First things first this week, thank you so much for the messages about last week’s blog.
It’s only when I write it all down and think about what happened to us in such a short time frame that I too can see - it was a lot to get through.
I get it’s a lot to take in when reading it too. Thank you for your kindness.
I do still, and always will, consider myself lucky.
We had the worst time of our lives back then, and in all honesty the spectre of cancer’s long lasting shadow never leaves, but we know what’s at stake, we’ve been so close to losing the only thing that matters.
So yes, we’re still here, and that in my opinion makes us extremely lucky.
(I would have preferred to have luck enough to never have encountered cancer at all. But that’s life)
That’s why when I get the opportunity to do something, to go somewhere, to eat, to travel, I jump at the chance.
Life is precious and precarious.
Live it fully knowing that information.
I think most people that know me know how much I loved India.
Well, big news!! We’re going back!!
Finally, after four very long years (those Covid years were like dog years weren’t they).
We’re flying to Mumbai - to catch up with some friends.
Then flying to Jaipur (the most beautiful and fascinating city in earth in my opinion), staying 4 nights in the Oberoi Jaipur.
Then flying back to Mumbai to catch up with some more friends from Mumbai.
Then the next day we’re meeting up with some of our UK friends (part of our curry club friendship group are heading to Goa for a holiday, via Mumbai), so we meeting for curry club Mumbai edition.
Then the next day we fly home.
I said to one of my friends in Mumbai that it was such an amazing feeling to know we’re coming back. I told her it feels like coming home. India gets into your soul. It’s magical.
It’s going to be a very whistle stop tour. But a short visit is better than no visit. Besides, we are not unaccustomed to short trips, Chris and I went to Lithuania for 1 night, and I’ve flown to Venice for lunch twice.
I’m so excited! I can’t wait. My brain is buzzing, so sleep isn’t going too well, more so than it’s usual not going too well. :)
I’m turning 50 in May, while we’re on holiday with 14 of our friends and family. And then India in November. I think I’m really going to enjoy this being in my 50s malarkey. :)
Bring it on!!
Incredible India!
We had a really lovely weekend. Chris and I pottered about Saturday morning. I put the oven on to cook some cinnamon swirls for us. I popped them in and asked Chris to set the timer for 10 minutes.
…it was at 21 minutes and 40 seconds Chris realised he’d set the stopwatch function instead. :o
Luckily I had back up croissants in the freezer, so I made them, and a beautiful breakfast table for us (I mean, let’s face it, obviously it’s mainly for me. I don’t think Chris gives a **** about napkins and doilies). ;)
We headed over to Bury St Edmunds in the evening for dinner with friends.
If you’ve ever been to Bury you’ll know there are more restaurants than there are people. Every shop is either a restaurant or beauty salon.
It’s fantastic for choice.
My friend Steve asked what we fancied, and offered Greek as one of the options.
And as Chris and I have never been to a Greek restaurant…outside of Greece, we decided to give it a whirl.
As ever I chose my outfit based on likelihoods of leakage.
That’s how I dress every day. Take today for example, I’m dressed in very baggy joggers and oversized sweatshirt. My stoma is very active today
(I have a colostomy which means my output is probably the same as someone with a ‘normal’ body.
An ilesostomy is usually a more liquid output).
On days where I feel leaks are more likely I will dress accordingly. Not that I can always accurately predict what will happen. But then nor can someone with a bottom, accidents happen.
Saturday I was slightly constipated, which meant I could wear my tight trousers with greater security, as transit was very slow.
(If I was staying at home and constipated I’d wear baggy clothes to allow for free flow. But as I was out and about I decided to use my constipated bowels to my advantage).
I play the system. I have a stoma, it doesn’t have me. :)
Top from Michael Kors, Jeans from Holland Cooper, Boots from Valentino Rockstuds.
We had a fantastic time. So good to see our friends. Steve is like family, we have been friends since birth, well, his birth anyway. I am one month older.
*My mum was babysitting his brothers the day Steve was born. We have been best friends since we were pram buddies. And I’m incredibly lucky that he’s coming out to Greece to celebrate my 50th birthday with us in May.
This year is shaping up very nicely. :)
Sunday started out fantastic too.
We had such a lazy morning, pottering about.
We then very relaxedly drove round to pick Ben up for a trip into London to have a meal with my baby cousin and her husband. Lunch was booked for 3.15…
Never trust a dyslexic with added dyscalculia to take a note of the table time!!
My brain only noted the 3.15 bit, and not the most important part of the information…which was the start time for the lunch.
We were in the car, having just left Ben’s flat, when Kerrie text to say ‘shall we order your drinks?’…
It was at this point I thought something was a bit odd, but nothing drastically out of the ordinary, I just thought she liked prepping early.
It was only after a few minutes when I ask if she was at the restaurant that she pointed out the time of the booking!
