Life has calmed down a little this last week....the lull before the storm, quite literally as it happens.
....Early in the week, we sorted through our photos from the 24 hours in Bristol photo shoot, selecting, processing and uploading our submissions to the competition website. If you are interested, you can see Steve's images by clicking here and mine by clicking here.
Over the last few days, we have been playing musical furniture - shifting things around to be ready for the arrival of the new bed for the guest room, which was delivered yesterday. That doesn't sound like much... However, it involved disassembling and reassembling two sofa beds; carrying one downstairs ready to be collected by its new owner after a successful sale on eBay and lifting the other to its new home up in the loft, which doubles as bedroom when family and friends stay.
The last piece of the jigsaw involves carrying the new ottoman bed base upstairs to the guest room. Neither of us are very enthusiastic about this lift, so I am putting it off by writing the blog and Steve is searching the weather channels for the latest news on the big storm that is due to pass over the southern part of the UK during the next 24 hours.
The social highlight of the week was a visit from Rufus, who (many years ago) used to live a few doors away but is now based in Edinburgh with his family. It was lovely to catch up with his news over coffee and pastries yesterday morning. With good friends you just slip back into conversation as if the intervening years didn't exist....
We have also caught up with what's happened to our cyber friends in the meso community. There has been some good news - Tess's review showed stable disease and she is now looking forward to the next three months!
Other news is not so good. Lou in Australia had to postpone her planned chemo due to low blood counts, but thankfully is better now and feels ready for the next round. Amanda's Ray is back on chemo and suffering the side effects. On top of pains and drains, Jan has come down with a cold - how unfair is that? Sending our love to all of you.
Steve in Oz enjoyed a cruise with his wife Gail, but his health is deteriorating rapidly (or as he puts it "the Fat Lady is tuning up...") and he is now having to consider those end of life issues we all hate to think about. Steve, we send a BIG hug and lots of love to you and Gail from the other side of the world xxx
Closer to home, Mavis's news that her meso has started growing again, in spite of zapping it with another chemo regime (the fourth since diagnosis) has cast a shadow over the mesothelioma community and beyond. She is going to take a break from treatment, enjoy the festive season and have another scan in the New Year before deciding the next step.
We feel close to all our meso friends, sharing each other's roller coaster of life, but we feel particularly close to Mavis as she was diagnosed with this cancer in June 2009, the same as Steve. We have been traveling the journey together since finding each other in the virtual world. Mavis, get ready for a big kiss and cuddle coming on the wind from Oxford to you from us xx
As I write, another meso warrior is close to death, at home, surrounded by his family. They have been telling him how much they love him and that he can "go to sleep" and be a star in the sky when he is ready, because they love him that much....It's his birthday today; they think he wants to wait until today before he lets go of life....
I usually manage to find something positive to say in my blog posts, but it's not always so easy. Today has been one of those difficult days, for obvious reasons. Not for the first time, Steve says he feels guilty that he is still able to enjoy life while others with mesothelioma are having such a tough time. I feel the same, which is why today's post may sound a bit subdued.
However, life goes on. We can't put off carrying the bed upstairs any longer. Onwards and upwards, as they say. Here's hoping that the next post will bring more good news than bad.
The wind is already quite frisky here. If we had any, we would be battening down the hatches ready for tonight's gales and storms. Take care if you have to go out there tonight or early tomorrow. Stay safe!
....Early in the week, we sorted through our photos from the 24 hours in Bristol photo shoot, selecting, processing and uploading our submissions to the competition website. If you are interested, you can see Steve's images by clicking here and mine by clicking here.
Over the last few days, we have been playing musical furniture - shifting things around to be ready for the arrival of the new bed for the guest room, which was delivered yesterday. That doesn't sound like much... However, it involved disassembling and reassembling two sofa beds; carrying one downstairs ready to be collected by its new owner after a successful sale on eBay and lifting the other to its new home up in the loft, which doubles as bedroom when family and friends stay.
The last piece of the jigsaw involves carrying the new ottoman bed base upstairs to the guest room. Neither of us are very enthusiastic about this lift, so I am putting it off by writing the blog and Steve is searching the weather channels for the latest news on the big storm that is due to pass over the southern part of the UK during the next 24 hours.
The social highlight of the week was a visit from Rufus, who (many years ago) used to live a few doors away but is now based in Edinburgh with his family. It was lovely to catch up with his news over coffee and pastries yesterday morning. With good friends you just slip back into conversation as if the intervening years didn't exist....
We have also caught up with what's happened to our cyber friends in the meso community. There has been some good news - Tess's review showed stable disease and she is now looking forward to the next three months!
Other news is not so good. Lou in Australia had to postpone her planned chemo due to low blood counts, but thankfully is better now and feels ready for the next round. Amanda's Ray is back on chemo and suffering the side effects. On top of pains and drains, Jan has come down with a cold - how unfair is that? Sending our love to all of you.
Steve in Oz enjoyed a cruise with his wife Gail, but his health is deteriorating rapidly (or as he puts it "the Fat Lady is tuning up...") and he is now having to consider those end of life issues we all hate to think about. Steve, we send a BIG hug and lots of love to you and Gail from the other side of the world xxx
Closer to home, Mavis's news that her meso has started growing again, in spite of zapping it with another chemo regime (the fourth since diagnosis) has cast a shadow over the mesothelioma community and beyond. She is going to take a break from treatment, enjoy the festive season and have another scan in the New Year before deciding the next step.
We feel close to all our meso friends, sharing each other's roller coaster of life, but we feel particularly close to Mavis as she was diagnosed with this cancer in June 2009, the same as Steve. We have been traveling the journey together since finding each other in the virtual world. Mavis, get ready for a big kiss and cuddle coming on the wind from Oxford to you from us xx
As I write, another meso warrior is close to death, at home, surrounded by his family. They have been telling him how much they love him and that he can "go to sleep" and be a star in the sky when he is ready, because they love him that much....It's his birthday today; they think he wants to wait until today before he lets go of life....
I usually manage to find something positive to say in my blog posts, but it's not always so easy. Today has been one of those difficult days, for obvious reasons. Not for the first time, Steve says he feels guilty that he is still able to enjoy life while others with mesothelioma are having such a tough time. I feel the same, which is why today's post may sound a bit subdued.
However, life goes on. We can't put off carrying the bed upstairs any longer. Onwards and upwards, as they say. Here's hoping that the next post will bring more good news than bad.
The wind is already quite frisky here. If we had any, we would be battening down the hatches ready for tonight's gales and storms. Take care if you have to go out there tonight or early tomorrow. Stay safe!
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never feel guilty guys, reading about you two going on with life ( even if it is just lifting beds upstairs) is the best inspiration there can be.
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