I was very honoured and happy to have appeared on Bowel Research’s social media last week, highlighting their campaign for August #auguts
Bringing stories of all things bowels to public attention.
You know me. I’m all for shining a spotlight on bowel issues and diseases. And again I want to say if you think something isn’t quite right please please please go and see your doctor.
This applies to any and all health queries.
The waiting lists are monstrously long so do yourself a favour and go call them now!! Go on!! Now!! I’ll sit and wait for you to get off the phone.
….oh, good, you’re back…
Saturday Chris went off to his big boy pamper session at Truefitt and Hill in London, for their ultimate grooming experience. I booked for him a few weeks back…because he’s worth it and he’s my hero. He deserves all the pampering he can get.
He loved it! It went fantastically well. He says he might book himself in for it a couple of times a year as a treat.
I told Chris that I’d go and occupy myself for the hour and a half that his appointment would last by going shopping. But when I came to it I decided against shopping. I really don’t need anything (Yes, shocking I know, and yes I am feeling alright)
So I took myself off to Green park to read my book. I splashed out £3 on hiring a deckchair, because, let’s face it - I’m so fancy.
The joy of pockets…
Dress from Oliver Bonas, Shoes and bag from Chloé
After the pampering session Chris found me in my deckchair in the park. I was a bit stunned as I hadn’t told him where I’d be, but apparently Find my Friends app is incredibly precise!! :)
As a second treat of the day I booked us into Chutney Mary for lunch. Which very quickly became a tad awkward.
Before we left home Chris said ‘are shorts ok?’ And I said, in my infinite wisdom, “yeah, course, tailored shorts will be fine”.
(He looked super hot in his shorts and loafers by the way (whit woo))
Yeah, tailored shorts, or shorts of any kind are NOT fine as it turns out. Not at all.
One of the managers, who said he was sorry, and knew we were regulars - but as the dress code is set in stone so there was nothing he could do.
Luckily one of the other managers who knows us came over and gave us an opportunity to stay…if Chris borrowed some trousers.
Bless his heart. Knowing how much I wanted to eat he agreed.
We thought at first they were from the lost property box and it was making us feel a bit sick.
But we then realised they are clean spare waiters trousers.
So Chris had a very uncomfortable, but delicious meal.
He is even more my hero than he already was.
After that he excitedly took me to Fortnum and Mason as he said he had a surprise for me.
He had, unbeknown to me, bought me the beauty products advent calendar that was released on Friday last week.
They’re wonderful, filled with all sorts of lotions and potions.
…but I had to break it to him there and then that I didn’t want it as I won’t use any of the products. I’m just not a lotions and potions gal.
I felt dreadful about it, it was such a thoughtful gift, but it would be a waste on me.
It was very embarrassing as the lady behind the counter was a bit taken aback that I was refusing the gift (perhaps she knows what a gold digger I usually am). Hahaha
So that was great on top of second hand trousers lunch.
Anyway, we drove over to Harrods so I could get some foundation I was after, and it turns out, with my reward card there, I have enough for 2 hours free parking (a day) at Harrods carpark, happy days.
And this is why I love my Harrods clubcard. :)
All in all it was a pretty good day…not so much for Chris admittedly.
Sunday was another glorious day. Chris and I were meeting up with Milly and Sam at the Snow Dome in Hemel Hempstead in the evening. So we decided to go for another magical mystery tour picnic, like we did the other day when we ended up at a polo match.
We loaded the cold bag with food and set off to find somewhere nice.
And we really did.
We ended up at the Henry Moore sculpture museum, in Much Haddem in Hertfordshire.
It’s absolutely amazing. The art is incredible. Not necessarily to my taste but fascinating nonetheless.
We sat and ate our picnic surrounded by modernist sculptures. Which doesn’t happen every day.
The staff at the tills were lovely, they lulled us into a false sense of security. Because the staff in the sculpture park were the most aggressively assertive I’ve ever seen at any museum. And that includes the time a mountain of a security guard asked me to step away from a Monet in the Met in NYC. He was about 6’ 7” and built like a brick shithouse! These were petite bespectacled ladies - and were way scarier than him! Hahaha
They’d literally come charging at you across the field to tell you to keep your paws off the sculptures…I think you can tell who attempted to! :)
I have an inkling that 6 year old children leaning on this will make very little difference to it.
