From Mark
Last night Charlie my grandson stayed over with his dad. This morning at 6.45 am when he saw the huge six wheel dumper trucks moving the beach, he told his father, Simon, that he wanted to stand watch with gran gran and miss school. Simon said that was not possible. Gran gran said she was a qualified teacher and could do home schooling, but Charlie went off to his wonderful Lewes school, as is proper.
So Seaford is definitely increasing its appeal to all comers – young and old alike.
Received lovely pictures last night of the 2 cocoa trees we planted in St Lucia in December 2016. They are a thriving 7 feet tall with wooden tags for Charlie and Daisy Ridgwell on each. Hopefully we will have some future Hotel Chocolat to share.
Sun has come out today and a good thing about the winter is the air is so clear, we can see the white cliffs of the Isle of Wight on the horizon. South of this island the winds often fly straight to Seaford from America with no landfall in between and that’s when Jenny would prefer to be inland.
From Jenny
So now we are Blue Badge holders with a techie parking badge to put in the front window of my car. Freedom of the road for us, or at least freedom to park on any double yellow line that we choose.
Here are some ideas –
We can
- Drive to Brighton, visit our favourite restaurants and park outside. No number 12 bus or cancelled trains for us.
- Park anywhere in Lewes – a triumph after all these years of worry
- Park in Cliff High St, Lewes and sit and watch my car from Bills, with no stress
Perhaps one of you can tell me the most spectacular Blue Badge places so that we can plan our day trips around Britain.
March 6th is a follow-up visit to the oncologist to check on how the chemo is going. I hate the abbreviation to chemo more than I dislike university becoming uni, but for different reasons. The drive to Eastbourne Hospital over the South Downs is always refreshingly beautiful and the many sheep in the fields may be ready to lamb soon. I have no idea when lambing begins, but somehow they looked fatter and more maternal.
Our hospital check in has gone digital and the human welcome counter has the shutters down and is replaced with a Patient Check In Screen that you Touch to start.
The TV screen on the wall flashes cancer help websites and tells us that the doctor has at least a 30 minute delay.
Screens to make me scream!
Time for me to play Rag’n’Bone Man Human again very, very loud. 470 million views – 1 million from me. And he comes from Uckfield 10 miles away and was expelled from Ringmer school – so Charlie and I could have bunked off today.
We sit with silent patients on blue plastic seats the colour of forget-me-knots waiting our turn.
Want something to read? Choose from the CANCER wall of leaflets
- Weight management when you have cancer
- Want someone to talk to about cancer?
- Travel and Cancer
- Signs and symptoms of cancer
I pick up the leaflet Wind, gas and bloating and learn that brussels sprouts and broccoli are big culprits.
If you’ve reached the oncology department, surely the signs and symptoms have been recognised.
The oncologist is as always quiet and calm and checks her computer screen. I might like her if we met outside this hospital room without a view.
‘How has it been since the treatment?’
Today Mark is robust. ‘Well I’ve reached the weight my doctor told me that I had to lose.’ And I haven’t lost weight in the last six days. And I’m feeling OK.’
She looks at me ‘You are quiet – anything to add?’ Only to shout ‘Listen to Rag’n’bone Man.’
So one gold star for Mark for reaching his healthy eating target and one for me and Annabel for feeding him the highest calorie, nutritious food he chooses to eat. I’ve been told by the dietitian to increase his fibre. The oncologist disagrees and supports Mark in being cautious.
Now we reel into chemo discussions and the plan to increase the dose on Monday.
I’ve tweeted Rag’n’Bone Man to see if he is back in Brighton performing – if so we’ll park on the double yellow lines outside and wave our Blue Parking Badge.
itaughtthemtocook.com 