| «« | July 2008 | »» |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| | |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| |
|
Life is just a bowl of cherries
Life is just a bowl of cherries
September 7th 2007
When perfectly ripe, these succulent little orbs are nothing short of addictive. They also – when eaten to extreme - whiz through the guts at the speed of light. And just to confirm that they are not to be messed with, the hard, jarring stone can catch you out and serve as a reminder that life is never as straight forward as it first appears.
It’s been two months since I had the bag off. It’s been about a month since I’ve left the nappies off. I’m down to one Imodium a day – having started with four. I’m eating all those forbidden fruits (and non-fruits – wholemeal bread, brown rice, pulses – even risked a Brazil nut) and some days it’s OK and some days it’s not. I can’t see any discernable pattern yet – the days when things are bad seem almost random – like biting too quickly into the cherry. Managed to take part in a charity bike ride last Sunday - felt great. Wonderful. Fantastic. Spent most of Monday on the loo. Why?
I missed it last year because of Chemo and it was only a last minute decision to take part this time, the final push being Annie sulking by her bike each morning, pawing the ground like a race horse desperate for some exercise. I wouldn’t have attempted it if she hadn’t nagged me. (There’s a joke there, nag = horse. Oh well).
I even won a prize – a £25 bike voucher from the local bike shop. It’s so easy to think we can’t do things anymore and sometimes all we need is a push.
The wound has almost healed up. I’ve taken the dressing off and left it to make its own way in the world. It looks a mess, frankly. I also have a swelling under the skin on my left forearm – an artefact of the canula presumably. My belly too, is swollen – sticking out like a beer gut - I’m thinking of getting a tee-shirt printed – “it’s false – the real one tried to kill me”.
It’s also time to stop the blog (probably). I just don’t want to talk about it any more. Not from a denial point of view - life is returning to some sort of normality and it’s time to leave cancer behind (hopefully). Or rather - it’s time to define a new normality. Life will never be the same again.
Some months ago someone sent the link for this blog to a book publisher. As a result “It’s not over till the Bag-Lady rings” has just been published by Spring Hill Books. It’s on Amazon and the ISBN, for any one interested, is 978-1-905862-14-6. I’m donating half of any royalties to Cancer Research UK.
The publishers have included some of the comments left on the blog to show that support, information and care coming from those affected by the disease is every bit as important and valuable as it is from healthcare professionals. Probably more so.
It’s all rather amazing – in the beginning there was diagnosis. And diagnosis begat phone call and phone call begat email and email begat blog and blog begat book. Who’d have thought it?
Thank you to all those who have read this blog and supported me and encouraged me to get through this awful, awful time.
I’ll sign off to the sound of Dame Vera Lynn singing in a Japanese karaoke bar; “Whale meat again”.
Nice to see that life is slowly coming back to you
- go grab it with both hands! I had a feeling
that the blog would end sometime, sad really in a
weird way; feels like we have all come full
circle...and I have to say that I feel the time
has gone frighteningly quickly. I only hope that
we have managed to gee each other along our rocky
paths and now, may we all reach the signpost that
says "A New Chapter This Way!" Cancer does have a
community - look at the response to the death of
Jane Tomlinson, I cried as I am sure many did.
Everyone hopes and I am hoping for a long, healthy
future.
|
comment added :: 7th September 2007, 17:26 GMT
JJ made this comment,
What about something like "This is Mork. Signing
off. nannoo nannoo." ;)
Or am I showing my age???
there is a saying that goes something like..."If
wishes were horses we would all ride and be up to
our necks in horse poo." My heart felt best wishes
to you, Annie and all those dearest to you.
Take care.
JJ
|
comment added :: 20th September 2007, 21:57 GMT
|
|
