step one: complete

Every three months I am scanned. An MRI  of my head to look for a fresh brain tumour. A PET scan of my body to check for fresh signs of spreading testicular cancer.

Good and bad: The brain cancer is more serious but is highly unlikely to escape from my brain. The testicular cancer is less serious but it easily spreads itself around the body. Each cancer has its good and bad aspects :-)

Each three-monthly scan is a time for stress: will a cancer be back? which one will it be? I start my stress at various times before each scan. This time I seem to have started a bit early. Not to worry -- my stress level has already fallen...

Before each MRI I have a blood test. The MRI requires a "contrast" to be dribbled into my bloodstream, the blood test is for kidney function... my kidneys must be healthy enough to filter out the contrast. (Never any problems, my kidneys work very well.)

Unfortunately I have Draculaphobia, I do not like to have blood extracted. I'm very tense before each blood test.

The test is done, I feel better already. Strangely enough -- as I examine my feelings -- it's true. I don't know the test results. The scans -- and scan results -- are still in the future. Yet the blood has been extracted -- and my stress is (somewhat) reduced.

What, me worry? Not (as far as I can control it) not over the stuff over which I have no control. Certainly not over the stuff which may or may not be in the future.

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Meanwhile, I continue to learn how to code in Kotlin. Every day, one small step forward, twenty large steps in circles. There's plenty of online help, written by people for whom clear English is a mystery. Or written by amateur coders who appear to be guessing. Our, like me, clutching at straws...

I'm also distracting myself with a jigsaw...

On a recent holiday, Deb enjoyed a 300 piece jigsaw, so I bought her a jigsaw for Christmas. Only trouble is, I could only find one with 1,000 pieces.. Deb is frustrated and is happy to let me work on it. I'm currently working on an area of grass and flowers, with no clear features... sigh.

When this one is finished I'll buy another for Deb. Another jigsaw with only three or four hundred pieces. Which I how Deb will be able to enjoy :-)