Tea with Tom

My amazingly resilient Brother Thomas at the Belvedere Bakery near Waterloo, we met for tea after his UV Blood transfusion, he is having 2 a fortnight at the moment as ongoing treatment for GVHD which he has as a result of a successful stem cell transplant for Leukaemia, after the UV treatment he has to wear sunglasses for 24 hours.
He has been unwell for 6 years now with only brief periods of feeling well, at Christmas the disease attacked his eyes and he now can't produce fluid in them and is getting used to wearing contact lenses that give moisture, they are massive! He has developed a cataract in one eye as a result of the steroid treatment but in spite of all this he was very cheerful today cracking jokes and enthusing about a short film he is making that is 80% finished now, he has written the script and the Director sounds like a lovely man who has been so patient and understanding of my Brother's condition and even comes over and cooks for him while they work. He has also lost about 10lbs, the steriods had bloated him and he says they make you really hungry but as the dose is reduced he has been able to eat less which has made him feel much better.
I feel very relieved having spent some time together today as last time I saw him he didn't seem at all well and was very weak.

Sue Foll stayed the night last night, it was lovely to spend the evening with her and hear all about her Mother and her father and to talk about my mother too who is going through a big change due to recent illness.

Sue gave me a lift to the station and I set off for St Aubyns for a writing session, I got fined on the train as without thinking I had just bought a travel card, I met Alex at the station and we went for coffee, there was lightening in the sky and a light rain, back at his house I realised that I was far too emotional, tired, stressed, worried about various things to be able to write anything worthwhile so I asked him to take me back to the station, he was very nice about it and it's not something I've ever done before but as it afforded me the time to see my Brother who as it turns out was on form today it has definitely been the best decision as I feel a sense of relief.