Saturday 10 March 2012

Keeping busy

It's that time of the year again, with Steve's next hospital assessment almost upon us. After getting very stressed in the run up to the last assessment, we have been keeping ourselves very busy to try and take our minds off what may or may not happen next week.  


After the last guest left on Monday morning following Steve's birthday celebration weekend, we took off to Focus on Imaging at the NEC Birmingham, to look at the latest cameras, stock up on paper for prints, watch an RPS distinction assessment and pick up a print box for a fellow member of the Oxford Photographic Society. All that would have been tiring enough for one day, but although Steve could relax when we got home, I went out again for the last session photographing a local dancer rehearsing for a performance later this week.  




I had previously tried - and failed - to interest Steve in taking another trip away from base in the run up to next week's hospital visit.  However, my friends Chris and Prue stepped into the breach and on Tuesday morning we went off together for short break in Liverpool; the best part of four days crammed full of sight-seeing, culture, catching up on news and enjoying meals out.  




Museums, galleries, cathedrals and walkabouts interspersed by pit stops to refuel.  What a wonderful way to stop dwelling on and getting wound up about next week's hospital visit!  




While I've been away with the girlfriends, back at home, Steve has been printing images for our submissions to the RPS International Print Exhibition which closes next week. Neither of us feels very confident about having work accepted, but if you don't make the effort you will never know....


Back from Liverpool last night, today is a catch up and turn around day for me. There are more things in the pipeline to distract us tomorrow and for the next few days before the crunch of Thursday's trip to the hospital when we'll find out what's been going on inside...


Last year, a conference about mesothelioma in the Midlands highlighted that carers experience more isolation, anger and anxiety than patients. You only have to look at the blogs written by others whose partners have been diagnosed with mesothelioma to appreciate how helpless we feel at times.  In some ways it's reassuring to know that other people in my position feel the same.  Let's hope the distraction of being with someone else next week is enough to keep my mind from dwelling too much on Thursday's assessment.  We shall see.....







1 comment:

  1. Good luck for next week and know exactly what you mean about needing distractions.Let me know if you manage it..
    Amanda

    ReplyDelete