LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES!

Today was the day I was due to see my Consultant, Mr. O. and I was given the “all clear” from him.  I had a long list of questions for him and he patiently answered each one - he made me smile when I asked him, “The next question on my list is ‘Can I drive?’”  His response was “CAN you drive?” I told him I could, so he said “Then you CAN!”  I guess I should have asked him in the immortal words of Merv Comrie,  our long and dear-departed English teacher from many years ago, “Please, Sir, may I drive?”!!  At that point I could have hugged Mr. O, but resisted.

There are one or two issues with numbness in my legs and swollen ankles which he thinks will be resolved once I start walking, but the pain has gone now and of course, having told several friends about this morning, several have said “And don’t overdo it, we KNOW you!”  I really don’t know what they mean!  I did say that I had a husband who was quite capable of making sure of that, to which Mr. HCB said that he had been “in the ascendency” in the last few weeks, and the Consultant just smiled knowingly!  

I told him my next plan of action was to get off all my medication and I think he was quite impressed with my multi-coloured spreadsheet and said I was doing the right thing.  So good to know.  He did say that if I had any issues that I needed clarification on, then I could always contact him.  

I gave him a card marked “Personal and Confidential”, which he asked if he could open whilst I was there and I said he could - and he seemed genuinely touched when he read what I had written - I will put a shot of the front of the card in as an extra - and you can see why he smiled when he took it out of the envelope!  I had written that I was very grateful for all he had done for me and that I was ALMOST ready to jump on that trampoline, but not quite but when I was, I would take it easy!  I know we have paid to have the operation done privately,  but it is still good to be able to thank someone especially when they have done a great job.

I did tell him as we left that I had been recommending him to all and sundry, although sadly I hadn’t got the name of the man in the queue at Morrisons supermarket I had spoken to last Saturday, but said that if he got a call from him, he should remember it was me who recommended him!  

Following our visit Mr. HCB then took me out for Brunch - see the collage - what a lovely surprise - but then he spoiled it when I said how kind he was by saying in his own droll and distinctive way, “Don’t expect it too often; I don’t want you to get used to this!”

I had my hair cut this afternoon - my new hairdresser, Fran, was amazing and did a wonderful job. I rang Mr. HCB when it was finished, and said I would walk through to Leightons - our favourite opticians - and my first time out walking on my own since my surgery - to see if our new glasses were in - and lo and behold, there they were sitting on the desk.  Kate, the Manager, came out when she saw me and said that she was amazed that even though she had just put them on the desk, she thought the powers of telepathy of Wendy and Lauren were extraordinary!  As I waited for Mr. HCB to arrive, I was hoping that the space opposite would stay vacant, as his new glasses were in too and fortunately, it did.  A good day all round for us, and we even met two new members of staff, who were quickly appraised of the “madness of the Silly Iles” with Adam, who is seriously outnumbered by women,  telling them that they hadn’t arrived until they had been in Mrs. HCB’s Blip.  

So here we both are - at the bottom of my collage - with Mr. HCB grumbling because he is in twice - in the shape of a jigsaw puzzle, which is rather apt as Mr. HCB can be seen wearing his new half glasses, doing his jigsaw puzzle and I am wearing my new ones, trying to perfect my “trout pout and wide-eyed style” as I think it’s called - all in the name of Blip!

Thanks for all your kind comments - guess now I have been “signed off”, I need to get my act together and do some commenting!