Let me start by saying that it’s good to be back and feeling more normal and thanks to those who stepped in for me last week to enable my blog to go out.  I’ve a long way to go now to get rid of the clots on the lungs, daily injections in the stomach for up to five months while monitoring the tumour – the clots being the priority now and not to form any more.  I am on oxygen at home at the moment to stop breathlessness and I’m awaiting a wheelchair to be delivered.

So once again I was admitted to Addenbrooks at short notice, not really being sure what was up exactly.  Arrived…taken to Oncology short stay…blood tests…chest Xray…MRI scan and when the results came back it amounted to blood clots on the lungs. They wanted me to stay in for monitoring and so they had to find a bed for me which they did at 10 O’clock at night.

It wasn’t until the staff handover the next morning that I got the technical term for my condition.  As the doctor and night team were handing over, they were going through the other patients.

“This is Mr So and so, bowel cancer.  This is Mr Blah Blah, bone and hip cancer.  This is Mr X, cancer in the femur   and this is Mr Smith, admitted late last night with….constipation!!”

I looked up at them.  “What?”

They were giggling.  I said, “Excuse me.  I’m terminally ill here.  It’s a brain tumour, not constipation!”

Well, thank you all again for your donations and for your messages of support. I try to thank you individually but my computer is as slow as me these days!  I am going back to the hospital again on Friday for more tests, scans and to check on the fecking clots!  A new magazine/publication recently launched by a friend of ours,  Ms Katy Ryan, “In-Spire”,  ran a Headcase article this week and my story  featured under the headline “Six Months Survivor and Counting”  You can find it at  www.in-spirelsmagazine.co.uk.

My two Chelsea auctions have ended this week of my personal collections of programs and ticket stubs. The proceeds will be deposited direct to the Headcase charity once the money has gone to my PayPal account and all the fees (EBay charges, postage, PayPal fees)  have been deducted.

I would like to wish a speedy recovery to our Ironman, Tony, who underwent a more invasive operation on his shoulder than he first thought. My heartfelt message is,  “Get over it and get back training!” I understand that he is on holiday next week to recuperate.

We have encouraged young Bootsy to dust down his cycling equipment in case he is needed to step in as a replacement for Tony on the off chance he doesn’t recover and get fit in time. We’ve also negotiated with the organisers to have a separate competitor to do the running part of the Ironman which Nick has agreed to do. We are frantically trying to locate enough Lycra to custom – make a leotard for him!

Finally, I would like to welcome into the family my latest grandchild, Francesca, who arrived on the night of Wednesday 20^th of February weighing in at 9lb 1oz.