I had my chemo today. It was hard going and I feel absolutely rubbish now, but having had it delayed for three days due to low platelet levels I was still very glad to have been given the go ahead. The first day of each chemo cycle is a very long one. We start with…
I’m a competition lawyer. Contrary to what some people think, I don’t advise on the law relating to prize competitions (plural), but on the law relating to competition (singular). In other words, the law on how to maintain competition in the market, preventing big companies from getting so powerful that they squeeze out their competitors. …
We are currently celebrating the Jewish festival of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). This remembers the exodus from Egypt, when the Hebrews were led out of slavery by Moses after Pharoah had refused to let them go, despite G-d having sent the ten plagues. The slaves left in a hurry, under cover of night, and did…
This last week has been one of opposites – opposite views, opposite feelings, opposite personalities, opposite approaches, opposite reactions. If there is one moment or image that sums it all up, it is this – the smashing of a glass at the end of a wedding. Let me explain. My little brother got married last…
Remember that scene in the film “Bridget Jones’s Diary” when she is taken away on a romantic mini-break to a big country house hotel? That’s me at this very moment – sort of. I haven’t been whisked away (I organised it) and, unlike in the film, it’s not turning out to be a series of…
Yesterday afternoon, I had an appointment at the Hammersmith Hospital with a doctor specialising in SIRT. SIRT stands for selective internal radiotherapy. It is a specialised form of radiotherapy which has been developed to treat cancer that has spread to the liver. It involves putting special radioactive beads up inside the artery that lead to…
We have never really celebrated Mothers Day in my family. It’s a bit of a “Clinton Cards” event – in other words, it seems to have mushroomed in recent years because of the cards and gifts retailers’ efforts to push their sales. And my Mum, having somewhat of a stubborn streak, has always quietly insisted…
My husband and I have been huge fans of The West Wing since it was first aired. Few other TV series stand up to it. It is humorous, thought provoking and engaging. There are so many parallels between what is shown on the screen and what happens in real life. There are so many lines…
In life we are frequently told that the quality is more important than quantity. When it comes to life itself, I’m not sure that the same holds true. This all stems from a couple of conversations I have been having in the last 24 hours. Last night I had a catch up appointment with my…
Today three of my closest friends came over for lunch, bringing food and cheer with them. On the initiative of my dearest and oldest friend, they organised the shopping and co-ordinated diaries to arrange a Sunday lunchtime treat for me. It was just lovely. As you would expect, we chatted about all sorts, including my…
It has been quite a week. It took me really quite some time to get over the liver biopsy. The only way of dealing with the severe referred pain in my shoulder was to keep myself topped up on codeine. But the codeine had some seriously unpleasant side-effects. And I was only just getting over…
In 24 hours I have experienced the best and the worst of living with Genghis. I have cried with laughter and with pain. I have celebrated, I have been thankful, I have been joyful; I have also cursed, I have ached and I have suffered. That all makes things sound very melodramatic but, to be…