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How did we ever survive without computers? John's went down a few weeks ago and after sending it off to be repaired, it packed up again, so off it went once more and now we have had it returned for a second time, they still have not fixed it. The service we get today is really dreadful, people don't seem to care. Luckily my son Jonathan gave me a laptop so I can once more continue my blog in the hope that people haven't forgotten me!

When I last wrote, I said that I was waiting for my oncologist to compare my scans and write to me with his findings, 6 weeks on despite phone calls I am still waiting. They cannot possibly understand the anguish and worry we cancer patients go through when we are kept waiting for results. Luckily for me, I feel well, but if I didn't the worry would certainly make me feel a whole lot worse. I just have to believe that no news is good news - I hope!!

John & I at the Ball

I always believe that keeping busy takes your mind off concerns and worries and I
went to the Mayor's Ball in Solihull. It was a great night and all the proceeds went to help the wonderful Macmillans. I saw this handsome young man on the next table who seemed to recognise me and then I remembered - it was Alex, who a few years earlier had gone round the world with my son Jonathan. What a small world and how lovely to meet him again, unrecognisable from when I last saw him, with beard and backpack at Heathrow Airport where we excitedly welcomed them home.

My brother came over to England from Australia for a few days and came to dinner with his son Matthew. He was six when I last met him and is now 25 - again how time flies.

The next evening I went to the Solihull Arts Theatre to see the musical 42nd Street. I had seen it many years ago in London and was expecting a very amateurish version of it. How wrong I was, it was top class and the tap dancing and the energy they put in was amazing, especially as they have jobs to go to in the day. I will certainly look out for the Coleshill Operatic Society when they come again. It feels so good to support our local theatre where I have enjoyed some really great entertainment over the years.

My week finished with my grandson Nicholas's 4th birthday at Tudor Grange Leisure Centre where the children had great fun on the bouncy castles and equipment, followed by a tea party which had a jungle theme. Apparently children don't have parties at home anymore, they have them at Wacky Warehouses or McDonalds etc.

I am showing my age now but I so loved arranging parties at home for my boys, with lots of games and prizes and home cooked food.I can still see the children to this day excitedly running over the house hunting for hidden items to win prizes. I don't know who enjoyed them most the children or me, but I do wonder if the kids of today get the same fun out of these themed parties and for some mothers it must be very hard to have to keep up with the Jones's when times are hard.

My brother goes home next week and I sadly won't be here to say goodbye as I am off to the New Forest to spend quality time with my friend Debbie.

Debbie and I always have the most wonderful time together and I love staying with her and Gordon in this beautiful part of England. Walking the dogs first thing in the morning is a novelty for me, but by the end of my stay I felt very much fitter and slept like a log.
We went to Branscome Chine where the beaches are as beautiful as any you see abroad and the sun shone every day. We caught the ferry from Sandbanks to Studland Bay and explored Corfe Castle, seeped in history but very much a ruins thanks to Cromwell.

Debs and her beloved dogs Mia and Molly

On my last day we went to Chawton to see Jane Austen's house where she wrote so many of her novels. It was a perfect English village with a Church and Manor house which was owned by Jane Austen's brother, who was lucky enough to be adopted by the previous wealthy owner and inherited everything.

All too soon, it is time to go home and we are both sad to say goodbye, but we always have so many wonderful memories to take with us and as I drive the 2 1/2 hours back to Solihull I I am always happy to be going back to John and my Chloe, who although she is 13 runs down the stairs the minute she hears the car, charges through her cat flap and is sitting there to welcome me on the drive before John has even heard the car.

Be it a dog or a cat,they all enrich our lives and give so much pleasure and the welcome they give us shows how much they have missed us, although I think John missed me a little bit too!

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Monday morning was sunny and bright and as I hopped on the train to Birmingham where I was going to be presented with a cheque from Marks & Spencer, I knew this was going to be a good day.

Thanks to the generosity of the staff and management, £2,000 has been raised for Ovacome, the ovarian cancer charity which does so much to help people like me. They are always there on the end of a 'phone if you need advice or have any worries and they send out a quarterly newsletter free. One of the aims of Ovacome is to try to get ovarian cancer a higher profile so that diagnosis can be made earlier and so that less women tragically lose their lives unecessarily. They are also on steering committes to ensure that women's views are taken into account and heard.

Breast Cancer has an amazing profile and so much research and progress is being made with great results and that is wonderful. Sadly Ovarian Cancer is definitely the poor relative so for M & S to give their support to Ovacome is marvellous.

One of their staff Mary Hughes, who is a lingerie advisor, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2006. Like so many of us her early diagnosis in April was IBS(irritable bowel syndrome), as the symptoms are very similar, but sadly 6 months on Mary was told she had ovarian cancer and that it had spread..

Thus started her journey with major surgery,numerous hospital visits, chemotherapy and scans. In 2008 she was told that the cancer has returned as so often happens with this type of disease and once again she is having to go through chemotherapy.

Having met Mary I can understand why all her colleagues at M & S have supported her and raised this money on her behalf. She is a complete inspiration to them all, she is positive and retains a great sense of humour despite her illness.So with all this and the great support from her friends at M & S and her family she has all the ingredients to beat
this cancer yet again and I wish her luck. The good news is that Mary and I are going to keep in touch.

Once again I digress. I gave a speech and the cheque was presented and it was so large (just like the ones on Children in Need) my immediate thought was "how am I going to get this on the train" and then "how am I going to send this in the post to Ovacome". Silly me, of course they send a real cheque to Ovacome this was just for publicity!

The Birmingham Mail photographer, Geoffrey was there and the article was going in the Mail one day this week although I haven't seen it yet, After a lovely buffet and enjoyble company I left to catch my train home - without that enormous cheque, happy that M & S will probably do something to help us in March 2009 which is ovarian cancer month - not a lot of people know this, Thank you so much M & S Birmingham for your generosity to Ovacome and to people like Mary and me.

Tuesday was the last day of the "Macmillan Living with Cancer Course".Where have those 6 weeks gone? I lit a candle at the beginning of the session and at the end we all held hands in friendship and blew it out. There were some tears at leaving as new friends had been made and we had all become very fond of each other and helped each other. The participants had gained so much in the way of knowledge, self help and had now been able to take back control of their lives .Consequently, for Mike, my co tutor and I it was a very rewarding moment and we suggested that the group continued to meet up and support each other and this is what they are going to do.

I had 2 great days but now I was worried. I was not looking forward to Friday when I was going to see the oncolgist for the result of my scan. Hence Wednesday and Thursday I spent the time enjoying the company of my husband and friends and a little "retail therapy" to try and forget this world of cancer for a short time.