check up. and more cycling!

Getting off the Exe ferry with the bike – a bit heavy for stairs!
Pfft! Would so love to NOT have to have check ups – but I am sure I'd have a mental breakdown without them. Even the change from 3 monthly to 6 monthly almost gave me a heart attack…but I've got used to it now.

This next check up will be serious, as I feel like I need full MOT before I go to Kenya. For my mental health more than anything. Plus I am hoping everything is still ok and the CA 125 is LOW. Lots of problems with my tummy recently haven't helped my mind set, but I will see what they say. Hopefully it will be on the lines of: 'don't be stupid'.

Obviously I had to get a waiver for the travel insurance – another one of those hideous phone calls where I was talking to a person who is not trained deal with cancery types – plus they quite patently find the entire discussion repugnant. Well – ME TOO!! I so hate insurance companies. But I am stronger now, and can cope with it without bursting into tears afterward.
But you would think that an insurance company specifically chosen for this kind of event would have people who were a little more simpatico – trained or informed even?? Pfft! Well, that would be a NO. grr. Anyway.

I have been madly stuffing my brain with work and cycling in order to avoid having a brain full of cancery stuff. The cycle training is fabulous for this – you really cannot think about anything else but getting your butt UP THAT HILL when you're cycling. Last weekend we did a 50 mile [turned out to be 57 miles!] for Force. The FH and I were on our  mountain bikes – the road bike peeps kept asking us if we were mad [as they passed us at speed]…because our bikes weigh a ton compared to theirs, making it that much more difficult. But we did it in 5 and a half hours! brilliant – and the inclines were a pig, so we're well chuffed.

This weekend we did the Exe loop – turned out to be about 20 miles, and the track is amazing! Apart from one small glitch at Starcross, where the cycle path ends in a curb, as averse to a ramp…er – hello CRASH! My front wheel hugged the curb, I braked and flew over the handlebars. Even my best attempt at a commando roll didn't help – THREE grazes on my knee [how does that happen? surely one would have been sufficient?] a smashed back of the hand, plus an interesting shoulder wound. Thank goodness for gloves, or my palms would have resembled mince meat. I now need new gloves. Oh and a new knee might be nice ;)

So, here we have: insane blonde hair [what is that all about??], a grazed shoulder, knee and hand and a pained face!

The route is great – it hugs the estuary all the way to Exmouth.

We did home to Exmouth; in Exmouth we went to our favourite pub, the Grove [this is where we went after I was diagnosed – I always remember ringing my Mum and brother from there – it's my good luck pub! Views over the estuary are wonderful] then took the ferry across to Starcross because I love going on ferries ;) It costs £5.00 each plus £1.00 for each bike. But it was fun. And today was so hot! Amazing weather. I really need to get my lazy butt to the hairdressers too – my hair has gone blonde? Madness. Then Starcross to home.

From Starcross we made our [wounded and stinging!] way to the Turf Locks, where all they are allowed to give bleeding people is a 'non alcoholic wet wipe'. For which I was extremely grateful…but really! What happened to germolene or spray iodine? Health & safety patently put paid to sense. I put loads of ice on the bleeding bits and then had a lovely glass of medicinal [heh heh]  wine in the sun.

We then trundled the last 5 miles home against the wind [as usual!]from there and had a fab bbq in the garden, which was like Morocco – HOT!! What a lovely day! Look – lots of Hollyhocks on the path.