

I was just adjusting to the news when I got another phone call from one of my cousins. She’s being tested for pancreatic cancer. Both her mother, my father’s sister, & my mother died of this form of cancer. As it is my cousin has already had one breast removed 5 or so years ago due to breast cancer.

I’m becoming more & more convinced that my mother was right. Cancer runs strong in my family. This will be my cousin's second episode of cancer, as I am on my third. Other cousins, aunts, my mother & grandmothers & one uncle that I know of have died with it. The type of cancer differs but it always seem to emerge sooner or later. The difference is these days there are better treatments to hopefully keep it under control. I’ve had 20 years more life since my first bout. My cousin is now waiting to hear from her hospital to discover if the diagnosis is definite. I just hope all goes well for her. It’s time I repaid the support she’s given me through my last two doses  of cancer with some support for her as she faces her probable next encounter with the big C.

Bird food

It was the Fox’s birthday yesterday – his 70^th. He is the one now regarded as being extremely vulnerable but we are continuing life as normal, or as normal as we can in these abnormal times.

To celebrate I roasted & honey-&-mustard glazed a gammon joint - a bit of a birthday treat for the Fox. The birds enjoyed the cut off rind for their dinner last night. We tried our best to shoo off the gulls to ensure the starlings had a chance to have a feast. This morning the leftover fattiness went out for their breakfast. Again I flapped my arms to scare the gulls & chased the black & white cat up out of our garden. I was pleased that gave the starlings chance to have their breakfast. They obviously realised my scaring efforts were for their benefit & happily ate on even though I passed near the bird feeder.

Elevenses have just gone out. I’ve just been making up a shepherd’s pie for this evening’s dinner. Any fat & skin again went out for the birds but there was very little. I try to take off excess fat & skin before I bag &  freeze leftovers. All I will need to do this evening is warm the pie up in the oven & brown the potato topping a bit. It should be good.

Sun again

Yesterday it started to rain – the first time for quite a while. However it never got beyond a few spots, not enough to wet anything, let alone the pot plants & garden.

Today the sun is back & I’ve got the washing out on the line. I’ve also nervously put the airer with extra clothes out. Last week, as the morning went on, the wind got up & blew the lightweight airer over, breaking off some of the plastic bits. I’m just hoping the same doesn’t happen again. I don’t think it will survive another crash on to the paving stones of the patio area. This is not the time to try & locate a new one with so many shops being closed. However, I do want to get the washing dried today if possible. At least, so far, rain seems unlikely.