My week in great detail ...

Radiotherapy ~ Day 18 (11:30)

Apologies now ~ this is going to be a long one .... if you care to stick with it!

Saturday

I have a very slow day on Saturday, as I am feeling shattered.

Some nights I don't sleep very well ....I stay in my bed until lunchtime and just read the papers and sleep a bit too. Mr.B has been persuaded to go away for a well deserved break, before school starts up again soon.

He has gone to do some rock-climbing down in Dorset.... meanwhile ....my lovely girl arrives home to take his place. She can stay for a whole week this time! Hooray!!!!

Sunday

Refreshed after my lazy Saturday we decide to have an afternoon out. My daughter fancies a trip to the Albert Dock in Liverpool ...but, to make it more interesting we travel 'over the water' by ferry!

We haven't done this for years and years ....

This used to be so thrilling when I was a child ... watching the boat getting closer and closer ..

... and it's still pretty special as a grown-up! The view of the Mersey waterfront is beyond compare ...

Some beautiful old favourites ...

.... and a new building is taking shape to re-home The Museum of Liverpool Life. It's due to open next year.

We take a leisurely stroll round round the Dock in the warm sunshine

and stop for an excellent coffee and cakes at the new ferry terminal

before boarding the ferry home to the Wirral to the strains of 'Ferry across the Mersey' by Gerry and the Pacemakers ...yes - they really do play it as you sail!

Monday

Don't sleep well again last night...  wide awake from 3 a.m.

Sign up with readitswapit an online book swap service. I'm getting through so many books it's costing a small fortune, and this seems such a good way to recycle the books you will only ever read once.

Have a double appointment at the hospital, radiotherapy and a very brief chat (all of thirty seconds max)

with a doctor I've never met before! I find it totally pointless!

I do some food shopping, and then have to have an afternoon nap.

Later, I make my first ever strawberry jam,

I'd love to say I grew my own fruit, but I have to confess it was shop bought!

It tastes really good.

Tuesday

We had intended to go to Southport today after my appointment, but the weather is truly appalling and I get soaked at the hospital.... so we abandon the idea. I send off 4 books for my first 'ReaditSwapit' swaps, and 1 book arrives for me. I'm impressed and a little frightened by the speed of the transactions!

I actually do a bit of ironing from the great mound that is waiting!

Later, we go for tea at my parents' house.

Wednesday

Three more books arrive from ReaditSwapit... and I post another one off. I've now got a nice pile of 'new' books waiting to be read at the cost of under £2 postage for each one.

In the afternoon I visit our local organic farm shop and buy some good things to eat.... sadly they don't have much in the way of fruit. Maybe I need to be there earlier in the day!

My lovely young man  finally admits he is nervous ... he's waiting for the dreaded A level results tomorrow!

At 4 p.m. I receive a very distressing phone call from Mr. B as he is leaving a hospital in Weymouth. He's had an accident rock climbing ....caused by a moment of carelessness by his partner. He says he's fine, and he's coming home tonight instead of tomorrow.  I spend the rest of the night worried sick ... because

I don't know what 'I'm fine ... it's just a graze' actually means. In the 35 years I've known him he has never had an accident climbing. He arrives home at 10.30 with a huge cut and lump on his head. It isn't as bad as I expected thankfully, but bad enough! He is more upset that he's worried me. I tuck him up in bed, grateful that he's still alive, and have the best night's sleep I've had in weeks!

Thursday

I wake up feeling really good today. Sadly, Mr B.'s head is hurting ... but he's being very brave.

My lovely boy gets up early to get his results .... he phones from school. He has done as well as can be expected given the lack of revision, and has a secured a place at Aberdeen Uni, (missing his first choice of Belfast). I think he is very, very relieved and declares himself 'well pleased'! And so are we!

I wait ages at the hospital today ... there seems to be a long delay for some reason. Afterwards I go to Cheshire Oaks ( our local outlet centre) with my daughter.

We have lunch and browse around the stores ...  I am looking for a nice handbag but nothing takes my fancy today. Then we do something really exciting .... and book a special treat for October.

The two of us are going to have a 'girlie' week away, in a warm place, near a golden beach, in a (hopefully) lovely hotel with a spa. It will give me something special to look forward to after my treatment!

Friday

I've had another poor night, with two hours wakefulness. When I do eventually drop off again, we are woken by an incredible thunderstorm over our heads - flashes of lightening, very loud bangs and torrential rain - the full works! Very unusual!

Inca is confused, because her 'Dad' is up and dressed but hasn't taken her out for her walk!!! Eventually the rain eases and off they go.

Today is my birthday. I open some cards and lovely presents from my family.

..... including a beautiful pearl bracelet and pair of ear-rings brought back from my daughter's recent trip to Bangladesh,

and  a lovely jewellery box to house my growing collection of pretty things!

After my hospital appointment, we go for a birthday meal at our favourite local restaurant. It feels so good for all four of us to be together around the table .... it doesn't happen very often these days. That's the best present I could have wished for!

I spend the rest of the afternoon asleep again ... I'm longing for the day when I get my real life back!