Just look how fucking gorgeous this is! That is the Plaza de España WITHOUT ANY TOURISTS. My goodness, what a beautiful sight. I snapped this pic while walking home from the hospital today. Finally got my oncology checkup to review all the tests I’ve had done (Feb-March). This got postponed, like most things, by the VIRUS. But today was the day. Luckily I had already been given copies of the test results from my GP so there were no big surprises.

Basically, after another colonoscopy, an upper abdomenal barium x-ray, another CT scan of my thorax and abdomen, and more blood tests, they still don’t know what THE THING is next to my stomach. But it appears to be behaving and they think they can rule out cancer. But short of cutting me open again they can’t know for sure. And they really don’t want to cut me open again. So there will be another CT scan and blood test in September to see if there have been any changes.

At least they aren’t trying to brush it aside like they did a year ago and are now offering follow-up testing. The present theory is it was a fistula leaking gack into my stomach from my intestine but that it seems to have repaired itself (wut?). Otherwise I would still be in severe pain or else dead. They say it probably is mostly to do with all the scar tissue and adhesions after having had four major abdominal surgeries. But THE THING is still there. Anyhow, OK! I’ll take it. Whatever doesn’t scream MORE CANCER at me is welcome news.

Anyhow, after the hospital visit – took a taxi there, way over-tipped my driver and then walked back. I had planned to stop by my friend Juan’s tapas bar Vineria San Telmo because he told me yesterday they were busy working in order to reopen tomorrow. And that was great. I mean, it was on my way home and by walking I got to see the Plaza de España and get in my 10,000 steps.

So after a much needed cold beer and a visit I left my friends at the Vineria to head home and suddenly heard someone calling my name. It was Charo, who owns a wonderful tuna-based restaurant La Sal a stone’s throw from the Vineria. She was just parking her car and said I should stop in and have a little something. And well who am I to turn down some of the best tuna almadraba in the city? So it was quite an amazing day really. Shame everything still feels like it’s dangerous for me to be out and about, but it actually is. I really wish we had at least until September with the borders closed so we could see what evolves within the relatively safe place we’ve created here in Spain.