Books I Have Been Reading

I thought it would be nice to talk about books I've been reading, particularly at this time as it's sometimes difficult to read anything very strenuous and different times of the day require different books.

The Penguin Lessons: This book is very special as it was the first book I read after I was diagnosed. It was given to me by a dear family friend, who himself had cancer many years ago. It was a wonderfully uplifting book and took me somewhere I have never been in my life.  

Treasure Palaces: This was the book I wanted to read every night when I went to bed, as I was always tired. Every chapter is a different museum in America and Europe. Every chapter is written by a different author, for whom a different museum meant something. 

All The Light We Cannot See: I rejected this book originally until I was actually given it as a present a few weeks ago, and was told it was absolutely wonderful. I am enjoying it, but I'm being a bit slow. So I shall report. 

First Week on the Treadmill

Do you ever get the feeling - is this really happening to me?  I have had this feeling now for several weeks and am still reconciling myself to my breast cancer  -  did I really write that?

Even with 2 weeks of chemotherapy and numerous jabs and tests, scans and doctors and nurses, I still can't quite 'get my head around it'.  Such a good expression and so apt for the situation.

Now not going to dwell on this subject too much but I have met some very interesting people, lovely people and had fun chatting with quite a few.

I shall tell you about the man and his wife who I met in the Nuclear Medicine Department ........

Imagine the hottest day of the year, sitting in a small waiting room in the hospital with two large fans whirring away, and most of the patients gasping for fresh air of which there is none!  Everyone in the same boat! And there's this sweet bespectacled man next to the water cooler looking intently at me - 'You know,' he says, 'I'm the original Specsavers model.' Well, what can you say after that introduction? I was hooked and then, after a few pleasant exchanges, I began to ask about him and his wife who had just gone for some treatment.  

He told me that they had lived near Sudbury for a few years. He began tuition with the local vicar to become a lay reader and passed the exams, which enabled him to help with the preaching at his church; his wife had a great voice and sang in the church. A year or two later, a caravan arrived in their village with people from Denmark who evangelised in that village and the couple were hooked. Ten years later having travelled with the caravan all over Europe, they returned to England - disillusioned and broke.  They had sold their house and given all their money to the evangelists when they joined them and never saw another penny. They were only fifty one on their return and I met them when they were eighty! 

They've survived being penniless due to the kindness of friends and being able to be housed eventually by the council. Their faith is still strong and they believe that they will always be looked after.  The sad thing for me is that I don't know their names and probably never will. But I'm so glad I met two such lovely people happy with each other and life.