Elliot and I often talk with Tali about being the best possible version of herself. As she is only just 7, this is probably a bit hard for her to understand. What we mean is that there are times when she is amazing – mature, kind, empathetic, questioning, interested, sensitive, calm – and times when…
DetailsHere are the people in my thoughts and prayers today. Penny Hampson. Please keep fighting, beautiful lady. Jojo Gingerhead. Fingers crossed for you at the Marsden today. Louise Nicholson. Let’s hold hands virtually, and weather the SEs together. Sarah Perry. Because you rock, dude! Andrea and Cinzia. Just because I love you. Jo Fine. Always…
DetailsI’ve never been all that good at accepting help. My dad delights in frequently retelling anyone he can (hi Dad – I know you’ll be reading this!) that, aged 2, I got out of my buggy, went round behind it and insisted “Roro push”. Even at that tender age, I wanted to be doing the…
DetailsI am sitting hooked up to the “chemo machine” – the pump that delivers my drugs directly into my veins via Cath (my portacath). The noise of the pump will be one that haunts me, rather like the noise of the foetal heart monitor during pregnancy check ups, but – for obvious reasons – less…
DetailsThis morning I ‘fessed up to the kids about the recent developments. I thought it was going to be awful but in the end it wasn’t. They provided us with the perfect opportunity – they both woke up early-ish but after a good sleep, they were relaxed and they were in our bedroom playing on…
DetailsI’ve been thinking about bad luck a lot in the last couple of days. I’m not particularly superstitious, so I don’t really believe in “luck” as such, but I do seem to be suffering from quite a lot of bad luck at the moment. This train of thought kicked off primarily because of conversations about…
DetailsOver the last few days I feel like I have been very aware of both life and death. That sounds incredibly melodramatic and it hasn’t been, so let me explain why I said it. Some of my experiences in the last couple of days have been truly life-affirming, albeit in a low key way. Tali…
DetailsYesterday two things happened that helped my mental and emotional state enormously. I had my first counselling session and I had a long chat with a dear friend whose mum died when he was only 7. I’ve always been a bit dismissive of counselling and other talking therapies, but something happened to me yesterday morning.…
DetailsNormally I wake up on 1 January full of good intentions and resolutions. Like most people, I promise myself I will eat more healthy, exercise more, spend more quality time with family and friends, challenge and improve myself etc etc etc. This year there is just one resolution. I resolve to fight, to stay alive…
DetailsNew Years Eve always seems to be a time for reflection and this one more obviously than most. I have been thinking about some of the people who have inspired me in life, who have given me the fire in my belly. Here are just some of them. My mum. The biggest inspiration of all.…
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