Where have I been, you ask?

I've eventually found my piece of paper of how to activate this again.
You'll be relieved to know that the operation on my thigh was successful except it has left a nice long scar on my left thigh just above the dinner-plate removed in 1978.
All this leg renovation means that my chances of being selected to be a male model on the catwalk has somewhat slightly diminished.
Meanwhile I have had my scalp scraped twice and 5 stitches worth taken out of the flap of my left ear.
Who said that Global Warming isn't affecting us?
By the way, Happy Armistice Day.
When will we ever learn?

Driving resumed

You'll be pleased to hear that I have resumed driving again and am using one crutch to walk distances.

Today is the 61st anniversary of Hiroshima's great tragedy and we are still condoing the use of bombs and rockets upon vulnerable people in the 21st century. We are still animals who scratch and bite except we are now sufficiently sophisticated to use precision bombing. When will we get to be human?

Pain in my leg and in other legs

The stitches were peacefully removed from my left thigh in my GP's surgery this afternoon but owing to the infection requiring several stitches to be removed prematurely the wound has not fully healed and still requires antibiotics, treating and dressing. So, I stay with the crutches and let the cobwebs cover my Honda City languishing neglected in its garage detained without trial.

During the time when the infection raged through my leg, this dreadful war between Israel and Hezballah/Lebanon has caused wounds far deeper than mine. In pain, my heart goes out to those who are bleeding, who are weeping, who are fleeing. I am on the side of the victims on both sides of the border and to the aggressors on both sides of the borders, I yell, "Stop!" in a voice fit to carry right over there amidst the noise, and hope your voice joins with mine.

The slow travels of my left thigh

Only five months to Christmas.
I can hear you shriek from here.

I am still hobbling around on borrowed crutches and go places only with the assistance of friendly chauffeurs.
The surgeon rang me to tell me that the pathology results are back and it's all clear (whew), so there is no residual melanoma.

Meanwhile, the wound has become infected so I have antibiotics and pencillin to quaff each 4 times a day.
The joy of having pus squeezed out through 11 stitches inside one's left thigh is not one I highly recommend.
The stitches are due out tomorrow week, so I hope my car still recognises me by then.

Eleven Stitches

Yesterday afternoon I had that anticipated excision and I am the proud bearer of 11 stitches. The pathology review is due in 10 days and I shall know whether the removed freckle is primary or "in transit", i.e. something that had lain dormant since my St Valentine's Day massacre, a "dinner plate" excision in 1978. I dress my little wound in about 2 or 3 days and the stitches will come out in a fortnight. I return to my surgeon for inspection in 3 months time. My leg is not particularly energetic at the moment.

Just an ambitious freckle

I'm still here even though you may think otherwise since I've posted nothing here for 2 months.

I've received my son from Canberra, seen him off at Mascot International Airport at the beginning of his 4 week tour of UK and parts of Europe, collected him back and waved him "au revoir" as he drove to Brisbane.

Yesterday would have been my Pearl wedding anniversary had not the marriage collapsed after 11 years.
It was also the 22nd anniversary of Mum's death with the dreaded lung cancer in 1984.

Tomorrow I fight my way through the traffic and negotiate my way into a complicated car park to attend the Sydney Cancer Centre and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Newtown where I anticipate a wider excision of a superficial spreading melanoma on the inside of my left thigh just below a previous excision from the same thigh on St Valentine's Day 1978.

Would you keep your fingers crossed for me please if it doesn't interfere with your typing?

I expect to be bringing my leg back with me, well the rest of it, anyway.

Prayers at Ryde City Council

Last Tuesday night, I led our local Ryde Council in opening prayers.
I had not done this before.
I had the opportunity of reading the agenda beforehand so I was able to prepare accordingly.
Afterwards I was able to catch up with most Councillors and the others who had come to demonstrate for the retention of the Gladesville Library now under threat of closure.
An interesting evening.