The Great Wave has been closing in on me much faster than I thought.

9:00am at home. A call labelled Private Number on my phone. Oh-oh. Almost certainly the hospital. I answer the call. It is the Consultants’ secretary. They have a cancellation for a bladder removal on Sunday and they are offering to carry out my operation early. I promise to phone her back after making a few calls.  I consult Lesley and my boss Steve, more out of courtesy than anything.  But it gives me time to get my thoughts together.  I call the Hospital back and accept. This is surprisingly disorientating. I was mentally geared for Thursday, but now I have to prepare for Sunday.

9:55am Rugby St Cross Pre-operative Assessment Unit. I am weighed and have my blood pressure checked.  Apart from a few swabs the rest is a formality as nothing has materially changed from my last operation a few weeks ago. The nurse is kind and reassuring. No ECG is required so I am on my way.

10:15am Back home and a cup of tea before preparing to travel to work. Another call from the hospital. Margot the Specialist Nurse asks if I can call in to see them in the next couple of hours to position the stoma.

11:45am Ward 33, Coventry Hospital.  I meet with Margot and she locates the best position for the stoma. Literally X marks the spot!  It is a target for the surgeon!

I travel in to work and it is a crazily busy afternoon trying to tie up the loose ends 2 days early.

And so my blog takes a break.  I have no idea whether it will be short or long. But just like Hokusai’s painting at the top of my blog, the wave has caught up with me. Just like the sailors I cannot avoid it, but must go with whatever happens.

Thank you for the advice Lao Tzu, now is the sternest test…….