• The Seer’s Stone
  • The Dodo Dragon and other stories
  • About Sheila Crosby
  • A Breathtaking Window on the Universe

Merry Christmas

A very Merry Christmas to both my readers. Two years ago, Christmas felt like whistling in the dark. The tumour in my thigh was so painful that I spent most of my time lying on the couch. Radiotherapy left me so nauseous that initially, I was eating about as much as the cat. I couldn’t organise or prepare much of anything. You know the Beatles song, “I get by with…

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How Not To Swim in Circles?

I’m not American and we don’t eat a special meal today, but I do like the custom of stopping to be grateful once a year. Actually, I try to notice things to be grateful for all year, but Thanksgiving brings it into sharper focus. I don’t think it will surprise anyone that I’m thankful to be alive. If I’d had no treatment for the cancer at all, I think they’d…

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One year after my amputation, I’m officially disabled.

Between Christmas and New Year, I had a panel of specialists assess my degree of disability. I’d already had my application for a disabled parking permit turned down. A report from my surgeon saying, “I had to cut her leg off,” was insufficient; I needed that particular piece of paper. Well now I’ve got the magic document and I can apply again. There’s more. This means I pay reduced sales…

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It’s my Stumpiversary!

One year ago today I was wheeled down to the operating theatre without knowing how many legs I’d have when I woke up. The surgeons spent about 6 hours trying to save my left leg, but the cancer had eaten too far into the bone and they had to amputate, right at the top. So I’ve had a year to come to terms with it. I started by making a…

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