Post 319: More sunshine and a visit from Byron.
Waking each day feeling better is fantastic.
Last week’s holiday of two halves was a wake-up call to the reality of my condition.
The first week was amazing but what I really needed was a profiling bed and I assumed the second half would be the same — but it wasn’t. Because I was wearing myself out, I was becoming a sleeping disaster area.
But with another holiday coming soon, it’s obvious the first and main focus will be booking a p-bed (profiling bed) and toilet riser. This would obviously limit the options of location in and around the world but I can live without the assistance, so suck it up Mr U.
I will update when I can about a possible trip north to family and friends, or further afield.
I have so many lazy days coming up I am going to take up any chance I get to sit in the sun. Today was a cracker and I spent a good couple of hours in the hot-house — conservatory — in my shorts and socks only, until Byron arrived with his very long legs.
The sweats I encountered in the sun were similar to the night sweats I still get each night, but I’ve come up with a cunning plan for them.
T-shirts that easily fit me are now the first line of defence. My shoulders are weak — in fact one has been frozen — thus the likelihood of changing shirts during the night is now made easier by separating the baggy or stretchy T-shirts into their own drawer and not getting upset about the problem.
I mention these mundane things because I’m not having my best life here but I am trying to have the best life I can.
It’s really hard for me not to cry each time a little progression of this prostate cancer takes another piece of me. Sometimes my Darling copes and kicks me back on track and other times I work through it myself, but lately, on good days like today, I want to do more to help my Darling.
Today’s searches online were for profiling beds that could make our next holiday more suitable and a brand-new tangent of thinking about life that could help both my Darling and me.
It starts with a few factors that will explain the issue.
My Darling has a strict diet which helps her help herself. She’s not a veggie like me so needn’t follow the fish-less and meatless diet I’m on. She sometimes hates cooking. I’m ok with batch-cooking but these days is it really necessary?
With this in mind I chose to do a bit of lateral thinking — nothing that hasn’t been done before but lateral for me and my Darling.
I ended up with one thought after adding up the aforementioned statements.
What I needed was Lincolnshire foods on a plate delivered to my door — or better still — a local professional establishment providing dinners that I alone can arrange and my Darling doesn’t have to think about. Therefore she has no worries about my dinners nor my health.
What I’m talking about is more like an upmarket version of that well-known previously mentioned enterprise that only provides (as I remember it) basic foods for veggies; I want more! (Stamping feet.)
So I chat-botted a list of professional local possibilities and wrote a quick note and hoped for the best.
⸻
“To whom this might concern,
I am an active 61-year-old cancer warrior wanting to ease my darling wife’s lot in the kitchen and see if I can purchase plated dinners for some or all of the week.
Think premium Wiltshire Farm Foods but preferably fresh and high quality.
Is this even possible? Is it practical? Is it cost effective? Can it be supplied to my location fresh or frozen?
These are easy questions for you to answer — but I’m a bored vegetarian who wants to help my wife’s week in a practical way and have quality or high-quality food to eat not only to help my way along the cancer pathway but tickle my taste buds (now I have them back).
I’m not expecting anyone local to be able to do something like I’m after but if you think there’s a possibility or can signpost me to another place of excellence then please reply with any help.
Thank you for reading.
Kind regards”
⸻
I had a reply from the first and nearest one on the list in five minutes. She was busy with wedding prep but as soon as that’s done she’ll get back to me.
Cool.
Later we will find out what I can do to help my Darling.
Our youngest and Byron arrived in a newish car (new to them) — an estate — to better transport long legs himself. It’s all looking good and lovely to see them both.
Ooooo look
The back garden was introduced to long legs today. Loads of smells and places to investigate and in the late afternoon sun too. It went so well. Even Mr V behaved — well he tried his best.
Sitting on a pile of things where Mr V suns himself was clearly where he wanted to be (not lurching around the garden like long legs) and he was not moving. So when the tight grip of Byron’s collar was held as the two animals passed each other within a foot it was a grumpy cat that was heard to growl his best warning as long legs passed by without remark.
Happy days.
Yes there were moments when a + b flared up into a barking rage more akin to play fighting, but the evening passed peacefully in the main. The nut roast and apple pie and custard were a lovely accompaniment to the afternoon.
I was really tired by the end of all that and shuffled off to bed happy and a little sunburnt around the neck. Whoops!
Good night.
