settling in....?

This placement is shaping up nicely. I finally have a timetable so I know when to go in (and when to skive, heh heh) and I'm starting to remember everyone's names now, and the registrar sends me to buy coffee when there's nothing to do! (Good coffee too, yum.) ALSO finally getting used to the Kiwi accent - they pronounce their vowels very oddly! Given that my understanding of speech is mainly based around the vowels, and lipreading, this has proved difficult to say the least, but it's looking up.

The timetable goes like this:

Monday

8.30 -10.30: Ward round

12.30: marrow meeting (basically looking down a microscope at all the cells, cancerous or otherwise)

Tuesday

8am – 12.00: bone marrow transplant clinic (and the marrow biopsy clinic runs alongside this so I should have an opportunity to stick a needle in someone's back at some point.... :S really not keen on the prospect I have to say!! I saw one today and it made me sweat nervously just watching. Ugh

1.30 – 5 – general haematology clinic (because the whole of NZ is about the size of a regular UK trust, the doctors have to be pretty general, hence Prof Carter does both oncology and bleeding disorders, whereas in the UK the two sections tend to be separate.)

Wednesday

11.30 micro meeting

12.30 – 1.30 journal club (where we discuss any exciting new studies... and free lunch is normally provided. Boom.)

Thursday

8.30 – 10.30 – ward round

10.30 – 11.30 MDT (multidisciplinary team meeting) and case discussion of tricky cases

1.30– 5: clinics again! But I am hoping to just go to the medical student teaching instead and make friends :)

Friday

8.30 – 11 Venous thromboembolism clinic

11.30: x ray review

1 – 2: journal club (more exciting new journals and again free food! huzzah!)

There you go!

To family and other fine, upstanding members of the public: I will be attending everything! Yes!

To everyone else – I will be skiving the afternoons! Yes!

(Not sure which I will be doing yet... The registrars on the ward have pretty much encouraged me to skive by writing me a list of coffee shops and cocktail bars..)

I returned this afternoon to find Cat and Tess in my hostel! While I am not glad that they have had such a terrible time (see Cat's blog for details: http://beta.offexploring.com/cashton/blog), I'm very glad to have some Newcastle medical faces about :) We've just been for some excellent, all g-f cakes at Meow, with a pot of tea for the girls and coffee for me. (Am determined to make the most of being in the caffeine capital of New Zealand.)

We're off out for cocktails later – at Emma's erstwhile workplace – and tomorrow there is a rugby game on so we shall be watching that at the stadium! How exciting! I've not really explored Wellington properly yet (apart from comprehensively mapping the good food shops) so it'll be good to get some official tourist things in. Particularly looking forward to Te Papa (“our place”) Museum of New Zealand, which has an earthquake simulator and a giant squid. (I have already been to see these for an hour on Wednesday night, but there is a LOT to do there so I look forward to returning!)

Other details of Welly life:

This hostel is good but I may still move to a smaller one (http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Worldwide-Backpackers/Wellington/5199/reviews ) after a recommendation from someone here.

I have also finally scored an extra blanket – HURRAH – rendering the hotty botty unnecessary. Starting to sleep fairly well now that I'm settled, though still exhibiting early morning waking... oo- er!!

Totally going back to the farmer's market on Sunday; this time they have a game stall! BOOM. Have decided to sample as much wine as possible here – the Marlborough Pinot Noir that I bought on Wednesday was absolutely spiffing. I had half a bottle without realising because it was so drinkable, and so GOOD....mmmm. Must get some white fish as an excuse to get a Sauvignon Blanc...

haematology hospital shizzle

****guest blog squatting here!!!! recipesonapostcard.com seems to have b0rked, so I have taken the liberty of posting my elective traveller type blog here for a bit while its home is fixed! so don't worry, the new activity does NOT mean I am having a lumpy relapse...touch wood ;) ****

Following on from my last post on recipesonapostcard.com......

If I'm honest, I'd kind of forgotten in the excitement/stress of all the travel that I was actually supposed to be doing some medicine at some point. Still slightly discombobulated, I started at the hospital on Monday - got the induction into the library, name badges, immunity checks etc, then was escorted to the Wellington Blood and Cancer Centre, which is v. similar to the Freeman Centre for Cancer Care, but with better weather (so far).

