So where to begin? Well first of all I'm in London for four days doing stuff. Nothing particularly planned apart from meeting up with Sarah yesterday to celebrate her birthday. And indeed we hadn't even planned what we were going to do yesterday apart from meet up in the V&A cafe for coffee. This we did and then we had a look at the "Club to Catwalk, fashion in the 1980s" exhibition. Fantastic exhibition. Brought so many memories back of those days. Really enjoyed it. We then decided to have a spot of lunch in St James' Park at a stylish eaterie Sarah knew there. Very nice it was too (vegetarian Thai curry). We sat outside watching the swan (with or without cygnets - long debate) and the pelicans. From there a spot of retail therapy was on the cards so we high tailed it to Selfridges and their new department of men's shoes (as opposed to their new shoes' department - where do they sell the second hand shoes then? Oh how we laughed). Apparently the largest acreage of men's shoes in Europe. Was rather annoyed that they had my party shoes on sale (I'd bought mine in Amsterdam) as that means there may be other people in London with my shoes on. Was loving some of the Christian Louboutin shoes especially the python high top trainers. But at £1000+ they were a little steep even for me. Didn't buy any shoes and didn't look much further as we'd spotted a rather nice looking bar on the ground floor mezzanine which neither of had see before (although the very lovely waitress insisted it had been there for about 3 years). Had some cider (Sarah) and a couple of martins (guess who) there. They served their martins in a really small glass with a mini-carafe on the side sitting on a bed of ice. The idea being that you topped up the small glass with the rest of the martini as necessary and it would always be freezing cold. Genius gimmick. Loved it.
After the drinks we hopped over to Leicester Square and a Mexican restaurant called Cantina Laredo recommended by Mr Yuill. What a fabulous place. They even make the guacamole at your table (again, another genius gimmick). I predict a new wave of Mexican food arriving in Manchester soon as they're everywhere in London at the moment - both the top end like Cantina and the more fast-food stuff (a bit like Subway where you take different components and they're combined freshly for you). In fact there's already one of the latter recently opened on Manchester's Oxford Street. Here's us at said restaurant
After the Mexican we went to the Haymarket theatre to see One Man Two Guvnors. Not James Cordon anymore but Rufus Hound is a worthy successor. The play is really really funny and the "twist" is just brilliant. I won't give away anymore as I believe it's coming back to The Lowry and you may not have seen it yet. I urge you to do so as its great fun.
Tonight we're off to see Chimerica. I don't know too much about this but it's about Tianmen Square and by Headlong Theatre so should be good. The reviews have been stunning.
In the meantime there's been some less good news. My oncologist, the fragrant Dr Summers you'll recall, had been trying to reach me whilst I was at the theatre to say that she wanted to see me at Wythenshawe hospital today. That was clearly not going to be good news and it isn't. Turns out that the tumour on my spine has grown (you'll recall all the scans I've had recently) and is now pressing on some nerve bundles (predictive text originally had that as "nerve uncles" which amused me) so we have to do something about this. Firstly I need to start taking steroids immediately and then I'm to have radiotherapy starting Monday. All sounds simple and straightforwards doesn't it? Oh my, but no. This is the NHS were talking about here. So first of all I've had to spend the morning signing on as a temporary patient with a local GP in order to get a prescription for the steroids. I now need to go back at 1440 to collect the prescription. Luckily Dr Yvonne has already talked to the guy I'll be seeing (Dr Hayes) so I'm hoping it will just be a formality. But then I need to get the prescription made up and given the fact that I can only take liquid/soluble medicines I don't predict that will be easy.
And then there's the radiotherapy. Because the tumour is at the top of my spine there was a possibility that my earlier radiotherapy 7 years ago would have ruled out any more (you can only have it once to a given area apparently). Luckily the fabulous Dr Yvonne was at The Christie this morning and so was able to review my records with Dr Li (a radiologist I'm assuming) so it looks as though we're full steam ahead for Monday. The very fragrant Denise who is currently on her way back from Llangollen (and now able to,pronounce it one hopes) will accompany me. She's fabulous too.
And I think that's about it. Now about to head out for some lunch whilst checking out the fit City boys and then to the GP. Will update again later or tomorrow. That's all. J x
Oh and I was swapping rooms because the original one was very noisy. This one is much better. J x
1 comment:
Lovely photo of you and Sarah. See you back in sunny Manchester soon xxxxx
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