The alarm is set for 6.00 am, the first day of our time as parents of teenagers.

Back to this morning.  John drove me to the hospital for my mammogram and ultrasound.  I was soon in front of a machine intent on turning my breasts into dinner plates, flat both sides and then tilted both sides.

Next came the ultrasound which was infinitely more pleasant with a handheld machine slipping around on jelly coated skin.  The lady wasn’t smiling at the end which had me worried.  Did she see something that shouldn’t be there?

Now we are in Sydney with a long list of instructions on managing the teens starting with a 6 o’clock wake up call, breakfast, checking to see if they have everything required for school, dropping them off at the bus stop and railway station by 7.45 am.  Phew!  Then the day is ours until 3.30pm.

The parents were out of the house and off to New Zealand at 4 in the morning.  All went well with the drop offs until I received a message to say Sebastian* had left his lunch on the kitchen bench. With the wonders of modern technology his mother was able to transfer money to his credit card so he wouldn’t starve.

We picked Cordelia* up from the train at 4.38 and Sebastian arrived sometime after 5 as he had school choir practice.  He walks home from the bus stop. I helped them both with homework and study, cooked dinner, cleaned up.  I’m ready for sleep.

Every day brings a surprise.  I received a phone call from the Oncology Registrar.

It looks like I won’t be seeing him anymore as I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma (a blood cancer of the white blood cells within the lymphatic system).  What sort is yet to be revealed.  We have an appointment at 11 o’clock tomorrow so looks like a quick trip to the Gong from Sydney, making sure we get back in time to pick up the teens.

The Registrar said he was sorry not to see me again as he wanted to hear more about the Mushroom Murders.

Otherwise, it was a flat-out busy day.  Up at six supervising study, then out the door at 7.45 am, dropping Sebastion off at the bus stop.  We disappeared into a tunnel which miraculously brought us out at Olympic Park where Cordelia was rehearsing for School Spectacular.  

The day flew by and before we knew it we were driving out to Ashfield Railway Station to meet Cordelia. John refuelled at Marrickville and later took Sebastian to boxing.

Tonight was a mixture of working on Geography with Cordelia and Sebastian’s assignment on Lexus cars.  I also cooked a Hello Fresh dinner and cleaned up with help from John.  We are all very tired.

Now to find out more about Lymphoma. I’m thinking that the future is looking a little brighter.

• Not their real names