Still waiting to find out whether the carcinomas on the side of Geoff's face are squamous or basal cell

 Meanwhile, bathtime. 

Because he has broken his clavicle for a second time in seven weeks, he can't lean on that arm at all. So he plopped into the bath no problem, oh ho, trying to get him out! First, I propped the laundry basket on the side where the taps are. He pushed his feet against it (toes popping through the plastic holes of it) but couldn't push up and back far enough to be able to get up. Next, we tried throwing a towel over the side of the bath, so that he could, worm-like, creep over and out. He couldn't. Then I fetched my mother's old leather and oak footstool, put that in the bath behind him, and he tried pushing himself onto that and up. Amazingly that worked. But no more baths for him until that arm is out of a sling!

Tense

 

TENSE

Inside me

Coiled barbs prickle with tension

I balance on an inner wire.

I’m on high alert

Listening for a cry, a thud, something breaking.

Never sure if I’ll manage

or if this is the night I’ll have

to call somebody for help.

We are grown together,

Two ancient creepers

Hardened into position over the years.

“Old as dirt,” Michael says cheerfully.

We’ve been together forever

Now

We are splitting slowly apart

Tiny strands rip, tear and hang useless.

So here I stand balancing

Wobbling badly on the fence.

The All-Clear

 Well Geoff had a PET scan yesterday and today the oncologist called us in. We thought oh no, why does he have to see us rather than just giving us a message? But we didn't need to worry, really, it was to tell us that no cancer was detected in his head and neck, but that he was concerned about the clavicle. He said the break was probably caused by the radiation* and that he probably needs to have a bone density scan. So we'll leave that for next year because we've had a lot of medical bills and I asked if it would be possible to put it off for six months.

* See my opinion a few entries back - hahha!