News isn't good

Got Keith's results today and his tumour is inoperable.  It has spread to the lymph nodes and into his liver.  It's knocked us both for six today so this will be a very short email.

More bad news

We have spent the last week attending one consultant after another.  It seems the routine chest xray Keith had following his stroke has shown shadowing.  As you can guess its been quite a stressful time and after scans, tests and a bronchoscopy where samples were taken of the tumour in his lung we now have to wait two weeks for the results.  Everyone we have seen so far confirm that its a tumour but as yet we do not know what type.  With a bit of luck it could be benign.  So these postcards I have ready to swap based on the theme of Indian Spice might be the last for a while.  There are still some cognitive difficulties left over from his stroke, which doesn't bother him in day to day life but under stress he simply can't concentrate on what is being said to him.  I want to give him as much time as it takes to deal with whatever is thrown at us so I hope you won't mind too much the gaps in communication.   I will blog when I have something to say and the time to tell it.  In the meantime here are my Indian Spice postcards all ready to go into the post tomorrow.

When I was in my twenties I went on an overland trip to Kathmandu in a bus, camping and eating what the locals ate across Europe into Asia.  It lasted over four months and my only regret was that I'm not fit enough to do it again.   Whenever I see Indian elephants I think of those we saw as we crossed India and the smell of spices and cooking.   The card backgrounds are a combination of two photos, one with the names of Indian spices in several languages and the actual spices.  I merged these in Photoshop and reduced the opacity so they wouldn't overpower each other.  The elephants I made with my embroidery unit, the designs are by Ace Point.  I hope the recipients enjoy them.

Saltburn by the sea

We thought we'd have a day out and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.  Although Keith's consultant said he could drive the DVLA say not until they have the consultants report.  So its back to begging lifts and public transport.  We thought we'd try out the local rail services and got the train this morning to Saltburn a small seaside town on the east coast.  The train was packed and I think every child had a bucket and spade with them but we enjoyed the ride.

The guerrilla knitters have been out again, this time displaying knitted objects with a seaside theme.  Unfortunately vandals had spoiled one or two of them pulling of arms and legs but undeterred these phantom knitters got stuck in and replaced them.



Beach huts and boats



Swimmer



Ice lollies



 

There were quite a few people enjoying themselves too, normally this beach is fairly quiet.  They were  flying kites, learning to surf, not enough surf today for the more experienced surfers, riding donkeys and building sandcastles.  There was also a family day out in the Valley Gardens which we walked to but by that time we were both tired and feeling the heat so got a train back home.

 Look at the beautiful glass in the funicular rail cab.

Keith back to driving

He was given the good news on Wednesday after seeing his stroke consultant.  They are very pleased with the way he's recovered and gave him the go ahead to start driving again.  We had our first drive out this morning, early, before the shops opened.  He was quite cautious for the first five or ten minutes then the old 'heavy boot' syndrome kicked in.  Having said that he is a careful drive just hates being behind someone who is driving below the speed limit in the middle of the lane.   We've all been there but he enjoyed driving again and its given him a bit of his confidence back.

Wednesday was a good news, bad news day.  The second consultant he saw that day gave him bad news.  The routine chest x-ray he'd had showed shadowing on his lungs and according to the consultant its typical of cancer.  So Wednesday is going to be another all dayer at the hospital while Keith undergoes CT scans of his thorax, blood tests, bronchoscopy and sampling of the tumour.  After which we will know more about what he has to face.  We are hoping for good news.

In the meantime my sewing has taken a nose dive.  I have the fabric all cut out for 16 more owl purses.  This will bring the total up to 40 and I might just have them ready for the Christmas dinner treat.  Although at the moment I am doing badly in the sewing concentration department.

 

Hickery Dickery Dock

Marc and Alix took Keith and me to the woodturning club yesterday where Peter Berry was demonstrating how to carve a mouse.  Marc and Alix made one each but Keith and I shared a piece of wood.  He has a little piggy face as I made his snout a bit big.  It was lovely to see Keith really enjoy himself again with friends.   We ended up with three little mice named Hickory, Dickory and Dock - ours is Dock.