Saturday, I think of Saturday on Sunday and not a lot comes to mind apart a trip to Sainsburys and then my trip to the Winery in Burton on Trent to meet old colleagues and friends for lunch. A lunch that stretched to five o’clock with food and conversation about a shared history and people in common. It is quality time with people who are important to me and who know me well enough to tell me when I get up myself. I get home an spend an evening with Strictly and a film. I wait till everyone has gone to bed and then I wrap my partners birthday presents and clear the kitchen. Its one o’clock when I go to bed hoping I am tired enough to sleep.
Sunday and its my partner’s birthday, although when I wake I find she has already got up and made coffee. I get up quickly and dress as I remember that we are having visitors at 10 o’clock. A hurried breakfast of toast and coffee and then I start to prepare the evening meal. It is to be beef bourguignon with chunky vegetables and goose fat roast potatoes. I manage to get it into the Crockpot just before one of my nephews arrives with his wife and son. We sit and drink coffee and chat family and work stuff. It is a real pleasure to see them and all too soon they have to leave to go and decorate the Christmas tree at his fathers house.
After they leave my partner opens her presents and we call our youngest daughter. I remember that tomorrow is my 28 day injection and I need to take my prophylactic paracetamol. I take my drugs and settle down to watch the first half of the women’s FA cup and then the Leicester Tigers match. Tigers win. Its time to prepare the birthday dinner. I get the meal ready and we sit to eat. By this time I have retrieved the chocolate cake from the boot of my car and stuck it with candles so when the time comes I can do the traditional entry with a flaming cake and offer the opportunity to make a wish. We eat cake and then its back to Dr Who, Strictly and the blog.
Tomorrow I am back to the GP for my injection. It is my last one before Christmas, the last one of the year. I have one more oncology appointment before Christmas, which I expect will mean another round of scans and then, if my PSA has risen (as it will) then a new course of chemo therapy. So 2022 is likely to pose some new and significant challenges. My old clinical supervisor and mentor has sent me a Christmas card with a letter in it. On the bottom of the letter he has written, ” I follow your blog and delighted to see you fight this cancer. I know at times there are dips when you wonder if its worth keeping going – it is. ” It is just what I needed to hear at this time. So tomorrow I begin again, to fight, to diet, to exercise, to be organised, to be engaged and to find a way through. So thank you once again Michael.