The hospital is in Newtown, about 20 mins walk from my hostel, maybe even less - I'm not sure yet as I tend to just wander along holding my coffee and marvelling at how not-cold it is for DEEPEST WINTER. (Seriously. I can get away with a shirt and cashmere cardigan. As IF you could walk to the RVI in that in December!!)I didn't manage to meet my supervisor (Prof John Carter) on Monday, but I did meet a fair few registrars and nice people on the ward. THe ward is just like any chemo ward - rather like my old one in fact, but with better views! On Tuesday there was a Bone Marrow Transplant clinic in the morning, general haematology in the afternoon. I mainly just hovered about smiling at patients...

My supervisor is a lovely chap but one of those incredibly busy people - however today he found time to buy me a coffee, and sit down with me and go over a timetable for me :D

It basically involves a fair few clinics, bone marrow biopsies (apparently I should be able to do some! because they're "easy, just a bit crunchy" :O!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eek!), time on the wards, journal clubs, lab work, etc. So I should be kept busy which I love! whooo.

This afternoon I was allowed to do whatever I wanted, even explore the coffee shops (my supervisor is a coffee aficionado like most Wellingtonians), so I skedaddled and located a shop very much like Waitrose but quintessentially Kiwi... ran around like a kid in a sweet shop again, buying wine and ingredients for dinner!

Dinner was NZ lamb with rosemary and thyme, roasted with a medley of veg (yams; unidentified squash, possibly kabocha; red peppers; onions) and salad. Mmmmmm managed to get the lamb perfectly pink and nommed it all down with salad and a fantastic Marlborough Pinot Noir. Life is good!

Loafing around in the lounge at present chatting to people - there's a good mix at this hostel: school trips, here to go to Te Papa (museum of NZ, very good); long term stay people who are travelling/working; and your regular travellers. And me. No idea what category I fall into - the long-stay people have normally been here for about 3 or 4 months! So I don't really count. But I do have my own bag in the fridge now...

(Oh, an update on the hostel situation: I stayed at Base Wellington for 3 nights, then decided that I couldn't hack the kitchen... no OVENS or GAS HOBS. or free wifi! How could I cope?! and it wasn't that social cos there were a lot of gap yahs and also it's affiliated with Kiwi Experience, so most people were just stopping off on their way through. So I upped sticks to Wellywood which has WAY better social areas and free wifi.)

Er that's about it so far - I get mega-tired in the evenings, probably a combo of lipreading the Kiwi accent, and remnants of jet lag, and just the travelling malarkey. So probably off to bed soon! Maybe a cuppa Earl Grey first.... I'm honestly starting to feel better the more ingredients/food stuff I accumulate!

much love and thanks for your facebook comments etc :) xxxx

Welly at last!

Hello again!

I arrived in Wellington on a rather rainy day (11^th June) at about 1.30pm – I was v. tired and actually alone for pretty much the first time since I got on that 4.10 National Express coach. Hence the first afternoon/evening did not go well (much weeping ensued, and even a gin & tonic produced a negative effect). After a Skype call home and a hot shower I felt far better, and took everyone's advice to go to sleep! This helped even more, and I woke today to lovely sunshine and a sense of “HURRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!!!”

First I skyped home again and then toddled off to find myself some gluten-free breakfast, which Meow provided extremely well. Eggs Benedict on gluten-free toast with cappuccino? HELLO!

Thus fuelled like a atherosclerotic Spartan army, I then set off in search of the food market. Once I found it I nearly fainted, because there turned out to be a stall selling pretty much only goats cheese! BOOM! Excitedly ran around like a small child in a sweet shop buying kiwis (massive home-grown ones), satsumas, ingredients for butternut squash-tomato-goats cheese-sage risotto. Everything's pretty cheap too - $6 for 2 bags of veg/fruit, which is probably as cheap or cheaper than the Grainger Market!

I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring some more, buying a phone with sim card (because it turns out you can't put Vodafone sims in locked Orange phones – doh), checking out the library, making plans for travelling down the South Island. This evening, by a massive stroke of luck, I got myself invited to a concert with one of the loveliest families ever (my friend Leila's third cousin Liz and her husband John and their 3 adorable kids, Simon, Micah and Annika – apologies for any misspellings!) Despite all having horrible colds, they took me to a children's concert and back to their house for a cuppa tea, and then Liz took me out for dinner in Wellington! A bit of family time was just what I needed and so I am very grateful indeed :)

Also Liz drove me up Mt Victoria, a look-out point from which you can see the whole of Welly like a glittering sparkly carpet round the bay! It's soooo pretty – and again I forgot to take any photos. I really am going to have to step up my photographic game.

