D Days 142 to 163: 2011 up to Saturday 22 January

Hello!!!!  Happy New Year - which I know is a bit belated.  Have you missed us?

It's been a frantic three weeks really, and so much has happened I'm going to have to give it to you 'in a nutshell' and try to get up to date!  I don't really know where to start!

I suppose the main thing is that I've gone back to work; it had to happen, and it felt like the right time as everyone was returning after the Christmas break, it's a new year, C was well and coping, so back I duly went on Tuesday 4 January.  It wasn't easy; I've been used to waking up late, sitting in bed with C playing Scrabble on the ipad, very late breakfasts (you get the picture) so it came as a shock to the system to have to get up at 6.30 and be ready to leave the house at 7.45...so of course I didn't, and I went in later than usual on the first day back; but since then I've reverted to my old routine and it's scary how easy it has been to do that.  It was horrible to leave C that first morning, and it's not easy even now - he's not used to being alone at home and I do worry that he will get bored and dwell on things; but I guess we'll never know how either of us will cope unless we try it.

Things at work are not good; I have missed the girls in the office, and the lovely people I support, but the situation as I'm sure most of you are aware is not good for Council employees in our directorate, and it's all so uncertain what is going to happen that there's not way to plan for the future...which I suppose is fine for me because I don't want to do that anyway.

Another major event is that Romilly had interviews for cabin crew posts at Luton and Gatwick airports, which involved travelling up there and staying overnight as they started fairly early.  This meant that I had to step up, take a big gulp and....drive on the mainland!!!  I have only ever done this before when I've been following someone else, so it was a real challenge for me.  And one I rose to very well, if I say so myself, and managed perfectly alright, and managed to meet up with two friends while I was up there!! Thank goodness for TomTom; and thanks also to Tricia and Hazel for very enjoyable catch ups.  Our experience of Travelodge was quite varied though; the Luton one was like bunking down in an old office block, and there were no staff around really, the place was deserted!!  The Gatwick airport one was better though; at least there were other people around so it felt less lonely.  Beds were good at Gatwick, but not at Luton; food was not really that brilliant in either.  But I suppose for the price it's not really surprising!  Rom's day at Luton on the Monday went well (and she got through and was accepted by TUI, which used to be Thomson/First Choice, so she's waiting to hear if there's a job available), but she decided not to go to the Easyjet one on the Tuesday as she really felt unwell and wasn't sure she could cope (but newsflash they offered her another interview date at the beginning of February!).  We decided to have a run down to Ikea in Croydon on the Tuesday morning, and then went on to Brighton for lunch before heading home on an earlier ferry.  

C decided to upgrate our TV, and we now have a daunting 40" television dominating the lounge!  Something that took some getting used to, believe me.  But it is fantastic for the Wii which Romilly and C bought between them...so lots of keep fit stuff going on at the moment; and I've developed a passion for golf, which I would never have thought possible for me....but there you go, things can change!

Romilly went for a fitting for her bridesmaid's dress today with Gemma (Bren's fiancee).  She's very excited and looking forward to this - and told the people at her interview that she had to have that day off!!!  Bless...I can't wait to see them all in their best bib and tucker; what a lovely thing to look forward to.

At time of typing C is halfway through the third cycle of treatment, which you may remember is the last one before the oncologist wants to rescan him.  He's not too bad so far...blood pressure has been fine - not as raised as previously - and his sore mouth/throat/skin hasn't kicked in so far so let's hope it stays that way.  He is tired though, and obviously when he feels like that it's easy to get emotional.  But I guess we're getting good at dealing with all this.

So, the upshot is that he has an appointment for a scan on Tuesday 1 February, then we see the oncologist on Thursday 17 February to find out what's going on.  We've been through so much these last few months, and it's all been leading up to this.  Keep your fingers and everything else crossed that the results are good.

And I'll try to post more regularly, without so many gaps.  But there is so much going on.....