“What’s this?” She said, prodding rather uncomfortably.

I was already aware of its presence but couldn’t honestly remember when I had first noticed it. It’s true that it had been there for some time, how long exactly I have no idea. But it had grown larger in recent weeks and I had decided a few days earlier that sooner or later I was going to have to acknowledge its existence and do something about it. Right at this point in time though I was not willing to derail the sequence of events which had led to its discovery and so I glossed it over: “Oh that’s nothing, it’s been there for years” I replied.

For the next couple of weeks I continued to pretend it wasn’t there. Well and truly up the river. Then one day I was in the kitchen at work and, almost without thinking, I picked my phone and dialled our GP’s surgery. Despite not wanting to do it, I knew it had to be done and so I guess I just did it. The receptionist answered and I asked if I could have an appointment to see the doctor.

11:30AM next Tuesday 12 March 2024.

“OK, thanks, see you then.”

Thus I triggered a chain of events which has changed our lives forever.