Now am sitting in bed about to Skype home again, then get some zzz's before going to learn about haematology tomorrow. Whoop! Feeling much more settled; big thanks to everyone who's sent me a calming facebook message – much appreciated! xxx

beautiful Sydney sushi

Am now safe & sound in good old Welly, but first I must update you all on my stay in Sydney

with Jonathan and Courtney! (Jonathan is my mum's cousin and Courtney is his lovely Canadian wife.)

It turned out I was sharing a plane with Will and Anna! (2 other 4th year medics who will currently be chilling on the island paradise of Samoa!) We got to Sydney at about 7.30pm Oz time, and after a rather stressful bag search to make sure we were harbouring no forbidden foodstuffs, it was through to arrivals where Jonathan and Courtney were waiting! I have rarely been so glad to see a relative... exactly what one needs after being stuck on a plane for 22 hours (give or take).

wine and a chat before crashing on their immensely comfortable sofa. Was very well-rested by Friday morning though, and awoke to the most gorgeous sunny view of Bondi!!!

On Thursday night I wasn't up for much more than takeaway gluten-free tacos, some w

Jonathan - in exemplary host fashion - had left me a map, his keys, and a bus pass! So I got dressed and toddled off to find the bus into Sydney, but not before I'd had some takeaway coffee at a little cafe on Bondi Road. (OH MY GOD. AUSTRALIAN COFFEE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I actually stopped walking to appreciate it the more...)

Got into Sydney and met up with Will and Anna pretty easily - by bumpin

g into them on the harbour! We went to the Sydney Tower Restaurant for lunch which was fantastic - 3 course buffet with revolving view of Sydney..... excellent. (I ate perhaps a little too much and this, combined with the revolving, made me sightly nauseous, but am not complaining; the experience was just too fantastic :) )

After lunch, we waddled our way back down Sydney Tower and went to Chinatown for an amble round Paddy's Market, which is an excellent street market full of basic tourist tat, but great for a look around. Made our way back to Sydney Harbour for some coffee/tea at the Opera Bar - best view EVER (photos to follow once I work out how to upload them). Then alas it was time to bid farewell to Will and Anna as they had their plane to catch (have fun in Samoa guys!!)

Jonathan met me shortly after for a G&T (me) and a beer (him) at the Opera House Bar, before we went to meet Courtney for sushi at Zushi in Surry Hills (halfway between the city and Bondi). Unfortunately I really wasn't on the ball when it came to photographs, so I have no photos of the awesome sushi we had.... :( but you'll have to take my word for its utter awesomeness! I absolutely stuffed myself - and we had some lovely New Zealand wine too :)

After this epic meal we headed back to the flat for a cuppa tea, some chocolates and Masterchef which is huge in Australia! Great fun - kind of a cross between real Masterchef and The Apprentice.

An early bedtime because my flight to Welly was at 8.55.... I still feel bad about waking Jonathan and Courtney up at the ungodly hour of 6am, but they assure me that they're morning people (well Courtney definitely is!) so I don't feel quite as guilty.

Will write about Welly in the next post, but for now I just want to say a massive thanks to my lovely hosts in Sydney - I hope I can pay you back sometime! lots of love to you guys and everyone else xxxxxxxxx

Packing

****guest blog squatting here!!!! recipesonapostcard.com seems to have b0rked, so I have taken the liberty of posting my elective traveller type blog here for a bit while its home is fixed! so don't worry, the new activity does NOT mean I am having a lumpy relapse...touch wood ;) ****

HELLO!!!!!

7th of June, 2011

kiwi

Sooooooo. Tomorrow at the ungodly hour of 4.10 am I depart Broadmarsh Bus Station on a Kiwi adventure! I'm starting to wish it were more the "eat 10 kiwi fruits in under a minute" kind than the "travel halfway across the world on elective" kind. Oh well too late to back out now. I have finally managed to pack, and miraculously my bag weighs less than 20kg - 18.2kg to be precise! BOOM.

My itinerary so far goes thus (maybe David should code me a pretty map....)

