That evening, after the revelatory but traumatising oncology discussion, I set off on a rapid tour of the UK going anti-clockwise, to catch up with friends and family before Christmas, ostensibly simply to cry at/with/by them, but mainly show them I was still in one piece and 'coping'. It was the most positive thing I could possibly have done and cheered me up hugely to see everyone, share lots of hugs and laughs, hearing their news and being able to offer my sympathy for their situations, have a few very special Christmassy moments and then belt back to Scotland for the CT scan on 20 December.
I did, annoyingly, have to miss a lot of friends because I did not know the CT was happening until 24 hours before it did, so I had to cancel sudden rafts of people so I could drive north again. It also ruined sorting out the left-overs from the Absconding Lodger, who still owes me the best part of a grand. But my health, not him being a complete and utter tosser, comes first.
