Monday, awake early and coffee in hand contemplating the day, including the fact that a friend has now got underfloor heating in the new bathroom and I find myself envious as I contemplate the first journey to the bathroom and my cold tiled floor. I get up and dress, breakfast quickly, down my morning meds and some prophylactic paracetamol, before walking down to the GP surgery to have my 28 day injection. Its the left side of my gut this month which is less lumpy than the right and tends to be a better experience. The injection goes okay, and then I book next months with the nurse. While I am at it I book my “bloods” for Friday the the 20th for my oncology review on the 24th. I walk home collecting a paper on the way so that when I settle down with another coffee I have crosswords and puzzles to do. I contemplate how well I am and wonder if I am being too reticent in my life style and whether I should just throw caution to the wind and go to Spain for a holiday, I crave the sun. Once I am done with the up coming oncology review and my partner has the results of her endoscopy then perhaps is the best time to seriously consider a bolt for the sun, providing I can find some affordable travel insurance, which allegedly the government do.

I clear the kitchen and collect the camera from the garden to check what has been wandering around in my garden. I am disappointed to find that the camera has continued to not take night pictures so all I have is pidgeons, cats and squirrels on camera but none of the potential interesting beasties that tend to roam the night. I reload the battery compartment, adjust the settings and replace the camera back in the garden but in a new position. I email the Apeman techno support team and ask about night vision failure but I have little hope of a useful response. In a surreal moment I think perhaps I’ve not fed my camera enough carrots. While I’ve been playing with my camera the post man has delivered and amongst the usual instant recycling crap that comes in every post there is a letter for me. My expectation is that it is from one of my usual correspondents but I am surprised to find it is from someone that I have not heard from for years. They have moved on from their old address and found a new partnership in their new environment. It sounds very happy and productive. I shall reply in due course, but for the moment its time for a lunchtime coffee and an indulgent chunk of Christmas Panettone before the afternoon training session.

As I nibble my way through my Panettone I notice just how crumby the carpet is, this will not do. As a result I hoover the house. Job well done, not an escaped Christmas tree needle to be seen anywhere. I take a break and another coffee during which a friend rings. We haven’t spoken this year and it was good to catch up. As usual she was up to her ears in the Real World and on her way to collecting one of her children from school. I guess the new year has well and truly kicked in for everyone now. My injection is kicking in and my gut is feeling sore so I down some more paracetamol and go to the garage to train. I find that it is important to make the effort otherwise its easy to sink into waiting for everything to be right and it very rarely is. Its colder than I bargained for and add an extra layer before I set off on the session. I set the session for an hour at my cruise level, as I have said before its important to show your body whose boss. Its a rugged row this hour but I get to the end of it reasonably satisfied. I’ve burnt 800+ calories so that will do.

I record the session and then move the car from the drive so Tesco can deliver later on, after which I change into my casual evening lounge attire and catch up drafting the blog. My partner is fasting in preparation for her procedure tomorrow afternoon so it is going to be an early night for us as she has to get up at 5:30 am tomorrow to start downing copious amounts of the pre procedure meds. Its going to be a long day for everyone tomorrow but longest for her. It is a reality of this blog that although it is about my cancer journey, inevitably it is also about the fact that my cancer is not a thing in isolation, my family get ill as well and that is all part of the juggle and the fight.