Life's Curveball

Sometimes, just when you think everything is swinging along just perfectly, life throws a curve ball at you and throws you off balance for a while.  Two weeks ago I went for a routine scan for gallstones.  Whilst I was there the technician found two spots on my liver and called in the consultant to take a look.  From that moment things moved fast and I feel that the last two weeks have been lived in a blurry and scary place.

I was called back two days later for a contrast CT scan and then we had to come back from holiday for the day for an appointment with the gastroenterologist consultant.  He explained that he felt the lesions were probably secondary liver tumours and that I would have to have further tests to try to find the primary cancer site.  I had an MRI scan and further blood tests the same day.  As you can imagine, by this point I was convinced I was at death's door and feeling like every little twinge was a major symptom.

Yesterday I finally got a call to say that the liver consultant is absolutely certain that they are a specific type of benign tumour and that I could stop worrying.  They have checked every part of my body from the knees up and I am fit and healthy.  Such good news, I feel like I have been given my life back.

The last couple of weeks have certainly been a wake up call about what is actually important and what is superficial.  Top of my list of priorities now is my family and friends, everything else slides down the scale.  Pete has been my absolute rock and I am very lucky to have him by my side.  I know that there are many, many people who are not so fortunate as me and from now on I will be more mindful of that and help wherever I can.

Enjoy life people as you never know what is round the corner.

At Last, A Holiday!

With three boats that all need work, continually working to pay for said three boats, I needed to get Pete away on holiday.  Funds are still very tight until the house is sold so we decided to try camping.  It must be 30 years since either of us went camping, but we are game for most things.  We bought a second hand tent and just a couple of other bits; a second sleeping bag and a one ring gas cooker and off we went.

We are staying in Suffolk, near Aldeburgh at a beautiful campsite run by Sue and Colin.  I knew about the campsite as I am a regular reader of Sue's blog http://frugalinsuffolk.blogspot.co.uk It is a super site and very central to a lot of places to visit, well worth staying at if you are in the area.

We managed to get the tent up and fully unpacked within an hour AND without getting to divorce stage!  We certainly got a bargain with our tent, it's great.  So far we are having great fun and will be doing this lark a bit more often.

Pete finally relaxing and reading a book.  Mission achieved!