Notts --> London Heathrow --> Sydney (2 days visiting Jonathan and Courtney)--> Wellington (4 weeks haematology, that's the medicine part) --> South Island and Queenstown (1 week attempting to learn to ski whilst preserving anterior cruciate ligaments) --> Auckland (4 weeks cardiology) --> Singapore (5 days eating - er I mean sightseeing) --> LHR and Devon times! YAY!

I would pretend to be excited but mainly I am trying not to poo myself. I have many fears: of flying (though once take-off is over I'm OK); being LONELY; being homesick; being coerced into a skydive and then turning into a pancake; etc etc etc. tbh the main one is LONELY, I am not good at lonely. Hence the aggressive capitalisation of LONELY.

LONELY!

Arghhhh.

IT WILL BE FINE. I will be fine. I'll make chocolate brownies to buy friends. It worked in first year....I'm looking at you Georgina.....

Note to flatmates - water the peaplant every day! thank you.

Going to obsessively double-check packing. BEEG KEESSES. xxxxx

thank you, thank you, thank you

Well well well! This is my one-year anniversary of being diagnosed with the Hodge - and while I'm not exactly celebrating that momentous event in my life by breaking out the Moët & Chandon (no, rice pudding instead), I felt a final blog post would be appropriate.

Exactly one year ago - give or take 9 hours - I was sitting on a bench outside Freeman Hospital with rather smudged eye make-up, talking away a little too fast to my mother whilst texting a lot of people (which turned out to be a mistake because my phone didn't shut up for the next 4 hours, but I appreciated each and every one of your texts). I've never really written much about how I felt at diagnosis but the oddest thing was the way I started bouncing off the walls and being VERY bright and chirpy, with flashes of dark, dark humour. Extremely weird. I suppose the alternative would have been to sink into an maelstrom of terror and take to my bed with a bottle of gin; the babbling kept me circling the edge of the whirlpool instead.

I have to thank everyone who put up with said wall-bouncing and taking-to-my-bed days (these were fortunately rare but not fun - mostly triggered by the loss of yet another handful of hair). Now there is no way I can thank everyone - it would take all night, I would forget people, and I have Outnumbered to watch - but there are a few key players. I've already touched on this in the Courier article but I feel the blog needs a good finale, and this is it.

In the spirit of Mother's Day tomorrow:

This woman is, in my humble opinion, one of the best mothers anybody could wish for. She definitely goes above and beyond the call of duty, and makes the best rice pudding ever. Happy Mother's Day Mummy!!! I love you. (Don't cry woman, you are ridiculous. xxxxx)

However, this man is also one of the best fathers a girl could wish for. I really really don't like being soppy (it makes him too big-headed) but my dad is amazing. He can take a 600 mile round chemo trip in his stride and do lots of other useful things like bring me Twilight books and coffee in chemo. He's quite good at giving cuddles too.

One of my friends told me about her cousin who was diagnosed with some kind of lymphoma - I think it was Hodgkins actually - while away at university. Get this: he didn't tell his parents. He didn't want to worry them, so he didn't go home for 6 months and instead turned to his girlfriend for support all through his treatment. I asked my parents what they thought about this, and they said, "Well, we would have been a little suspicious if you hadn't wanted to see us for 6 months... and then turned up with no hair." HAHA! But I definitely could not have got through this last year if not for mother and father - so let us all be grateful that I did in fact tell them when my haematologist told me to. (Over MSN though - not exactly ideal. I am so sorry.)

My brother Tim was in Japan most of the time I was having chemo - one of the reasons I decided to keep this blog - but was still THERE in the best sense of the word. And who else would have the genius to distract me from radiotherapy stress by making sushi with me? Ahhh he's a cool boy. and he straightened my hair the first time it was long enough to do anything with - and introduced me to the world of hair wax. My brother Michael made me laugh a lot - he always makes me laugh a lot - and continually exhorted me to "exploit the deaf coeliac cancer thing more, Roz" and get myself more spoilt. Fortunately I didn't give in to this too often, tempting though it was - I feel the parents spent enough money on petrol and train tickets without buying me iPods as well ... but haha. And Isobel. Oh Isobel. So many in-jokes, too little time to explain them all... Isobel is - in the words of the Pioneer Woman - a "punk-ass little sister". I'm not even sure what that means but Izzy is punk-ass. And my little sister. She gave me some of her manic energy on post-chemo days and once even dragged me outside to do cartwheels. BIG KISSES SNOOKUMS!!!!

