Hello, all you lovely people out there. How are you today? I hope you are well. And if not, that you have all the help you need.

I am hugely grateful that my cancer has been found before COVID took full centre stage. My operation was a week before the UK went in lockdown. A week before that I had decided to go into my private lockdown because I feared cancer operations and/or treatment would not happen if the NHS would be overrun by COVID. Or my surgery would not happen if I’d caught the virus.

Luckily I live in an area of the UK that isn’t hit badly by the Coronavirus so my treatment can take place. I thank the powers that be daily for this. But we heard last week that many people didn’t see their GP’s for cancer symptoms because they were afraid of the virus. Also, many areas of the UK were so hard hit by corona that they could not deal with cancer treatment which might increase cancer deaths by 35 000. And not only the UK is affected:

So much death, people! I cannot fathom how we just take all these COVID deaths and deaths that occur because “normal” surgeries etc. can’t take place in without being utterly shocked. In the UK that’s currently more than the Blitz! It’s shocking!

To make a long story short: I want to encourage you to go to your GP if you think you have any symptoms that might indicate cancer. Early diagnosis is so vital for your chance of survival. If you are unsure, check out the symptom checker by Cancer Research. McMillan has another page full of information about possible cancer symptoms. Find an updated version of Guidelines for recognition and referral for suspected cancer by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.

Covid-19 or not it is so important to know the symptoms of cancer and to have them checked out because the earlier you know, the better your healing chances are. So please, inform yourself and act in case you have any signs!

And just to enforce my message another video:

Now to something hopefully more joyful 🙂 : let’s get away to Moldova, the least visited country in Europe with a long wine tradition.

Please forgive this speedo-glad gentleman. It was hard to find videos that give a good insight in a small amount of time.

“Interesting” looks like an understatement to me. That was enlightening, but we also want to get an impression of how this tiny country looks like. So let’s have a look at some tourist organisations presentation of Moldova:

That doesn’t look so bad, does it? I like wine even though I am not drinking any alcohol currently because of the cancer. I might also never drink any again. Depending on my self-discipline ;-). But I feel enticed to try some of their wine.

So what does another traveller who has been to Moldova already make of the country?

Hmmm, definitely intriguing. It very much reminds me of the East of Germany and Hungary in the Soviet area. If you want to know more about living in Moldova please check out Djulieta’s YouTube channel. It seems to be a rather curious place 🙂

And if you are interested in another more personal report about living in Moldova from a foreigners point of view, check out Lisa’s Blog American in Moldova.

But what about the music? Moldova seems to be an ardent Eurovision Song Contest country. I had a look for some female musicians but they all seemed to have taken part in The ESC. Not that I have anything against this happy music event. But those musicians would be at least a little known in our countries so I opted for the rock tag and came across a band called Alternosfera.

I guess my fascination with vampires got me to choose this one because it sounds so much like “Nosferatu“. If I’d had the mind I would research the connections but thanks to the chemo chemicals blocking my mind I just leave you with a song of theirs (find translation after the video):

Throw me ( Arunca Mi)

translation via LyricsTranslate

I sit next to my bed, my vision in smoke I haven’t slept in a while, not to wake up mad

What cure to take, a faint scream Till madness, I swear I still have one dream. To suffocate in deep waters To be tired from the lack of sleep and in my chest to gather Everything that makes me wake up

Completely insane. 

Throw me (something) from your mind Thousand-word chains A guilt burns me Because life seems foreign to me. Broken, thoughts cut off my hot head Throw me (something) from your mind!  

What cure to take, a faint scream Till madness, I swear I still have one dream. I sit next to my bed, my vision in smoke, completely insane. 

Throw me (something) from your mind Thousand-words chains A guilt burns me Because life seems strange to me. Broken, thoughts cut off my hot head Throw me (something) from your mind!  

Throw me (something) from your mind Thousand-words chains A guilt burns me Because life seems foreign to me.

Alternosfera on sensAgent

Alternosfera on Facebook

Alternosfera on “Good Music is Good Music“

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And where are we going next week?

Come Away With Me 2020 Musical Challenge Country for Monday, July 20th, 2020

I am taking a rather random route around the world, but sometimes it makes sense. Next week we move a little more East to South Korea. Please find South Korean musicians here on the Last.FM page.

As for the suggestions to take part:

1. Join in! No matter where, when and with what. You missed the first week? Don’t worry. Just jump in when it suits you.
2. Send us the link! The ping-back option does not always work so please leave a link in the comments of the post on the day you take part. Or leave it at the “Come Away With Me 2020 FB page“
3. Tag your post either with ” Come Away With Me Musical Challenge”/ #CoAwWiMeMuCh” / “Come Away with Me 2020 Musical Challenge” o/“CoAwWiMe2020MuCh” / . You can also use these as hashtags for Twitter and other Social Networks to give your post more exposure. If you add #blog and #music with your hashtags it will get you more readers.
4. No matter which music or country the prompt favours you create with it whatever you please. This is supposed to be a fun challenge and no chore.
5. I post a prompt for the next week with every “Come Away With Me 2020 post” I write.
6. If you like, use this picture for your readers to find the posts.

Please stay a little longer and find my poetry posts on The Bee Creates… on Weebly. Thanks!

You are more into photography? Then please check out my photo posts on Bee Wordless on Blogger.

You can also find my photos on Dreamstime (affiliate link, you do not need to buy anything but if you do I get 10% from your purchase).

Just one more thing before you go: The hospital that is treating me is fundraising for a dedicated breast cancer unit which would allow same-day diagnosis and better premises for patients and staff.

Please, if you can spare a little money hop over to their Just Giving Page and give as little or much as you can. Or share the page on your social media. Your support means a lot to me! Thank you very much.

Thanks my dears, for staying with me until the end. I appreciate your presence. Please stay safe, stay kind and remember that you rock!