Sunshine and happy days

It has been quite an eventful week. Being able to breathe again is good! This is only a very short-term fix but  so far so good. The sun appeared this week - what a treat - too many dull grey days really depress me. So we had a trip round to Minnis Bay and sat and soaked up the warm rays. So different from our visit here last week.

OK I added the palm tree but the photos are real!

On Friday we headed west to Somerset where we were guests at a wedding (Gaby's sister). We stayed in Wookey Hole near Wells and the wedding was at Leigh-on-Mendip. So where was the sunshine when we needed it? My feet were numb but at least the torrential rain held off until we were all cosy and seated inside the marquee. What a brilliant day - I do love a good wedding even if the youngest page boy didn't quite understand his role! We headed back on Sunday stopping off en route at a hostlery for lunch and later at Bernie & Normas for a cuppa. A few photos for you:

Medical matters however continue to dominate our lives.

I had an  appointment  yesterday with the thoracic surgeon. Several options were discussed but it was thought that the best option for me now was to have a VATS (Video Assisted Thoracic surgery) procedure to completely drain all the remaining fluid from the pleural cavity. Much of it is loculated (in small pockets) so not just a simple drainage job. A permanent chest drain would then be fitted. The surgeon would then try to reflate the lung – it is unlikely that this will happen but if it does she will try a partial pleurodesis (sticking the lung to the chest wall). The surgery is booked for 10th July – some urgency as the procedure will be done at Guy’s hospital (London Bridge) and all but emergency ops are likely to be postponed for 2 weeks late July/August for the Olympics and then there will be the inevitable backlog . I  will be in hospital for at least a week mainly that they can monitor the drain and make sure there is no infection or air locks etc. Ho Hum!

But the bestest news - the Canadian branch of the family arrive this Saturday - the Griswalds will be together once more! So I will not be blogging, forum posting or facebooking for the next week. I don't know if or when I will have my two grandies together again so I intend to have Fun Fun Fun. It is quite amazing how two such little people have have boosted and helped Alan and myself over the past 20 months - two reasons to keep on fighting. Welling up here now so will stop.

Hope the sun is shining in your world. Tess x