Teacher's Gift

Photo copyrigh: Maggie May

These are the lovely flowers that were brought round to me when tightly in bud, in a stone pot by a very kind teacher who took the time to come and visit me a few weeks back. I guess they are at their best right now.

I have other hyacinth and tulip bulbs that are going to open up soon.

I had chemo 5 yesterday. It went without incident. I met some interesting, chatty people who helped to while away the time. If any one wants pictures of what it is like to undergo chemotherapy then they can go to my last session here.

So how am I feeling this time?

Well you can see that I don't have chemo brain, as I am managing to put in links etc.

I am itching like fury. I am on strong antihistamines that don't seem to be doing anything other than make me feel very sleepy. I look bright red. It would scare people if I went out like this.

This is the first morning that I couldn't face getting dressed. I need to be able to get at the places and scratch. It is all over my body and is due to the chemotherapy. Its nearly unbearable trying not to itch and I am damaging my skin.

I get into the shower and feel like laughing with delight of it and crying at the pain of it.

I was told it is no use putting anything on the skin as it wouldn't make any difference and might aggregate the condition.

By Sunday it will be going....... but it is a long time till Sunday.

Some of the people on the ward having chemotherapy yesterday were quite ill. There was a lady who looked so thin and old and she was extremely ill with a chest infection. She went in with a man in his late thirties and a very young boy.

I thought that the father of the little boy was the son of the much older lady.

Doctors buzzed around this lady and eventually I heard them say that there was a bed for her in the ward above and that she had to be admitted.

Then the *son* kissed her goodbye and the little boy aged about three years old said, "Goodbye Mummy."

That is what this blasted disease does to people and I had to choke down the tears.

Mothering Sunday

Photo copyright: Maggie May

Since I wrote my last post, the weather has turned much warmer and this coincided with an energy surge in me. Over the last two days, I was able to get out in the garden and prune things back, tidy the debris from the winter winds and do some jobs in the house that I normally would have done before, if I had felt able to.

In England we have Mother's Day completely out of sync with the rest of the world. It is really Mothering Sunday and was to do with the Church originally and it still is, though most people call it Mother's Day.

After we went to church in the morning, my son and granddaughters called round with cards and a present. My daughter had already sent hers in the post.

The day was lovely and sunny and pleasant.

I am so relieved not to be shivering and to be feeling stronger again on this special day.

The tub of narcissi and hyacinths that I received from the teacher last week is responding to the sunshine and the bulbs are opening up.

I have seen two wrens eying up the little pouches underneath the kitchen roof over hang. I hope they decide to nest there. I believe that they build three different nests and the female selects just one. I bet my husband is glad he isn't a wren. Having to provide one home was difficult enough.

The fox who visits our garden has very bad mange. It is pitiful to see the scabs completely covering his back. He looks so ill. One day when I was itching all over and tearing at my skin to the point of injuring myself due to chemo 4, the fox flopped under a shrub in the garden and tried to sleep in the watery sun. However, he was tearing at himself the whole time and had no peace from the irritation. I thought that we had something very much in common, except I don't have mange.

Lets hope that this change in the weather is here to stay.

The Unexpected Gift

Photo copyright: Maggie May

I was so surprised when one of the teachers from the school where I work came quite unexpectedly to visit me last week. She had planted this lovely stone tub with narcissi and hyacinths herself and she stayed to chat for a good while.

It was her own present to me and nothing at all to do with the school. I was so delighted with it and the tub is on the patio outside and I will be able to really enjoy it from the back room where I sit.

Wasn't that kind?

It is good to see the sun although it is very cold here. I have all sorts of jobs lined up for when I get stronger.

The sunshine seems to give out strength.

Hope many of you ae enjoying sunshine too.