Britain is back to work

Britain is back to work today!  I telephoned Southampton General and left a message for my oncologist about my neck.  He will be in tomorrow so we’ll see what he advises.  I don’t know how the growth in my throat has been affected by the radiotherapy but I don’t like the way my neck is swollen.  I think it unwise to leave it until February when I am due to see him next.

I have to say it is always worse when I am lying awake at night.  Usually I have one or two hours sleep at the beginning of the night and then wake up.  When the nightingales start singing I know the time is about 3.00 a.m.  They go on for a couple of hours.  The time between 3.00 a.m. and 5.00 a.m. is the worst for being awake and worrying.  Ray always tells me I can wake him and sometimes he is awake for part of this period himself, but I don’t want to disturb him as he has things to do and really keeps the show on the road.

I have taken down the last of the decorations and put them away.  We both like to go through the cards again as often there are messages in them which sometimes we don’t take in just before Christmas.  Ray has been taking some of our excess rubbish to the recycling centre; we seem to accumulate paper and cardboard boxes.  I have a few bags for the charity shop so if we are able to deliver them this afternoon the house will be much clearer.

Earlier on in the day Ray took Starsky to the vet where he had two injections.  He is really very good and jumped into the pet carrier of his own accord.  What with everything else it meant that Ray was busy this morning and all the birds collecting around the feeders were giving meaningful looks to us in the kitchen.  It was quite uncanny so I dropped what I was in the middle of doing and went out to feed them.  It is still quite cold although we have adjusted to the colder weather, so I think they are glad of our efforts.

We shall do a few errands this afternoon but I am not venturing into Southampton to the shops.  I know a number of people who have been affected by the flu.  It doesn’t seem to have been a 48 hour infection and some have been bed-bound for a fortnight.  On the way back we will call in at the farm shop to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables.  Although we enjoyed the festivities, it is also good to see everything getting back to normal.