Holy **** ******* ***** **** ****!!!!!!
What a disaster. We adore them, to think I’d messed up so badly I felt sick. Panic was rising, very quickly.
We were still about an hour and a half to two hours away.
Chris had a brilliant idea to cut a bit of time off the journey, as the traffic was heavy, we ditched the car at Redbridge tube station and got the train up.
We arrived an hour and three quarters late!!
I hate lateness. It’s unacceptable…and yet here we are!
Thankfully my darling cousin is incredibly nice and waited for us to arrive. They had their own lunch. Then when we finally arrived they stuck around for us to have ours.
Ben loves spending time with them too. Simon, with his words of wisdom, is a bit of a guru to my boys.
We absolutely adore them, although I appreciate turning up 2 hours late might suggest otherwise.
Thankfully they didn’t have to rush off, so we did get a proper good catch up.
You know when you spend time with people and your cheeks ache from smiling and laughing…do more of that!
The calm before the storm. Look how relaxed she looks…it didn’t last! Hahaha
Top from Michael Kors, Jeans from Tesco, Jacket from Holland Cooper, Bag and Shoes from Tods
The food at Arros QD is amazing. It’s exceptional in fact. I’ve been going to Spain for about 30 years now and I’ve never had paella this good. It’s cooked on wood-fired stoves, the flavours are incredible. If you love paella, it’s a must…just take a note of the time properly.
The bread…oh my goodness, the bread…I think it’s hand made by angels.
The gang’s all here…just.
Can’t wait to see them again…but I’m handing over the meeting time to Chris. ;)
Wednesday this week I popped into London to pick up something very special.
Remember when I lost one of a brand new pair of earrings I’d just got for Christmas last year?
Chris struggled to get a replacement as the store discontinued them, but he eventually managed it, and we were lucky enough to buy the very last pair in stock, they must have been lurking in a storage room, because it took the store manager ages to pinpoint their exact location in the country.
So I now had 3 earrings at this point, and I didn’t really know what to do with it.
But then I remembered the amazing people at @icecooldiamonds (on Instagram) who designed and made my Bowel Cancer Recovery Ring.
I took them my spare earring a few weeks ago and they made it into a pendant for me.
So out of sadness of losing my brand new Christmas present, actually came something amazing!
I now have a unique set to wear.
Really happy with how it turned out. If you have any jewellery you don’t wear any more @icecooldiamonds can redesign it and remake into something you will.
So after I popped to the jewellers I headed off to the west end for a bit of shopping and mooching.
I went up in the morning by train, and Chris drove in after work to meet me for dinner…yes, obvs it was at Chutney Mary. :)
As I got on the train in the morning I started to feel not quite right. I quickly realised that I was having a mild anxiety issue.
I have no idea why. I go to London a lot. Admittedly mostly I go by car with Chris. But I am perfectly capable of making the journey myself. I’ve done it 3 times in the last month or so.
So why I started to panic this time I have no idea.
I did feel a little out in the wilderness I suppose. I usually go safe in the knowledge that our car is parked there and if any unfortunate and unexpected accidents occur I can sort it all out in the car, no problem.
So going up alone by train does add an element of risk, or rather the risk of leaks is the same, I just feel it more when I’m on my own.
I wore jeggings, possibly it was a flash through my mind as I boarded the train that thought maybe jeggings wasn’t my best plan. Maybe a dress would have been better, safer.
I was already on the train at this point so there was nothing I could do, well I suppose I could have just turned around and gone home. But I am determined to live and feel that I have a stoma - it doesn’t have me!
Even on the tough days.
I text Chris to say I was having a mild meltdown. He very quickly and kindly responded that I’d be okay. And that I have the confidence and courage to sort out anything that might happen.
He’s right. I am. I just needed reminding, we all do sometimes.
I carried on with my day, and actually it was really good.
I went to lunch, by myself, because I’m a strong confident woman…and I was hungry at this point.
I had lunch in Aubaine in Selfridges, and then took myself off to Fortnums for a milkshake…
Nervous, but focused, I carried on with my lovely day out, reminding myself that if a leak should happen ~ I can and will just sort it out.
I didn’t see any clothes that I wanted to buy, but I did go in H&M Home and ransacked them of all their beautiful table scape goodies. It was absolute heaven!
Thankfully by the time I’d finished in there Chris was parked up and ready to meet me for dinner.
So I took the shopping bags to the car, changed my boots for a more evening version, topped up my face paint and headed to Chutney Mary for a curry, and it did seem as though everyone else in London was in there too. We have never seen it as busy as it was on Wednesday night. It was fantastic!
The food was amazing as always, but it was so good to see it so alive and buzzing.
Top from Karl Largerfeld, Jeans from Tesco
The prettiest popadoms in the world. :)
…Until India in November Chutney Mary is the best we’ve got. :)
Xx
Keep well. Keep going. Much love x