Update on recovery

A sunny Sunday morning here in Bournemouth; it is good to be alive. Our new gardener seems to have settled in and after a month with the lawns unmown the garden is neat and tidy again and pleasant to sit in. The blue geraniums are out and already we are thinking of having to water every evening. One feature of our neighborhood is that wild Valerian is everywhere. Our nesting box has been colonized by a family of blue tits faithfully feeding the fledgelings.

We have been able to manage some car trips. Last Thursday we did the 150 mile round trip to see my mum. The traffic was terrible, but we managed it. It was good to see her. At 91 she has slowed down a bit but she now has someone to do her garden and some of her household chores. She likes to do her own cooking. Unfortunately, my diet has to be so regulated now that we were unable to have a meal with her but I did scoff a nice piece of lemon cake.

Yesterday we did another 150 miles along the coast to Hayling Island to see my oldest daughter and youngest grandchild. Aby is now 15 months old, running everywhere and saying words like 'shoe' and 'chair'. Karen's garden seems further advanced than ours, even. I think they benefit by being in the shelter of the Isle of Wight. We went for a little walk which I managed without too much trouble.

Tomorrow we plan to visit my younger son up in Warwickshire. This will be a round trip of 250 miles and I shall get the Jaguar out for it. It will be my longest trip since the chemotherapy ended and I trust I will be strong enough. We are taking the opportunity to take him a load of wood from out garage loft for his wood-burning stove. At the moment he is in Barcelona working at the Spanish Grand Prix, but he will have returned by tonight.

I am making plans to go to EHA in London next month. It is close enough for me to travel up each day without the need to stay away and the CLL sessions are spaced enough for me to fit in the traveling. I had intended to go to the MDS meeting in Edinburgh, but it came a little too soon for me.

Generally, my health is good. I have been left with some residual symptoms that I ascribe to the surgery and chemotherapy, but I have to learn to live with them. My energy levels are getting better every day and I am not daunted by every task as I was a month ago. I am even planning on writing an article for publication again.