I was sat in the shade in the garden yesterday when a blackbird landed on a clear polythene bag on the ground. Bag still had a little gravel in it and I hadn't tidied up. The blackbird flattened itself onto the bag with its wings spread. It took me a couple of minutes to realise it had mistaken the bag for water and was trying to cool down.
I moved and the blackbird flew off. I picked up the bag and replaced it with the largest pot saucer I could find and filled that with water. Today there is water everywhere. The blackbird and others have found it and clearly enjoy it.
I experienced something this evening that was a first for me - I drove through a rainbow, and hard on its heels was the mother of all storms, the hail stones so chunky I thought the car would be damaged.
Then I could not help but wonder if it was some kind of mystical sign because we were returning from hospital for the final consultation after five consecutive working days of medical results. These were big tests, four based on MRI scans, and the two week lead up has been extremely stressful but, for every single one, my wife got the news she wanted to hear:
- brain tumour. Stable. No action - brain aneurysm #1. Remains successfully coiled - brain aneurysm #2. Still small. Being monitored but no intervention yet - blood platelet count. Back within normal range. - diabetes tests. All markers are stable and quite low. No need for medication or insulin. - cataract. Incipient. Stable. Monitor for now - retinopathy. Stable. - mouth cancer. In 17 years of treatment across 6 cancers the max fax surgeon used a word no surgeon or oncologist has ever said to her before ‘I think you’re cured.’ - breast cancer. No recurrence. See you in a year’s time.
We’ll continue to shield but a weight has been lifted and the future is now much more optimistic.
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You are not wrong Obelixx.
Then I could not help but wonder if it was some kind of mystical sign because we were returning from hospital for the final consultation after five consecutive working days of medical results. These were big tests, four based on MRI scans, and the two week lead up has been extremely stressful but, for every single one, my wife got the news she wanted to hear:
- brain tumour. Stable. No action
- brain aneurysm #1. Remains successfully coiled
- brain aneurysm #2. Still small. Being monitored but no intervention yet
- blood platelet count. Back within normal range.
- diabetes tests. All markers are stable and quite low. No need for medication or insulin.
- cataract. Incipient. Stable. Monitor for now
- retinopathy. Stable.
- mouth cancer. In 17 years of treatment across 6 cancers the max fax surgeon used a word no surgeon or oncologist has ever said to her before ‘I think you’re cured.’
- breast cancer. No recurrence. See you in a year’s time.
We’ll continue to shield but a weight has been lifted and the future is now much more optimistic.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.