Filling the time before surgery

We have lots of plans to slot in over the next couple of weeks. Next week we are following up the pre op assessment (oh isn't it amazing how quickly you adjust to a life when you spend a lot of time in hospital waiting rooms?! I always have a novel, change for coffee, antibacterial hand wipes and a fixed grin in my handbag wherever I go now - just in case!) with a trip to London to see Les Mis (Andrew's favourite show of all time which I have never seen). Although it is only an hour's train ride away we decided to book in to a lovely hotel for the night and spend the following day wandering round the new photographic exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery before we wend our way home. The week after sees the theatre/proms/party weekend followed up by a day at the seaside, and a whole day in bed together before the op day. Mike on the Bike recommends a distracting day during surgery as I think sitting outside the operating room while they splice and dice your True Love is bound to send even the strongest of people a little loopy, so I am meeting up with A's son and we are going to do something - maybe cinema, lunch and bowling ......... it's all in the fine art of distraction. We also have much to sort out in the organisation stakes. I am the kind of person who likes to take an umbrella with me so I know that then it won't rain. This is how I feel about the surgery. If we sit and have the "what songs do you want at your funeral" conversations then I feel it bodes brilliantly for the outcome. (I am a little weird that way!) We are also making plans for the post operation future. We are both amateur photographers and have done a little commercial work here and there and it has been one of those "things I shall do at some point". Well guess what? That time is NOW, so we are setting up the company so that after A's recovery we can seriously address our work/life/enjoyment balance. Perhaps this is what I am learning most from this entire experience - that we take for granted and see as some sort of right that we will have time tomorrow, or next year, or in a couple of years to do what we really want. It isn't necessarily so - so do them NOW. In my current state, following this discovery, I am telling people exactly how much they mean to me, hugging friends and telling them how much I love them, spending an hour cuddling on the sofa with the lovely A whilst neglecting unloading the dishwasher, not worrying so much about work and the things that are not in my control. I am enjoying every day for the time I spend with the people I like and the things I enjoy, and I know that A is doing the same. I am sure I will get a fit of the wibbles once we get in the seven days to surgery time frame, so perhaps I should just reread this when I am sniffling into a damp tissue. ;-) Stay positive people. Positive til the end, and even then remember life is a celebration of great times and great memories with great people with the odd piles of crap thrown in to keep it interesting. T x