Dear Critters,
For me, every dive is a milestone. One year ago today, I was in hospital during an agonising three week stint; I had just been moved from the Intensive Care Unit after two major surgeries in less than a week. I was connected to morphine, drips and all manner of drains, and I refused to even look at the two dozen staples down my abdominal mid-line and the infected, gaping wounds between them. (Actually, I didn’t muster the courage to sneak a peak until a month after I got home … those wounds took over five months to heal…)
Yesterday, I celebrated Dive 250 – on the first day of winter! Usually the carpark of Blairgowrie Pier is crowded with divers, but my best buddy LP and I had the pier all to ourselves – and with good reason … the water was 14 degrees celcius (57 Farenheit)! When I confess that I don’t yet own a drysuit, you will understand that this was a pain entirely self-inflicted.
To be honest, the visibility wasn’t great and there wasn’t a lot to see: a few small fish, a couple of nudibranchs and a very small stingray right at the end of the dive. Even so, a cold dive for 70 mins will always be more fun than five minutes on land (or three excruciating weeks in hospital!)
After being thoroughly dive-deprived for the last two weekends, even a dive without any spectacular photos or video feels like heaven on earth to me. Every breath – whether on land or underwater – is definitely a gift to be celebrated!
Love and bubbles,
PT xxx
Pink Tank Scuba 
It has been more than a long journey, and it is far from over, but seeing you sick in bed 12 months ago is a far cry from where you are now, and you are living your life on your terms which is what you wanted. Just need to keep believing in yourself.
LP – 🙂 🙂 🙂
Tank you so much LP for all the dives and for your incredible friendship. You have seen me at my lowest points and through your constant encouragement, you have helped me more than anyone else to find a way out of the mire. I am very blessed to have had you along for this journey – tank you for teaching me to hand in there and believe that we can turn this thing around for good, no matter what 🙂 🙂 🙂
Out of all bad comes good!
I Love that you are well and living your dream!
Bob
Tank you for your encouraging words, Bob! I live for the dream and the dream keeps me alive. When we are willing to learn, from suffering comes the joy! Love and bubbles, PT xxx
Trust me I know exactly what you mean…from personal experience. I count my own blessings every single day!
Take care my friend
Bob
Bob, I just love reading your written reflections on the photos you take – a picture may tell a thousand words, but authorial narrative paints the most wonderful pictures. May your week abound with blessings! Love and bubbles, PT xxx
Hi, I like the two photographs. The fish looks quite small and I am impressed you were able to capture the delicate beauty of its fins and tail.
Tank you so much, Margaret – this fishy was absolutely tiny – maybe the diameter of a ring that would fit around your finger? Very delicate 🙂 I love the way the light played against its tail – such a little sweetheart! Your kind words have made my day 🙂 Love and bubbles, PT xxx
I’ve just come home after my 4th op (cancer found in the appendix) totally unexpected but like you I couldn’t face yet another scar until I got home. I think its because we are sick of being a patient and become very oversensitive to all the plodding etc. Congrats on your 250 dive, we take such amazing photos. 🙂
Oh zebrakat – be kind to yourself, sweetheart. It really can be such a rough ride. That’s sure not a fun diagnosis :-S I totally agree – I just wanted to feel like a person again – not a professional patient. But I also wasn’t metally equipped to look down and see an infected 30+ cm scar, 48 staples and an emergency ileostomy – it was all just too much for me to cope with … now, I’m actually pretty proud of all my scars (more than 10 surgeries in 4 years have left quite a few) – they are a testimony to all I have gone through and survived. I am proud of you, zebrakat – you just survived your 4th operation and you are waaaay bigger and stronger than the cancer that was found. If you haven’t read it already, may I recommend the free e-book ‘Cancer Free’ by Bill Henderson? It’s been a real-life saver for me – I have now been diagnosed 3 times and I don’t want to be diagnosed a 4th – I want my life back on my terms. I am wishing you a steady recovery, much rest, little pain and joy that transcends your circumstance over the coming hours, days and weeks. Much love and many bubbles, PT xxx
Thank you for the kind words, I thought I was bad with 6 ops in 3 yrs but 4 of them in 14 months. 10 ops in 4 years shows your inner strength and fight. I will look out that ebook you suggested. Thank you love & bubbles back.
We have both definitely been through more than most, but not as many as some poor people … even so, we are two tough liddle cookies, zebrakat! Eye of the Tiger for us – we bounce back like Tigger 😛
Here’s the link: http://xa.yimg.com/kq/groups/79435792/1173372694/name/CancerFree4thEdition.pdf
The thing I have found most useful is the section on the Budwig protocol, but all the information is great. Blessings over your healing body today, Friend xxx