TIME FLIES

Ciao Tutti!

oh dear - have received several emails over the last couple of days saying "No Blog! Whats up?" Yikes, its been almost seven weeks since I sat and bashed away at this keyboard. My apologies as usual. The days have just spun away - and I have been spinning with them.

First off, I am very pleased to write, no news is good news!  My bloods are all stable and sitting in the normal zone.  I am finally off those ghastly steroids. Face back to normal. Shakes gone. Phwee!  I am also off the immunosuppressents, which means that I am "sailing solo" and so far so good. My new immune system hasn't turned on me (i.e. no GVHD).  I am now only taking 5 pills a day - that is an easy swallow! Pill taking used to take me about 10 minutes - now I can throw them all back in one. Yes!  My HOP visits are down to every five weeks, so my connection to the hospital is a lot less.  However, weirdly it was quite a psychological struggle to wean myself off those clinic visits.  Being frequently monitored was a real support. Now the spaces in-between visits are a lot longer, which gives the brain (mine in particular) time to fret and worry and wonder "whats going on inside?". There are still days when I have to talk to myself firmly and move on from the terror (I guess there will always be days like this from now on) - but my life is starting to take on a new healthier shape and rhythm.  It feels like I am emerging from some terrible-tunnel-of-tangle. Each week my confidence grows and I am starting to really feel like my old self again. Oh, welcome home!

My tiny garden has been a joy this summer. An extravagance of colour and heady smells (honey suckle now replacing jasmine) bees, butterflies and two mice! The Battle of Snail is ongoing, but I am winning - although they did an amazing demolition of some dahlias the other night.  The handsome ginger-ale tom cat that did nasty things to the Robins in the spring, has taken to visiting me daily. Being a bit of a sucker for a cat, I have sort of forgiven him.  But I am aware his friendliness belies his true motives, which, I am sure are mouse one and two...

I drove down to Rye the other weekend to see my old friends Fred and Audrey. First long trip in the car - so it was a bit of a test for me. The next day I was completely whacked out - my battery life is still very short - it took me two days to recover.  Forever my head will think I can do more than I physically can. It is very frustrating and a constant reminder of "things past".  I am still having to learn how to pace myself so I can do normal things without collapsing in a heap.  I am still going to the gym, though only twice a week now.  On Monday I had a solid gristle-looking lump removed from my leg which required 7 stitches (frankenstien stitches at that) and strict instructions from the Doctor not to go near the gym for a week... Lump has been sent off for testing, but I am sure there is nothing sinister to it. However, given my history of strange lumps (which is how they discovered the leukaemia in the first place) - they are always cautious.  Best to be, I guess.

In August I am off to St Ives for a few days.  Seven hour train journey.  Clackatie-clak; I love that sound. Will cross over the Dawlish line that the sea swallowed up in the February storms. Meeting Amanda down there and staying in a B&B run by an old friend who I originally met on a beach in Bali almost 30 years ago.  Really looking forward to the break.  Cornish sea air, cornish light, and no doubt, cornish cream.

My last bit of news is that I have just bought myself a static caravan down on Rye Harbour. Finally, I have my own place by the sea - for those of you that know me well, this is a dream I have nurtured for a good number of years.  It is sited on a small caravan park, next to the River Rother and boundaries with the Rye Nature Reserve.  A 15 minute walk through the reserve brings you onto a wide sweeping empty beach, with Camber Sands to the left and Hastings along the coast to the right.  I am hoping this will be the start of something good - creatively at least.  I will update on caravan and sea and big skies on my next blog.  I am still waiting for the key...

It is a hot summer in London.  Blue and lovely.  Waiting for some rocking thunderstorms though.  I hope wherever you all are summer is just as good.  Hope too that everyone is healthy and happy and you are enjoying everything you are doing.  Thanks for all your messages / emails etc. I am still amazed that this blog is still read. I will try and update a bit earlier next time (ha ha!).  Love around the globe - north south east and west - a special hallo to my australian cousins who had lunch with me last week, but should be back in Sydney now - the turkish delight, fresh from Istanbul, was delicious!

Back soon, tch xxx

ps. World Cup: England's lions didn't even manage a snarl. So much for rumble in the jungle! Watched almost every match and was thoroughly footballed out by the time of the final last weekend. Guess the best team won. Though I was gunning for Columbia.