The Road is Long …

One week today since we returned from Adelaide – three visits to A & E and she is still no better. We did have a telephone call from Adelaide and the medical team are discussing whether or not Annabell will be strong enough to undergo surgery. The latest results are not encouraging -not bad – but not as good as the doctors would have liked.  The cancer has not  grown in any way, but by the same token, it has not diminished as much as they believe it should have after nearly two years of treatment.   We cannot keep  driving back and forth to Adelaide. I don’t mind too much, but it is draining on Annabell and the way the prices are with fuel, it is becoming more and more expensive with each trip. I honestly believe that the people in the city have the impression that Whyalla is a suburb of Adelaide, not that it is a town 300    miles north of them.  The continued expense I can

cope with, but the drain on Annabell is getting too much.  But her system is so badly declined that I have doubts that she could survive major surgery.  Anyway, that’s just me- I’m a mere male, what would I know? :o)  However, that’s what Adelaide are going to investigate over the next three months. The reason for the delay is that we are not due back in Adelaide for three months. Had a letter today and Annabell, is to see a visiting specialist. She has been put on his waiting list. Since he only comes to the country one day a month, it could possibly be a while before she actually sees him.  She also needs to have an EEG in the hope that this can help determine the cause of the seizures. Oh, yes she can have an EEG  here, but she would have to wait between four and five months, but she can have it done in Adelaide in a few days. Her doctor is in the process of organising this. I  lived in Adelaide for a few years, knew my way about the place(mostly) and I like the city – Annabell is not so keen on the place.  But as I have said before, I am a sort of Shopping Centre Addict and there are a good many of them in Adelaide. But in 30+ years since I lived here, things have changed quite considerably

On the subject of Adelaide, this was the view from the window of our room at the SA Cancer Lodge. Not great because of the window and the insect mesh.

The weather for the first day or so was not all that great so it took me a few days to walk to the area and  explore the building. When the weather did clear I took the camera and went for a walk in the general direction of the building. I found it to be  a Catholic Church which was built in 1905 and overall, an interesting building.  The building stands just off Glen Osmond Road, which, like Greenhill Road, is a fairly busy road – among the busiest in Adelaide. However, considering the

distance from the center of the city, was probably a quiet, out of the way road, when the church was built over 100 years ago. I suppose that’s the case with most cities,  great buildings are built Away from the city  but as time passes the city finally encroaches and what was once  an isolated building becomes part of a city suburb.  I think  this is the case here and the name of the suburb seems to indicate that possibility – Parkside.

Correct me if I am wrong, but this is June 2023 – yes?  But, from Flinders Medical I am getting dates and times for  echocardigraphs for February 2024. I understand they are busy and all that but a future date  eight months away is really a bit much. I also have a future date for September 3rd. this year – which, I suppose is reasonable.

To close up, From time to time I use   a word that might be confusing to some people.  The word is Lead.  I was asked once, by an American, why I use a word of a metal in relation to my dog. It is simply how the word is used in the UK, particularly in Scotland and also some states in Australia.  The word has two meanings—Led with respect to the metal and Leed with regard to the  control of the dog. Same word different pronunciations, and, of course, different meanings . All very confusing….