Lockdown Diary - Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Back to work Tuesday is especially tough after a week off.  Today's start was easier than normal because I had a 9:15 pre-op assessment at hospital to start the day. Because of the Coronavirus situation everything has changed: now you have to park in the staff car park as you are not allowed to access the main hospital. On arrival you had to phone and say you were there and wait in your car until called in.

Got there in plenty of time only to find there was no parking, eventually having to resort to a reserved spot outside the Pre-Op Assessment hut. Called and was booked in and told to wait in car.  After 30 minutes sat in the car, which was luckily in the shade, I was called in along with someone sat in the car next to me, donned my mask, picked up my urine sample and went. 

Blood taken, ECG done and urine initially tested (positive for infection) before sending it off to the labs for a full analysis. Job done.

Returned home to have a call with Student Finance. People have lost the will to live for less.  Home-grown British bureaucracy at its worst. More form-filling

Back to work with a call at 11 and then protracted discussions about correctly allocating my time for this month.  I seem to have spent the day getting lots of admin done and catching up on the past week's emails. 

Around lunchtime I picked up my personal mobile and discovered I had a message from a good friend who's been battling with Leukaemia for over a year now.  The message did not contain good news. 'A' was given 6 weeks to live back in April, and is at around 10 weeks now, but I think he's deteriorating faster.  The message had an air of finality about it, drawing a line under things.  This is tough news as he has been a big influence on our lives: he was instrumental in me meeting my wife, was best man at our wedding, is godfather to one of the twins and has been part of our lives for over 30 years.  It makes you think about life and how tenuous it is.  Last April we met up with him briefly in North Wales and he was fit and well (he's a heavy duty runner and cyclist through the mountains of the area).  A couple of months later he was diagnosed with Leukaemia, less than a year later, after unsuccessful treatment, he was told there was nothing more that can be done. Many years ago another good friend died from Leukaemia, and all this calls the past to mind.

I spoke to his wife later that afternoon, to see what she knew and to ask if there was anything I could do.  He hasn't found talking to friends easy since he was diagnosed and things are even more difficult for him now. He sounds to be resigned to it and has said that the only thing he'll miss are the wonderful friends who've been part of his life, but as to the rest of his life, well...

My early evening was spent completing Student Finance form and writing a covering letter; next thing I know it's time to make dinner.  

Watched the last episode of series 1 of 'Altered Carbon', wondering how there's a second series, but there is. The boys chose it so I will endure.  We've been quite lucky recently and only seemed to have picked interesting series and I was beginning to wonder if my critical faculties had ceased to function. Then we watched this. Now I know they're still working. Same goes for the novel 'The Binding' that I've just finished.

What with work 'n shit, I haven't had time to listen to music or read any of 'Ulysses'. 'Ulysses' is not a novel to be read when you're tired; every word counts and sentences need to be savoured, so it was too late for that.  

I am ending the day on a sad note.  Many thoughts swimming round my brain.

'A' is from Birmingham and I always used to tease him about the music he liked, suggesting that he only liked music if the artist was from Birmingham or the Black Country. I know this track is from an album (and artist) he likes a lot, and lo and behold, where was Steve Winwood born? Handsworth, Birmingham, same place as 'A'. I rest my case, m'lud! Here's 'While You See a Chance' from the album 'Arc of a Diver', something I know he'd like.  It's a damn fine song. It's for you mate.

[[]]