lnr | More hospital tests

After visiting the nuclear medicine department last week and the week before for some radiography today was the turn of the ultrasound. And a nice chap called Matthew used that to take a look at my neck too. He's confirmed that a) I do have a dodgy parathyroid gland and b) it's where the nuclear medicine people said it was. It's about 10mm along and 6mm across and apparently an ideal candidate for the sort of minimally-invasive day surgery I was suspecting would be necessary. if it were normal he wouldn't even be able to find it with the ultrasound. And it was nice of him to talk more openly about the fact that that's what's going to happen: I've known for ages, but I think that's the first time I've been *properly* told. And even he seemed to think I'd know already. Clinic is next week, when I get to see the consultant, and then I guess we just see how soon they can fit me in.

Bizarrely I was chatting to my neighbour across the road a couple of days back, and it turns out *she's* going in to have surgery for the exact same thing. An unusual version of small world syndrome! Here's hoping it goes well for both of us.

I also took the opportunity of a hospital appointment when I'm coming from home rather than work (I've got the week off) to take the bus and take my crutches back. Which got me a couple of funny looks, walking briskly and carrying them over my shoulder. And it was such a nice day I walked home along the Shelford bike path, enjoying the hot sunshine, the wild flowers and the birds. And I'm pretty sure I saw a yellowhammer. Bright yellow head, sitting on the fence only a few feet away briefly before it flew away. I've never seen anything quite like it but the information boards at Nine Wells local nature reserve had mentioned it, and looking it up it definitely seems right. Lovely. Thank goodness for factor 30 sunblock though. I took a similar length walk when visiting my parents on the bank holiday weekend and factor 8 was definitely not enough for the job.