On 21 July I made the hospital appointment with good half an hour to spare.

I did not have to wait long,the lovely surgeon called me in almost as I sat down.The nurse asked my name and date of birth before the local anaesthetic was administered,she asked again half way through the procedure and this time she asked if I knew where I was and at the end I got the same three questions again.The third time I could not resist saying - I am the Queen of England and we are in Buckingham Palace. The surgeon laughed until she almost accidentally administered another dose of anaesthetic. Ludka, had you said this at the beginning I would not have been able to do the job and would have had to call in a colleague to do the biopsy. You are very laid back. Laid back. Waiting for the first hospital appointment, then for the biopsy appointment has not been a picnic.I keep my hands and my mind occupied but of course it is always there somewhere this ugly word cancer.It will be three weeks from the 21st before I know the result.  I prefer to be alone,getting through days on my own terms.Have considered spending a week or so somewhere in the countryside and this is what I would have done had it not been for P&O offering 7 nights on Ventura in Vigo, Oporto and Lisbon. Now those of you who read my blog know that I have been on Ventura once and once really would have been enough had my life not taken this unexpected turn ,but Ventura is sailing to Oporto I adore and Lisbon I love without reservations,and even though the first port of call is Vigo, and having been there many times, this gormless city has not grown on me,I need to get away and I needed to book this cruise. And I know what to expect on the ship,my expectations are not high.I know where we are sailing and cannot wait.And 4th August is a perfect date,on my return there should be a letter from the hospital waiting for me.