Sitting in the park, in the sun, I smear sun cream all over my arms and chest. The panther lies under the shade of a palm tree. The alcoholics sit on their benches and don’t bother me. And suddenly I feel a surge of happiness: despite my low mood, despite Seb being away, despite how […]
Can do some stuff to stop mood getting any more elevated: 1. Keep away from the Internet – hence why am only just writing this now. Technology is not my friend at the moment, sadly. Can’t work things. 2. Rest. 3. Keep away from shops, restaurants and public transport. Am cancelling all my plans up […]
The washing machine is blinking to tell me that he needs unloading and the washing must be hung up and…no…I just can’t. Later. Reading magazines so you don’t have to: today’s gems: 1. “A U.S. Study found participants to be more likely to expect a date to get intimate after downing a sugary drink. It’s […]
“If it can go wrong, it will,” Mum says. Or maybe one of her friends does. Brought up in the 1950s, by superstitious mothers, Mum and her chums were raised on such mantras as: “Don’t wear green: it’s bad luck,” and “don’t tempt fate,” and “you must wear an amulet to ward off the evil […]
“So, um, I just wanted to say,” I say, looking at my surgeon. “So, um, when the oncologist said last week that the cancer was in my lungs now, I didn’t really need to know that and, you know, I already knew, because you said, that it had spread and…well I was wondering, in future […]
What blogging has taught me: 1. In eleven months, haven’t had any writer’s block. If you know that your readers are expecting a piece, you’ll write one. It’s the same as writing to a deadline. Thank you all so much for reading and for all your comments. It means such a lot to me. 2. […]
“I don’t see why we have to see all the doctors again tomorrow,” I say to Mum when she calls. “We spent all day at the hospital on Wednesday and the oncologist said that we were allowed to go on holiday and…” “Because they did all those tests last week and they need to give […]
Life-threatening illness changes you, but not always in the ways you’d expect. 1. “Am not going to see anything else at the theatre unless I’m really desperate to see it,” I say to Mum. “I just haven’t enjoyed the last few plays I’ve been to. It’s too uncomfortable sitting for hours on end without […]
“So, um, what are you doing on that Monday after the weekend I’m coming to visit?” I ask Seb when he calls last night. “Nothing,” he says. “Well – it’s my half term so…” “I was thinking, maybe if I take the Monday off work so I don’t have to rush back on the Sunday […]
“Ouch,” I howl, bursting into tears. My underarm burns with pain. “Oh I’m so sorry,” the doctor says. “I didn’t realise that you’d just shaved your underarm till I’d already wiped the alcohol all over it.” “Here,” the nurse says, handing me a wet tissue. Wiping it off, I try to […]
