69. Poetry

You might not expect to find this as a running analogy, but there have been occasions when I have been learning a poem, and a long run gave me plenty of time to practice it in my head. No? Am I the only one? Oops.

Healthwise, I’m still going strong, cycling and walking most days. I continue to have my monthly blood tests where I also pick up the tablets. It’s going to be yet another month before I start the Zoledronic Acid for bone strengthening. They don’t seem to be in a hurry to start.

I was due an MRI scan but it had to be postponed. The hospital’s scanner is broken and the part has been with the manufacturer for weeks, with no sign of it being returned. What an expense that must be for a hospital when their radiographers can’t work!

They suggested I go to another hospital near Gatwick, resulting in my learning something about MRI scanners. They can be different strengths! The strength is measured in teslas (T), and while most are 1.5T (like the one at my usual hospital), some newer, stronger ones are 3.0T (like the one at Gatwick). The very helpful lady in charge sent my details through and was advised that with all the metalwork in my leg, the stronger scanner would create “artifacts” and not give such a clear image. Well, well, well. Every day is a school day. I’m booked into another hospital in Cheam now, a chance for a day out. The results should be back with my consultant before my next consultation.

My physiotherapy treatment is coming to an end. I am onto a very gentle re-introduction to running, just trying to jog for a minute then building up to longer attempts, half a minute at a time. I’m only up to 2 minutes so far and it feels as if I have doubled my body weight.

—oOo—

We needed a break, we have both been rather frazzled, so we found an apartment by the beach at Pett Level, near Rye, and did nothing for a week.  It was really peaceful and we welcomed wet days when we could just sit and read indoors. I went for a few walks along the beach with my camera.

We went for a trip to Rye and visited Henry James’ house which was of particular interest as Sue is proof-reading a thesis about that very man, so she knew as much as the guides in some respects. I was prompted to read The Turn of the Screw, which I found most ambiguous. What on earth happened at the end? And if you think I ramble on, Mr James had never heard the saying “you don’t have to be eternal to be immortal”; he never liked to use one word when ten would do. At least, I have stretched my vocabulary.

—oOo—

For a treat we went to visit Buckingham Palace, along with the other tourists. If you are thinking of going, pick a cooler day than we did. Walking slowly with the crowds of tourists can be hard work.

What a fantastic and extravagant place! Priceless works of art everywhere you look, lots of them gifts from foreign dignitaries over the years. And largely built by George IV, who must have spent a fortune on the palace, the Brighton Pavilion, Windsor Castle, and more. I must brush up on my history.

Imagine being a royal growing up in that environment.

—oOo—

It was my Mother-in-Law Jean’s 90^th birthday. She lives in Shropshire and so Sue and her sister went to take her out for a meal on the day (Friday). For weeks she had been adamant that she did not want a party. So, next day, when she had been promised Afternoon Tea, the rest of the family arrived for the surprise party.

She enjoyed it, despite her protests, and the rest of the family really enjoyed meeting up too.

But let’s not forget my anxiety at having to look after myself while Sue was away just beforehand.

Thursday

My carer is leaving me, unsupervised, all alone.
Think of all the damage I could do to another bone.

Her mother is taking priority. Over me! I mean to say!
Just ‘cos she happens to be ninety on this coming Friday.

What will I do? How will I cope? Where shall I find food?
I’ll need to cook, clear up my mess, do all the things I should.

I’ll try to subsist on what I can, find some tins at the back of the shelf.
Some things not too past their sell by date – I’ve got to think of my health.

I will survive, I tell myself, though I might start losing weight.
Still, I’ll see her again on Saturday and that will be just great!

—oOo—

Having enjoyed the Creative Writing course, I signed up for both of us to go on another event organised by Macmillan, a walk this time, meeting at the Yellow Wave café near Brighton Marina. We arrived early and after a while were joined by two ladies, one of whom had taken part in one of these walks before. She was expecting it to be organised by David, as before. It was nearly our start time of 10:30 and a dozen or so people came out of the café and set off towards the Marina. We asked if this was the walk, someone said it was, but it seemed to be organised by Alistair this week. A couple of them were on electric wheelchairs so we assumed they must be in our cohort.

The four of us walked a little way behind the others who set a faster pace, and we chatted to each other. I was interested to hear about a lady’s immunology treatment which she said was a lot easier to bear than chemotherapy. We were taken by surprise, however, when the leaders turned into the Brighton Marina Yacht Club. That wasn’t part of the plan.

Of course, we had followed the wrong group but they were very gracious and invited us in to join them. They meet once a fortnight and invite a guest speaker, this week a lady who started an orchestra for recovering addicts. So, not the outing we had planned, but we enjoyed ourselves and laughed about it afterwards.

—oOo—

If you have kept track, on 19^th September it was exactly a year since my Stem Cells were replaced, so my First Birthday!

Sue entered into the spirit of the thing with an appropriate card, cake and present.

To celebrate it further, I visited the nurse at the Health Centre to receive my first dose of childhood inoculations. They hurt just as much as the first time. I’ll have more in each of the next two months and another on my second birthday.

—oOo—

It’s the season to clear the pondweed, which has been neglected for the past year. It’s not as glamorous as you may have been led to believe in popular culture.

Sue developed a good technique with a rake to lift the stuff near the edge, while I donned the waders and long gloves and hopped in to reach the weed nearer the middle. This is going to take us a week or two: collecting it, leaving it a few days for the creepy crawlies to climb back into the pond, then taking it to the tip.

—oOo—

I don’t think I’m the only one to play Wordle on my phone. I know Dave does, because we compare results and trade rude comments on a daily basis.

It might have been the creative writing course kicking in at last but I have taken to making up childish poems and sending him those recently. I find an idea and work on it while exercising. If you are not aware of Wordle you might like to take a break at this point and have a go, you possibly need a rudimentary knowledge of the mechanics in order to make sense of this. You might also benefit from a glance at Kipling’s famous poem If—.

—oOo—

Kipling’s If— (the missing Wordle verses)

If you can keep your head when all your first guess offers is a row of black,
If you can trust yourself when your next attempt gives one yellow that the first try lacked.
If you can wait as your next goes fail with still no sign of green,
And struggle to find a word that fits the constraints that you’ve now seen.

If you can keep on thinking of other words, repeating letters too,
And go through coffee, lunch and tea times, pondering words anew.
If you can grab a scrap of paper and use a worn out pen,
Try every permutation and yet not find an answer then.

If you can fill the unforgiving day with words too long or short.
If you finally go to bed with still no answer caught,
Then for God’s sake cheat and use a Wordle helper – that’s what I’ve done!
Else it will drive you round the twist and you’ll be a madman, son!

—oOo—

Well, you can see I still have too much time on my hands.

Thanks for reading and take care!