Treated

I give thanks to the NHS for treating me to a life preserving procedure today. We all like a treat on our birthday eh? For still being alive to receive it, well enough treat myself to pancakes for breakfast too! To Oatly for the milk, the chicken for the egg and to Tani for organising our cooking-for-one flour sharing scheme. For the happy accident of it being the day my new cleaner comes.

I give thanks for spending my pre-dialysis departure time tuning my guitar and trying to hold down and pluck a few strings, for working on my new will and a list of useful info for my executors. For remembering to pick up the bag with cake I'd brought to share around the unit when I left today, for the kitchen staff for their slicing and serving duties...and for it being rather tasty despite choosing the budget option.

I give thanks for being patient with the long wait in the crowded waiting room, and trying to be with the nurse who, newly returned from a placement elsewhere, wanted to be extra sure she put the needles in correctly which resulted in another long and rather painful delay.

Unfortunately my veins were not impressed with her decision and lots more pain and machine alarms ensued so that people were in and out twiddling about for a couple of hours before the general consensus of opinion was to give up and let me go. As it was a while before my taxi was due give thanks for deciding to turn this to my advantage and pop into Waitrose to treat myself to one of their mugs I've been coveting for years and a private non-sharing cake...and I'm grateful I didn't have my heart set on that plan as a) I forgot I only had a handful of change in my purse, b) they no longer sell the former, and c) there were no cakes worth forcing my way through the milling men with flowers (and women with meal deals) to buy. I give thanks I treated myself to a new (cheaper) mug anyway yesterday...and also just unpacked the (expensive) retro kettle and toaster set I've also coveted for years and sent for recently myself because I love myself lots and lots, and you can't take it with you they say...

I give thanks for all the people who took the time to tell me why they weren't sending me cards or gifts...and of course for the one or two kind souls who did! I'll get to them in a min...cuppa tea and a nice quiet sit down first. My goodness I give thanks it's the weekend!