An unexpected benefit

I had a shock last week, may I share it with you?

Totally out of the blue, I discovered a lump in my breast . . .  quite a large lump.  
Two days later the doctor told me to be prepared for the fact that it was probably breast cancer.  She's arranged an appointment for me next Tuesday at The Royal Marsden Hospital.

So . . . where do we go from here?

Since making this discovery I've learned several things.  The foremost is the need to remain positive and, as a wise friend told me, to see the situation as a challenge, not a threat.

Then there's a need to look out for any unexpected benefits, together with the need for laughter . . . laughter, as we all know, being 'the divine disinfectant'.

Will you help me with this?

May I share any unexpected benefits of my situation . . . and, hopefully, the ones that make me laugh?

Take today, for example.  If I have need of surgery, and if this means that I have to stay in the hospital overnight, a kind friend has offered to come round and feed Chloe.

With this thought in mind, I found myself looking at my much-loved but rather scruffy home through the eyes of an observant visitor.
She would, I realised, need to go into the bathroom . . . with which thought, I gave a cautious glance at the bath.

Yes, there was no denying it.  Around the middle of the bath was an unmistakable dark ring.  Despite always giving the bath a casual clean after use, this ring had built up over the months    . . . and it wasn't pretty.
It wasn't something I'd like my kind friend to notice.

In consequence, today has seen me down on my hands and knees in the bathroom, cleaning the bath with a scouring pad     . . . and how virtuous I feel at the outcome!

So, what's the first benefit of the unexpected lump in my breast?
You've guessed it . . . a beautifully clean bath!