It’s weird how sometimes things take on a life of their own. I don’t tend to describe cancer as a journey, but there’s definitely a sense of ticking things off and some kind of linear progression – inevitably with a lot of unplanned deviations, and little soujourns down the odd cul-de-sac. But then today, having popped along to the clinic with the expectation of ticking off the ‘post-surgery check up’ item on my list, it turned out that I was in fact ticking off quite a lot more than that. I was on some kind of travelator when I thought I was strolling along the pavement. And for once it was going in the right direction. So, when I tumbled off the end in a state of slight confusion, I found myself ticked off the clinic’s list, as a successful outcome. Never have I been happier to be just a name on a list on someone’s clipboard.

Obviously that’s not quite it. I’m now a name on someone else’s list. But one list down. And maybe a spreadsheet.