I hope we get there

The threat of further snow hasn’t materialised despite leaden skies. Had the usual wait at the hospital again. The radiotherapists are nice people but they are battling against the odds. I did have one victory though, that BUPA will pay for my ENT operation which has now been arranged for very early on 1^st February. I then had to write to the Bone Marrow Consultant to remind her that although at our last meeting the transplant was scheduled for the end of this month, it would have to be delayed because of my sinus operation. I haven’t heard a squeak from her since our last meeting in November but, of course, the bone marrow donor will need to be informed of the delay. As the post has been dire or non-existent recently, Ray delivered my letter by hand.

Talking of bones, Anna’s summer school course this year at Oxford University is called Grave Concerns. More and more people are interested now in Forensic Archaeology so I hope it is a great success. She is just beginning to publicise it now. In the meantime she is running classes in Southampton and in the Continuing Education Department at Reading University.

It seems strange with the snow still on the ground to be talking about and looking forward to summer. However, if I am shortly to be shut away for the transplant, I ought to be planning ahead. Unfortunately, I did that before and it came to nothing. Once I have BUPA approval I shall be able to be more positive about it all.

We are also trying to plan some positive things. Last year was pretty grim – although no year is ever without its compensations in terms of events and people we meet. Since we know there are so many challenges ahead we want to draw up a wish-list of places to visit. In the first few months this is going to be tricky because I won’t be able to mix with many people but Anna knows I have wanted to visit York for ages and she is already looking into how we can visit the city and see some of the countryside.

Raymond is thinking further ahead and further afield. I shall not be able to go abroad for over a year but we are going to sit down and plan some journeys – preferably by sea and train. There are so many wonderful places I have yet to see; I hope we get there.