the most wonderful sunny sunday

Already it is 16th of August and the days are winding by.. Already in a few weeks, we shall celebrate our twenty fifth anniversary.. I cannot believe we have been married that long, and I never thought I would pass the first year!! To say that first year was difficult would be an understatement... we have had to mingle two families and two sets of children, not the easiest action in the world. Now here we are almost 25 years later, all the children grown , some with their own children, and living in a huge house, which we could have used at the beginning when the kids were at home, but we live in alone.. rattling around a bit, it is true, now that we are semi retired.

Over the last 8 years I have been in and out of hospital for one thing or another, and ended up with a new hip two new knees, and also two spinal operations. My energy levels were caput for a very long time, and I fretted about being able to manage such a large house and garden.

However this past month, I have found energy I didn't know I possessed, and have been in the garden almost daily to cut and weed and redesign the beds.. It feels so good to be able to have time out there and to see the results of a few hours together working on the garden. We have also had to deal with my husband's COPD which affects his breathing and lung capacity. He is still running daily, but his breathing is much harder to do than before..

So to share our times working together has become a real joy. As I sit here overlooking the garden, I see the leaves of the trees shaking gently in the breeze, the sunlight reflecting on them, and the sturdy vegetable beans climbing up the stakes by the hedges lining the whole garden. It is so peaceful to see and watch in the sunshine. I like Autumn, when the nights start drawing inwards, and the weather turns cooler, but only after having a hot summer to generate strength in my bones*

In ten days I start a course of radiotherapy, which will make certain that the lumpectomy was totally effective. I must say I did  not take it seriously when I was called back to see the doctors at the breast clinic. I had only by chance attended a mammogram appointment. I had not wanted to do it, because it is  usually so uncomfortable, but this time it was much gentler. I was surprised when I got the letter to attend the breast clinic and talk to a specialist. I went and had my talk and was shown the mammogram which appeared to show small cluster of white spots under my left nipple.

 I was shocked as I had had absolutely no symptoms at all, no lumps, no irritation, no indents, nothing... so that mammogram showed this in time, as they were pre-cancerous cells. Which could develop into something much worse if left alone**

 So, now I just have to do the radiotherapy course and it is over 3 weeks, one every day except the weekends.. I am so thankful that I have caught this in time, if I had not gone and done the tests, I could be in a really awful situation, a few years down the line.. At 70, I shall now have these mammograms every year to keep an eye on my body.. Thank goodness for the NHS here in England, so hardworked but still a life saver..
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