The View from the Top

I managed to burn oven chips last night.  Actually, if I am honest, I managed to cremate oven chips.

Now I know what you are all thinking, first night Janine is away and not only is it junk food but he can’t even cook that properly.  In my defence, I shall claim that I used the timer on the oven, the boys had already eaten, we did have peas (they didn’t look too good either), I had eaten two apples and am a regular taker of multivitamins and cod liver oil.  I would also claim to be able to rustle up a pretty good Jamie 5 hour lamb, a mean stir fry, the occasional curry, chilli, and, my children’s favourite, a tuna pasta bake (now with the added something of chorizo sausage).  I can tell you are still not convinced.    

Apart from this episode, all went to plan yesterday.  Janine is safely installed on the 16^th floor of UCLH.  It’s not the weekend break in London you might plan but she has a great room with her own bathroom (these things are very important) and a really good view across London.  Somewhere on here there should be a picture of her choosing between the set and a la carte menus.  The recommendation from the nursing staff was to go Afro Caribbean as the food actually tastes of something.

It was a day of preparation and tests.  Her PICC line went in very well (if you are wondering what this is see here http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/how-you-have-cancer-drugs#picc – remarkable isn’t it) and if the blood and kidney tests come back OK then the chemotherapy proper will start this afternoon and continue through to Sunday.  The anti sickness drugs are being delivered already.  Janine thinks she knows what is coming.

I’ll finish off this post by praising Ben and Sam.  I know they are older than they were but they just got on with what they needed to do both yesterday and this morning without any trouble.  Sam even dragged himself out of bed at 6 to be at school early for a pre GCSE exam revision session.  And they didn’t burn their oven chips.