Update from the sun!

This blog is a remote broadcast to you from sunny Lanzarote!! ?

I had my bone treatment last week (1 week early) as we are out here with Dad, Chris, Bryony, Christopher and Amelie to celebrate Dad’s 70th Birthday we are having a really fabulous time, lots of fun and food so I’m really happy ?

It was Phil’s Birthday at the beginning of the week so we got to celebrate his in the sunshine too!

Today is exactly a year since we heard from Dr Alexander that my tumour markers had dropped into the ‘normal’ zone and they have been there ever since.  I still remember how amazing it felt to receive that news and how my face ached from smiling so much!  Of course, I had been taking the tamoxifen, eating the right things and avoiding the things that some say are bad, keeping myself mentally strong (most of the time!) and listening to my body when it tells me to sleep and I continue in that vein.  It is however very difficult to know what is influencing the markers in that cocktail, so there is pressure to maintain everything!  The formal advice is simply to eat a balanced diet and do moderate exercise but I’m sure there is more to it than that.

My holiday reading is ‘the cancer whisperer’ by Sophie Sabbage.  She had a stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis and chose not to be a victim.  She has had to do a lot more than me to keep well but has still found the courage (and time) to write a book which is aimed at helping others navigate the masses of information, advice and emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis, particularly a terminal one.  I haven’t finished it yet and I think I’ll probably have to re-read it to really take it in, that said, I have found it inspiring and would recommend it.  She tells it like it is which I enjoy!!

Well I’d love to chat more but the restaurant is calling ?

Talk to you soon

Lots of love

Mand xxx