3 more Sleeps and we're Walking and Connecting.

The Doctor warned me “There’s a direct connection between what I'm about to do and your toes". The procedure I was having was a cystoscopy. A cystocope is a thin (about the width of a pencil) bendy camera used to look inside your bladder. You’re wide awake while the event takes place. In goes the cystocope and I curl my toes. Obviously a connection, definitely uncomfortable if not particularly painful. The pain comes when you next have a wee. Ouch! Big bloody pencil!

Connections occur all around us. Sometimes they’re new and different. Last week I discovered a very unpleasant connection between the flu vaccine and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy makes you feel dreadful. The flu vaccine can make you feel dreadful. The two together, greater than the sum of its parts. At least that, in part, explains my bad week. Another chemo connection, I’ve heard about, is with alcohol. Apparently if you consume enough alcohol whilst on a course of chemotherapy you experience a particularly bad hangover. I found this particularly hard to believe. Last night, selflessly, I conducted an independent field study. I can now corroborate that it is indeed the case, there is a connection. 

Why was I drinking alcohol you may ask. Is was the social lubricant at last night’s dinner party. For those of you reading this north of the M4 it’s OK, it’s within the covid rules. And while I’m on the subject if you’re reading this in a Tier 1 or Tier 2 area please stay put. Anyway, I must stick to the knitting. This dinner party is where the thoughts of connections occurred to me. We were maxed off on numbers (6). For purposes of explanation let’s call us 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. And the connections? 2 & 5 went to primary/junior school together. As children 1 & 2 were in am dram together. 4 & 1 were in the same boy scout troop (girls not allowed, and quite right too) together. 2, 1 & 5 were at secondary school together. 1 used to walk 5 home from school together. 3, 2 & 1 worked for the same company together, 5, 1, 2 & 3 had careers in the same industry together. Rodney, the resident dog, and 5 connected when 5 exclaimed “Oh! Can you smell my Monty?!”  Never heard it called that before!     

Later in life the connections become more dramatic. 2 & 3 are great cooks (4 peels a mean spud) 1, 4, 5 & 6 have all been diagnosed with cancer. 4 & 6 had similar cancers. 5 & 6 had the same oncology consultant. 

Needlessly to say the conversation was lively, sometimes raucous, often ribald. We giggled, we gossiped, and we generally steered away from politics. We laughed and we laughed. Then more connections. 1 & 2 went home together, 5 & 6 went home together, 3 & 4 did the dishes together. 1 & 6 probably shouldn’t have driven.

On Thursday 1, 2 & 4 are walking (rain or shine) from Lerryn to St Winnow in support of Bowel Cancer UK. You, dear friend, may have also decided to walk together with us. (Following all relevant social distancing rules). 

Something that doesn’t appear connected is the weather forecast for Thursday. The BBC says; Strong winds, heavy rain. The Met Office says; Light rain changing to overcast by nighttime.  Accu Weather says; Mostly cloudy with a couple of showers. The Weather Channel says; Windy and partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 13ºC. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Typical BBC. Over dramatising as usual.

Only 3 more sleeps. Come along, we might even stay dry!

Stick this in your sat nav PL22 0PT

Go here to donate. www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cornwallwalkstogether

Look at the walk here. https://www.iwalkcornwall.co.uk/walk/lerryn_to_st_winnow