The holiday, cancer and me Part11

I left the hospital and I believe I have already stated 'a broken and weak woman', I didn't care anymore, the fight had gone. I didn't recognise this person with dead eyes looking back at me in the mirror, where the hell had I gone, I wanted to die, enough was enough now. No more more doctors, no more chemo, no more needles, just get on and end this now and let me get some peace. I was due, 5 weeks later to start the new chemos but was given more time to physically recover and in that time I managed after alot of tears and soul searching to kick myself up the arse, found a little piece of the old me and started to drag myself up off the floor. It wasn't easy by any means, but I did it! BAG OF OATS!! Long old day, chugging down the canal again, heading for Ellesmere and The Black Lion. Having done the same canal for 5 years, I still smile when we get to the two tunnels that we have to sail through. The first is called The Whitehouse Tunnel, it is 191 yards long, you have to stop to make sure no other boats are about, then you head through the tunnel with your light on at the front of the boat, so others know you are there. The next one is The Chirk Tunnel, that is 459 yards long. The first time ever narrowboating, we had come up through this tunnel.....no one told us about the leaves gathering on the propellar, bringing the boat to a grinding halt, with the flow of the canal going against you.................................It ended up with me pulling Elvind with a rope, all the way through that bloody tunnel. God it nearly killed me! and what did Kev have to say to me, "Here my ansome, I'll have to get you a bag of oats, well done" We learnt quickly after that, so in the autumn when the boat slows right down, you wack the gear lever in reverse and then wack it back in gear and the boat moves on as it should. (I hope you are learning this lesson on narrowboating! Not you Drew, I know you already know how) We made so many mistakes on our first trip but we did laugh most of the time. Kev was trying to stop the boat this one time, he got off Elvind, grabbed the middle rope and pulled.....instead of stopping, Kev went bank ski-ing! Much to this other boaters amusement, this guy shouted "Better to take it out of gear mate!" I was in fits of laughter. We arrived at Ellesmere and yet again it was off to The Black Lion for a chicken tika masala, LOVELY. That got Henry (my stoma) working, then it was back to Elvind and in bed by 8.30, both of us knackered but feeling good.