Do you ever have one of those ‘Swings & Roundabouts’ days?  I’ve had one today.

It started off with a trip to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for my 6-monthly check up.  As usual I didn’t sleep much the night beforehand wondering if the ultrasound scan would show a return of papillary thyroid cancer.

I left in plenty of time as there’s a lot of waiting around, firstly for a blood test and then for the ultrasound itself.  I tried to focus on my Kindle, but eventually gave up.  After my blood test I had 45 minutes before the ultrasound, and so I decided to sit by the entrance and people-watch instead.

All life walked, hobbled, or strode in front of me.  Some had one stick, some had two, and some were in wheelchairs.  I counted my blessings and thought of my mother in her last years, and how she tried to pass off her fear of death with blasts of humour.  I could still hear her voice in my head:

“First you see them with one stick, then you see them with two sticks, and then you don’t see them at all…”

The usual doctor greeted me at the Ultrasound Department.  After only five minutes or so he announced that there was nothing to find in my neck that shouldn’t be there.  Another clear scan!  I must admit there is a great feeling of relief at being told this.

After driving the 40 miles home again I turned on the computer to catch up with my emails and there finally was a message from the New York media production company who were reading ‘For the Sake of a Child’.   This is the message I received:

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‘I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. Your work is terrific and you are obviously a writer of talent,  but in the end the director decided to go with a different project. I have kept your work for future consideration and look forward to reading more of it myself.  Not work related, I especially want to read your book about menopause lol’.                                            
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After an initial feeling of disappointment, it occurred to me that hey, I’ve had really good news about my health today, and good health is all that matters really, isn’t it?  I don’t need another scan for a whole year now, and am free to enjoy the summer without worry.  I cannot ask for more.  All this writing stuff comes in second to knowing that I’m going to be around and relatively healthy for a bit longer!

Some days you just have to take stock of what you do have…