My maternal grandparents are also among the most dedicated and fantastic grandparents ever to walk this earth. I'm not kidding. Telling them I had cancer was the hardest thing I've ever had to do - which is why Mother had to do most of it - but they were so supportive. And fed me scones in radiotherapy (REALLY GOOD ... and gluten-free! I'm telling you, there is no end to Grandma's talents.) It turns out clotted cream is quite soothing to irradiated throats. YUM. Thank you Grandma and Grandad. Love you lots.

My paternal grandparents were also pretty lovely, though they couldn't be as involved in generally spoiling me. Grandpa did slip me quite a few £20 notes and Grandma repeatedly told me that she liked my hair - even when it was bright pink. The lady's 95 and still broad-minded!

And who can forget the fantastic box of gluten-free goodies and pampering products that arrived from my uncle David, aunt Carmel and cousin Charlie? plus the many emails they sent me. Other family members spoiled me rotten too - like Auntie Joyce did with this quilt, and her daughter Anna with many Facebook messages and comments, and Auntie Vera and Uncle Frank....the list goes on and on.

Various family friends have been wonderful too: my godparents (ok, godmother Caroline and her husband Ian - Ian is wary of any godly responsibility) have to top that particular list. Caroline was being a "lady of leisure" while I was having chemo and was very good at keeping me entertained with walkies and mango-shopping; and she and Ian took me for runs and didn't laugh when I gave up halfway round on quite a few of them! Erika lent me some cracking books and lovely cards, as did Hilary. The Knott family were lovely too - giving me knitting patterns and sending beautiful cards (the artwork on the top of this blog is from a card by Helen.) Gabby and David sent me the most gorgeous White Company dressing gown I've ever clapped eyes on (thank you!) The Hibbert family have also been fantastic, and Gilly makes the best pavlova ever.

I also appear to have been blessed with some of the best friends. (This blog post is making me realise that I'm a very lucky person in lots of ways... take that cancer sympathy elsewhere!) Again, some people will get left out if I try to mention everyone by name, but a few do stand out. Georgina was and still is - my personal chauffeur, food taster, general honorary boyfriend (and so much better than the real thing could be too!!) She's come along to a LOT of appointments with me and taken me to Belle & Herbs afterwards. And rescued me on the night of the Tupperware Incident - it must have taken nerves of steel. Sterling work, Weatherdon. xx

Gaita also deserves a mention - my favourite Italian lady who plied me with pasta and espresso and hugs and back massages and cuddles. Te amo, Sissi. MWAH. Now, who else... the flatmates of course: Jenny, Minti, Sophie, Janet-planet... all fantastic in their own ways - too fantastic to cover in enough detail here. But yes they were all rocks of support, tea and chemo-banter. (And also marvellously understanding of the Tupperware Incident.)

Other names on the Roll of Honour include:

(ah, bullet points. you make my life easier.)

• Lydia - who came along to one of the very first appointments (at ENT - she had to watch them stick a large needle into my neck) and told me not to panic. V. useful advice - sometimes the simplest is the best! Ahhh Huges le Grandbutte, I love you.
• Dave - Green and Black's chocolate. Tonka bean pots. and home-made gluten-free lasagne. general banter. er wow.
• Emily - the maddest, funniest baking queen I know.
• Leonie - also mad and funny and fellow gin enthusiast.
• Shal - provider of intelligent chemo conversation.
• Jen - ditto
• Zoe - fellow-food-obsessive and one cool cat.
• Beth and Christine - cool chemo-visiting sisters.
• Ed - rude chemo visitor but couldn't do without him.
• Mavis - sender of many fantastic and uplifting cards/e-mails, cook of many delicious dinners, and one of the most inspiring women ever.
• Caroline, Jess, Kate, Emma, Kathryn, Ruth - awesome friends from home. I'm so, SO glad I still know you guys - you sent me so many lovely presents and were there when I needed you. And thank you Caroline and Julia for taking me to France!!!
• Bethan, Phil and the Hindsons. you guys rock.
• Romeela - brought me some stunning roses. thank you sweetpea!!
  
• Kate - best roast dinner I've had at uni. Kim - just generally wonderful.
• EVERYBODY else who ever wrote me a facebook message/email/letter to let me know they were thinking of me. It brought a smile to my face every time.
• my haematologists, everybody at the NCCC, and all the nurses - especially the ones who managed to put a cannula in without me feeling it. WOW indeed.