Do not even think about leaning on this incredibly solid plinth in 32 degree heat!! She will rugby tackle you to the ground!
Once we’d been told off, and heard children told off for leaning on the sculptures (it was 32 degrees I’m not surprised they were leaning, I was flagging too) we decided to head off to the snow dome.
Milly was having a ski lesson as she’d decided to learn to ski.
Sam decided to have an hour on the slopes while Milly was in her lesson.
So that’s all my family able to ski now. I was very impressed with Milly, I thought she’d do well as she’s naturally sporty, but she didn’t fall over! Not even once. When I was at my lesson at the snow dome I fell over 47 times in the 10 minutes I lasted in the class.
And although I subsequently have learned to stay upright and ski, I choose not to, because I like my bones all intact, and I felt skiing was a fast track to not that!
Chris and I played with Zak in the cafe while the others were busy. We had a lovely time. He is an angel.
Milly came up to the restaurant after her lesson and said “I just met a lady that knows you through your blog”
I was a bit stunned to be honest.
Anyway it turns out the lady recognised Sam and Milly from my blogs. So she asked Milly if her mother in law was Suzanne?
The lady isn’t on social media, so it’s not like she’d seen me tag my location.
What a wonderful unexpected encounter. The lady came over for a chat after the lesson and it was truly amazing.
I don’t get to see people’s reaction to my writing. Some people write to me and that is wonderful to think I’ve been of some help. But to meet someone in the flesh, someone who feels I helped them greatly with their confidence it was incredible.
We chatted, we had a few tears (both of us. Both overcome by what our meeting in that moment meant to each of us. For me seeing living proof that I helped someone. And for her seeing the living proof that it wasn’t all a lie I really do live life to the full, that a real and amazing life is possible!).
We hugged, and thanked each other. It was actually very emotional.
I was on a high, I was relaying this meeting to Kaitlyn and Ben and they said they could add to my ego boost for the day.
Long story short. A friend of a friend of theirs had recommended my blog to someone they knew who was having bowel troubles, and the person reading the blogs thought that I was Ben’s older sister!! And to them I say I adore you!!
I’m on fire right now! :) I feel incredible, partly due to the testosterone I’ve been taking for the last 6 weeks, what with that and the great encounters, I feel whole. Thank you universe for the love.
Why do I write my blogs?
Well, when I went through my cancer diagnosis and treatment I didn’t have any positive imagery to look to for comfort and calm.
If I’d known someone like me…or me even, I don’t think I’d have been so traumatised.
And I really was. I was expecting never too leave the house again, when in fact I’m hardly ever in.
A friend asked me the other day if I’m ever home. And simple answer is no, not very much. I’m too busy living the polar opposite to the life I had envisioned pre op.
(I have great home security, so don’t take that as an invitation to burgle me hahahah).
On the way home from the snow dome, still on a high it made me think about those nasssty bitches ‘Tilly’ and the other fuck-wit who nastily verbally abused me on Instagram.
Words have power. Words can help, comfort, heal and calm. Words can bring solace and peace. Words can alleviate pain and console. And what a true joy that is. I felt such a deep sense of pride and happiness by bumping into that truly wonderful lady.
Imagine being a Tilly and her ilk, their lasting legacy being “I made a cancer survivor I don’t know sad - because I felt she was too fat and her stoma bag appalled me!”
Imagine going to their grave having been that person in their lifetime.
I can’t actually imagine it to be honest. I doubt many of us can.
Most people are decent and kind.
If ever there was a moment in my life that made me grateful for who I am, it was meeting the lady on Sunday night at a ski resort in Hemel Hempstead.
Okay, so the lady that thought I was Ben’s sister was good for my ego, but the lady I met, that said I’d helped her, was incredibly good for my soul.
I feel nourished. Life is a bit tough right now. But that lifted me up. You will never truly know how appreciated it was.
Thank you so much Snow Dome lady. I’m so so glad you are doing well. I’m so glad you knew you had a good and fulfilled life ahead of you. Xx
I will see you at the hotel Rila in Borovets in January!
(I don’t just give stoma advice, I’m pretty good at travel advice too!! I’m pretty well practiced).
I recommend Bulgaria skiing to anyone who wants a good but very cheap ski trip. . Xx