One of the wonderful things about the mesothelioma groups on Facebook is that they are global. We find ourselves talking to people from all over the world, sometimes without realising it - the common bond of a mesothelioma diagnosis binds us together, those who have the disease and those who care for them.
Not so very long ago I had a message from meso warrior Lou in Australia about another warrior, Nancy, who lives in the States but was due to visit the UK this summer. She asked whether we would like to meet up during Nancy's visit. Naturally, we said yes!
And it happened this week...Nancy and her husband Andrew were staying not too far from where we live in Oxford and had booked theatre tickets for a production in one of the University Colleges. We invited them for afternoon tea on the roof terrace dining room of the Ashmolean Museum.
We have never met before and only exchanged a few messages on Facebook prior to Friday, but we greeted each other like old friends knowing how much we had in common!
Over tea, a glass of fizz, sandwiches, scones and cakes we compared notes, shared experiences and learnt more about each other's lives - finding our we had more in common than we first realised...
Mesothelioma had brought us together and, not surprisingly, the conversation kept coming back round to it in various ways. But that wasn't the only subject of conversation in those few hours spent together, which flew by.
Before long it was time to say our goodbyes - I know we will keep in touch, as we have done with others who have come into our lives as a result of this disease.
Thank you Lou for the introduction via Australia! Thank you Nancy and Andrew for a very enjoyable few hours in your good company! We wish you well for the rest of your trip, and will be thinking of you on your meso journey.
The rest of last week seems to have galloped by: progressing the garden makeover project by a few more baby steps; a brief meet up with our friend Chris in Oxford for a seminar; preparation for my next work-related trip to Guernsey in a couple of weeks time; photographing public art in Bicester as a commission; making plans for a visit to London at the end of the month...
...but the reality is that Monday's hospital appointment is looming large. In just over 24 hours time, we will find out how Steve's meso is doing; whether or not the small lump on his chest and his occasional loss of appetite are cancer-related; whether there are any clinical trials recruiting locally that he might be a suitable candidate for...or whether we need to look further afield, following in the footsteps of Mavis and head off to the Royal Marsden....or perhaps we will just enjoy the next three months without chemo, drug trials or any other therapy, re-charging the battery ready for the next battle....
Not so very long ago I had a message from meso warrior Lou in Australia about another warrior, Nancy, who lives in the States but was due to visit the UK this summer. She asked whether we would like to meet up during Nancy's visit. Naturally, we said yes!
And it happened this week...Nancy and her husband Andrew were staying not too far from where we live in Oxford and had booked theatre tickets for a production in one of the University Colleges. We invited them for afternoon tea on the roof terrace dining room of the Ashmolean Museum.
We have never met before and only exchanged a few messages on Facebook prior to Friday, but we greeted each other like old friends knowing how much we had in common!
Over tea, a glass of fizz, sandwiches, scones and cakes we compared notes, shared experiences and learnt more about each other's lives - finding our we had more in common than we first realised...
Mesothelioma had brought us together and, not surprisingly, the conversation kept coming back round to it in various ways. But that wasn't the only subject of conversation in those few hours spent together, which flew by.
Before long it was time to say our goodbyes - I know we will keep in touch, as we have done with others who have come into our lives as a result of this disease.
Thank you Lou for the introduction via Australia! Thank you Nancy and Andrew for a very enjoyable few hours in your good company! We wish you well for the rest of your trip, and will be thinking of you on your meso journey.
The rest of last week seems to have galloped by: progressing the garden makeover project by a few more baby steps; a brief meet up with our friend Chris in Oxford for a seminar; preparation for my next work-related trip to Guernsey in a couple of weeks time; photographing public art in Bicester as a commission; making plans for a visit to London at the end of the month...
...but the reality is that Monday's hospital appointment is looming large. In just over 24 hours time, we will find out how Steve's meso is doing; whether or not the small lump on his chest and his occasional loss of appetite are cancer-related; whether there are any clinical trials recruiting locally that he might be a suitable candidate for...or whether we need to look further afield, following in the footsteps of Mavis and head off to the Royal Marsden....or perhaps we will just enjoy the next three months without chemo, drug trials or any other therapy, re-charging the battery ready for the next battle....
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