A Cautionary Tale...

Those of you who will be sitting the end of year Blip exam will note that this is my first Blip in seven days that includes a blue sky.  A large ex-army blanket has been tethered over the isles and the north of Scotland.
The Current Mrs Creel made a batch of pancakes.  It was my reward for walking to the village and back.  In the afternoon we even sat in the warmth and read in the secret garden.  I dozed off whilst doing my AJ impersonation.

Last February I attended a local whisky tasting.  There were four of us present.  Davey just couldn’t get comfy in his seat for some reason and spoke about this at some length – before we started the tasting.  I called him six weeks later and he’d been flown south via Air Ambulance to Aberdeen.  They found his bones had been gradually disintegrating and as a consequence his kidneys had nearly packed up.  He went on to dialysis immediately.  He was then informed he had many tumours as a result of bone cancer.  He’s had radiotherapy and chemotherapy and operations.  He was in Aberdeen for 15 weeks and had to learn to walk again.  Eventually he got home.  I called him a few days later and he’d just fallen and broken his hip; obviously all of his bones are quite fragile.  He has three youngsters at home and one daughter away now studying.  And a very concerned wife who, because of Covid, was not able to visit him.
He is coming around to visit us next Tuesday.  He still has chemo twice a week.  He was happy (!) on the phone as he has been offered stem-cell treatment; with accompanying more heaving chemo.  Nothing is guaranteed to work.  Amazingly, he spoke about his ‘predicament’ in a very measured, eloquent and clear way.  Sorry to burden you folk with this but it was very humbling to talk to him.  For well over an hour.  His praise for all of the help and caring he has received in Aberdeen is unending.

Sorry, but it’s a bit of a conversation stopper.