I've written before that I used to work in a wonderful museum that was closed by the Local Council after a real dirty tricks campaign. All the staff there at the end really loved the place, and gave lots of our time for free. Within 4 years of the closure 3 out of 6 of us have had cancer. Who says that stress doesn't play a part?
You all probably know that I am terminal, after an initial misdiagnosis by our local hospital. Today I rang my former boss to see how he got on in the first scan he has had since treatment for prostate cancer. It is the same hospital department as mine, and they omitted to do the scan they should have done immediately following his treatment.
Last week he took me out to see an exhibition elsewhere, and I also called in to see him at work (the Museum is mostly still there, apart from what was stolen in a subsequent burglary as the Council have yet to fulfil their promise to build a replacement centre). He commented that he had back ache. We thought that it was probably due to lifting heavy boxes at work (all his staff were taken away upon closure). I rang this morning to see how he got on yesterday - and learned that it has spread to his spine, hence the back ache. The hospital deny that they omitted to scan him four months ago has made any difference - but they would do, wouldn't they.
I am deeply upset today. He is such a kind, generous-spirited person, and he was always so generous with sharing his vast specialist knowledge with me (NOT a universal act in museums, where increasingly staff know very little, any way, and certainly don't want to share it!) I can offer emotional support, because I know how devastating news of this sort is - but today I really want to wail LIFE IS NOT FAIR!
