Wounds and Redheads

In the garden last weekend...

On the far bank of the stream this lovely quince japonica - Chaenomeles Nivalis - has broken out into flower over the last 10 days.....

bringing a welcome splash of white to the bare winter branches of the trees.

Not sure what this is...just one flower head on a still bare bush...a viburnum maybe.

Dunnock...

the first time I've seen a starling in the garden..at least I think it's a starling...I'm more cautious about naming birds now...and there's a bold chubby chaffinch on the branch too...

they put me in mind of Teddy Boys for some reason..

not sure what this ball of fluff is...

love him.... or her.

I wasn't planning to buy this gorgeous teak garden bench -  called Sunburst  - but it came my way unexpectedly...at a very  discounted price....a bargain ... apparently made for the Chelsea Flower Show ...the last one left....in a temporary position on the patio till I decide where its new home will be.

Tonight

 I'm feeling sore on my left side. I had 3 minor surgeries this morning. 

 A very young and lovely consultant in the dermatology department at the hospital removed the basal cell carcinomas which have been giving me trouble. They are only small but leave a large wound sewn up with tight black stitches.  

The procedures  took over an hour and most of that time we, and the assisting nurse, were talking about food and cooking and vegetarian and vegan recipes. My surgeon said her dream would be to do operations 2 days a  week and the rest of the week run a delicatessen!

It helped to take my mind off what she was doing to my arm and my leg and the sound of the cutting and scraping and cauterising and stitching. It also took a bit longer than usual because being a redhead I need to have more anesthetic ( at least 3 big injections in each one today) than the rest of the population. At least 20 percent more.We redheads are more sensitive to pain and therefore need more anaesthesia  - I notice it especially when I go to the dentist - needing mega doses of novacain before my mouth will go numb.

 Other things peculiar to redheads - due to the gene which is responsible for our hair and skin colour - a protein called melanocortin 1 receptor  - are that we are more sensitive to painkillers, we feel hot and cold temperature changes faster and with greater intensity than those with other hair colours, we have increased risks of melanomas, and we rarely go grey  - at least we go light copper, then blonde then white - skipping the grey stage altogether. 

I found all this and more on the internet of course but it does totally reflect my experience about needing lots of anesthetic and feeling the cold intensely.

It was a bit tricky bathing tonight -  trying to keep my dressings from getting wet. The soap somehow ended up on the bathmat - I couldn't reach it - and most of the towel ended up in the bath water.

Later I made myself a big bowl of spaghetti with loads of garlic and olive oil and black pepper, a poached egg and asparagus spears, and some sweet cavello baby sprout flowers. 

Pure comfort food for my wounded self. Better than painkillers.  Especially for this redhead.