No news is .......?

A number of friends have commented recently that nothing has appeared on this blog since November. They have wondered how I am and why I am so strangely silent. These are difficult queries to answer especially as it seems that, for some people at least, blogging and instant messaging are the new ways of talking to each other. As talking is a bit tiring for me you'd think I'd be blogging away like a good'un. The fact that I haven't been is a reflection of several things including a slower rate of change in my situation, me being a bit fed up with the constant listing of symptoms and after-effects, perhaps a degree of boredom and maybe avoidance and (more about this later) and other things to do.

So what's the latest on the health front? I've now had two monthly check ups since finishing the radio-therapy. The docs have been very happy with their handiwork and with my recovery. Indeed they keep telling me how young I am and how well I'm doing as though some how these elements of my situation are of credit to me. I keep saying that it's just my luck but they do seem to want to be complimentary. Whatever the truth or the training in bedside manner, my next monthly check up has been turned into a 6 weekly one. I hope this indicates a measure of optimism on the part of the butcher but we'll have to wait and see. I was told that if there was going to be any re-occurence it would most likely show up in between six and eighteen months. So any time now. Fortunately many of the after effects have faded and disappeared and I'm now left with the permanent changes and some long term effects that may fade away over a period of months. Permanent changes include being left with only half a beard. My left cheek and neck are now like a baby's bottom soft, smooth and silky! My right cheek still grows stubble at about an inch a day so by 5pm I'm getting strange looks in the high street! One of my neighbours is a make up artist so I my get her to make me some prosthetic stubble - could be a world first! A benefit of the 'Death of the Folicles' is that I no longer have hair growing inside my mouth. This inconvience was viewed dismissively by the butcher and the Dalek but was actually quite unpleasant as the tangled hairs acted as a food net and made eating more difficult. My skin is no longer sore but is still extra sensitive to UV light so sunbathing is out of the question without factor 60 for the next year or two.
I am left with two unpleasantnesses. The first is a taste in my mouth that is sour and stale - the morning after the night before sort of thing. It could be around for a long time so I such mints and brush my teeth a lot and these approaches do help. The taste is worse on some days than others but at least I do still have a sense of taste and can enjoy food and drink much as before.
The other is a general tightness in all the surgery scars. These have tightened and stiffened especially since the Dalek blasted them and they have restricted the movement of my head and mouth. I am no longer in possession of that teacher's essential possession - eye's in the back of my head. Exercise, massage and stretching are the order of the days and in time I should regain some more mobility here as well.
So, from here on in it is wait and see and hope that the Dalek did manage to blast every one of those nasty little cancer cells. If he got them then I am clear and will be able to get on with a normal retirement and at some time in the future I'll be writing my retirement blog rather than this one. If not I'm going to have some more unpleasantnesses to endure.

So, as a sort of introduction to retirement and to reassure you that life is no longer just about cancer and treatment here follows an update on what has been happening in Shavreenworld since the last blog entry.
Unusually we did not go away at Xmas or New Year. No need to get our sunshine at the most expensive time of year any more! We stayed at home and spent a very quiet Xmas with the parents and our very old cat. Enough food, very little drink, too much TV, some welcome visitors and some friends and family visited. It was quiet and somewhat boring but I did get a new camera and other bits and pieces so in between frequent bouts of sleeping I spent some time learning the intricacies of Photoshop and a graphics tablet and so on. I've been back to Shutterchance a lot recently and have posted a lot of pics so have a look if you're interested. I also went back to the Camera Club for the first time in 20+ years just last week - life getting back to usual. I'm now thinking of trying my hand at portraiture so, if there are any volunteers .....?

Photoshop is a vast and powerful program and although I used a version of it for years I only know a few of the basics. As a result I've enrolled on an adult education course to learn more of it's intricacies. An expensive business as now there is no financial support for the retired student. I've also re-started pottery. Both courses are at the Malvern Hills College so twice a week I shoot over there to pursue these interests. Elaine too as found some activites to get involved with. Whilst I'm doing Photoshop she's coiling, stretching, bending and contorting in a Yoga class and she's also rejoined a choir. We're keeping busy.

We've also booked a holiday to Madeira at the start of April, for the week of their flower festival. As there is a lot of interesting and challenging walking to do on the island we'll spend the next few weeks trying to get shape so we can enjoy some of the levada and ridge walks that we will want to try. As well as walking we'll expect to visit some gardens and even go on a whale watching trip. This will be our first holiday for more than a year so you may imagine that we are looking forward to it. At the same time we are trying to organise a house exchange to central California for the Autumn. We have some interest but unfortunately the nicest looking place is lived in by a lady who is allergic to cats. It will be hard for her to come here especially as we have doubled the number of feline residents.

Poor old Piglet went rapidly downhill in the run up to Xmas. He found it increasingly difficult to eat even though he was constantly interested in food. Once it was put out for him he would give it a few licks and turn away. He got weaker and weaker until eventually we took him for a last visit to the vet. A house without cats or children is an empty house and as there are no children here we went out and got a couple of rescue cats from the Cats's Protection prison... and here they are!

This is Suki. She is a female although Elaine was convinced that all ginger cats are male. Apparently not. Both cats seem to have come from a home where a very laissez-faire attitude was taken to coming and going. They had complete freedom of access and arrived only when they wanted food. They were not aggressive but were certainly unused to human contact. Consequently they were (and still are) very easily spooked. A little move, an appearance in a doorway or an unexpected noise can have them dashing for cover behind the piano or under the sofa. However after almost four weeks they are getting more settled and are proving to be very affectionate and most appreciative of fuss and petting. Once they have the freedom of the house we'll expect them to start earning their keep by getting on with their mouse control duties but for now they are still finding their feet. One of the reasons for not going away too much is to give them a chance to settle before they have to go back to prison again.

This one is Callie. Although she is larger and probably older she is also the more nervy one. The greatest shame is that they're not very keen on each other so we do get chasing, hissing and spitting games from time to time. Hopefully with time they'll learn to put up with each other. They certainly eat in close proximity without problem and mostly just avoid each other for the rest of the time.

So there you are folks, the latest update on the cancer saga. We do hope to visit friends around and about as Spring rushes on and plan to be in London at some point over February half-term. Now we have more time you'd expect us to have more time to visit but I'm not sure it works like that!

The next stage in my recuperation will be to start playing golf again. As my left shoulder is still stiff and stretched it could be hard. But you know what, the sun is shining and I'm off to give it a try this afternoon!

I hope you are all well. Thanks to those of you who have contacted me to find out how I am and you know that I'm looking forward to seeing those of you who are not too far away.

Ron