A step closer...

Yes - things are a step closer!
We're thankful to have spent a night in Melbourne last night - and had the chance to catch up with Simon and Caitlin - and wow I can highly recommend a meal at 'Up in Smoke' if you want some tender Am'r'c'n-style BBQ meats.   

Then there was the 3 hours (including much waiting around) spent at St Vincent's hospital to be poked, prodded, tapped, bled, and swabbed, all the while answering a myriad of questions by 2 physicians and a nurse. At this stage all is looking good for surgery in the near future, though the date of 1 December has yet to be confirmed. 
Brian meanwhile spent the time reading the paper and having a doze in the car, before we finally were able to watch the high-rise buildings disappear from the rear-vision mirror and make our way home.

And now to repeat it on Tuesday of next week - where we need to return to St Vincent's to see one more preoperative physician along with the anaesthetist. It seems that in a big hospital like St V's, they have certain preoperative clinics operating only on specific days - for the convenience of the hospital and certainly not the patient. Then again, perhaps I'm just the lucky one that has to see every single one of these specialists. 

Meanwhile on our way home we received the very sad news of the cancer-related death of another dear friend, Brian Hill. I have special memories of Brian - as he started 'going out' with my house-mate and fellow teacher Anne, just after I started going out with 'my' Brian - and it seems some locals were a bit confused as to which teacher was going out with which Brian! Brian was an inspiration to others in the way he dealt with his illness, and the great confidence he shared of his future heavenly home. He will be sadly missed.