Things are definitely looking up at Cold Comfort Cottage.
The snow is melting. The oil and logs have been delivered. The last Christmas presents have also been delivered by previously snow-bound relations (yes - there was another scarf in there). Our Hero has eaten not one, but two (very small) slices of lovingly hand-made cheese tart, accompanied by a mouthful of mashed carrots.
Our Maverick Surgeon’s magic seems to be doing the good work and the primary tumour is clearly shrinking.
The Hounds from Hell have been having a wonderful time: they have had all these kind people arriving, bearing gifts. Cerberus’s energetic protection of the Underworld is nothing compared to the way The Hounds protect their territory – the critical difference being that The Hounds are trying to keep out The Good.
With Our Hero, having nibbled more than he has for months, now sleeping, and with The Hounds exhausted after a very busy day terrifying helpful people, what is the Meddlesome Wife to do with herself?
What, indeed, has she left to meddle with?
I can assure you, she is plotting.
A letter has already gone off to one MP. She is working on her letter to The Scottish Executive. She will be sending copies to her lawyer.
She is wondering why, when oesophageal cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Scotland, no-one here seems to have heard anything about it until they, or someone they love, has got this terrible cancer.
She is wondering why Our Hero has had this epic struggle to get a treatment which seems, already, to be doing so much good, and why this could not have been offered somewhere closer to home, or, indeed, anywhere in Scotland.
She is wondering why it is not offered on the NHS, anywhere, apparently - it is not so very expensive.
And she is wondering if she could really do something useful and raise awareness of this cancer, and improve the treatment for other people who will suffer from it.
Oh yes, she is meddling.
And she has learnt such a lot from the Macmillan site. She has learnt that in some parts of the country they have such things as specialist oncologists, and she is wondering why we have none of these rare creatures here.
Most of all, she is wondering what will be the result of the last CT scan which was done on December the 17th , and what is happening with the secondary cancers.
She will be on the phone tomorrow.
And, no, the plumbing is still not working.
Priorities!
First the NHS; then the plumbing.
There is a limit.
But there is, definitely, a vibe in this tart .