And now - because this is the way I roll - a final RECIPE!!

Cinnamon Banana Bread with white chocolate chunks

This is the cake I have been making most often in recent weeks, because it's AMAZING. Not because it's healthy. (I don't do healthy. You may have noticed.) It's from Harry Eastwood's Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache - my new baking bible - and "is so virtuous it’s almost geeky. Full of energy, flavour and goodness, it’s also a doddle to make." It really is delicious - moist, banana-y, with a gorgeous damp texture and chocolate chunks. (and NO flavour of courgettes. I promise.) What more could you possibly ask for from banana bread???

Ingredients:

140g banana (peeled weight)
2 medium free-range eggs
120g golden caster sugar
150g topped, tailed, peeled and finely grated courgettes
150g rice flour (or any flour - I actually used teff flour and Juvela GF bread mix...)
2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
And - it's up to you, but I use 50 - 100g white chocolate, cut into chunks (instead of the BORING 25g finely chopped brazil nuts and 25g finely chopped pecans)

1.Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Brush the inside of a loaf tin with some vegetable oil.

2. Mash the banana thoroughly. (If really pissed off about something, use your hands! Oh, the satisfaction of squidging bananas. Once you've done it, you'll never look back.)

3. Whisk the eggs and sugar for a full 3 mins until pale and light. Whisk in the mashed-up banana until completely incorporated, then add the courgette and beat again.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, cinnamon and mixed spice, and whisk again until completely blended.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and scatter the choc chunks over the top and poke them them down (they sink to the bottom otherwise.)

6. Sprinkle the top with some demerara sugar if you fancy it, and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 mins.

7. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or the bottom gets REALLY squidgy. (If, however, you like a squidgy bottom, just leave it where it is.)

If you care about such things: this cake is only 200 kcal a slice (based on 8 servings). Rejoice! Then eat another slice!!

Now, my loves, I think I might have to wrap it up here. It's pretty late and this is a rather long post... . I've been putting it off for far too long because I really don't like being soppy - it sets my teeth on edge - and I knew this would be hard to write. I apologise if anything is overly sentimental, self-centred and Oscar-speech-like, but you're all pretty amazing and deserve this long, long thank you letter.

This will probably be my last post on here (excluding any boring details of follow-up CT scans and perhaps the odd recipe I feel compelled to share with you all). So touch wood that my lymph nodes decide to behave from now on.

Everybody, you made a crap experience much less crap and even pretty damn fun at times!Thank you thank you thank you very much for everything.

BIG LOVE xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

P.S. If I've missed anyone out PLEASE TELL ME. I almost forgot Gaita until a moment ago! good lord.

thank the little lord jesus and all his cherubim and seraphim

Gaaaaaaaaah! Sorry, I know my CT results were 3 weeks ago and that this update is long overdue. In my defence I have been attempting to write 4500 words on 3 patients for my Mental Health presentation, writing lymphoma articles for the Courier, having a wonderful birthday weekend at home, having a hilarious birthday murder mystery party...etc etc.

Now to update you guys... after quite a long and anxious wait that's been going on since December, I got my CT results back last week and they were COMPLETELY, UTTERLY, GORGEOUSLY NORMAL!!!! hallelujah!! If I was a crying sort of person, I probably would have cried for happiness but instead I just went around with a massive manic grin on my face for about 24 hours. I also wholeheartedly cursed the swine-flu jab for blighting my Christmas with so much panic ... but then went back to manic grinning. Oh and my facebook status got 93 likes! I was very flattered and grateful to all my amazing friends - you guys rock.

Now that sets my follow-up back on track; I won't have to go back to the NCCC until May! which seems a long way off right now, mainly because 8 miserable weeks of CIDR (Chronic Illness and Disability Rehabilitation, for those of you lucky enough not to know what it is) lie between now and then. CIDR was the bane of my life last year and I was overjoyed to have finished it, only to get cancer 2 weeks later. Not a high point. Fortunately this year it gets split in half by Easter so I can refuel with chocolate and Wales holiday, uninterrupted by chemo this time.

Ooh I was also in this article in the Sunday Sun to raise Lymphoma Awareness. I'm not really sure that making me laugh manically in the rain in my backyard was the best way to get a good photo, but hey, anything to raise awareness!!