Who needs to walk 26 miles for charity??!!

Wow, well I have to give it to my parents. My mum (and dad!) arranged for a bring and buy sale at their church in aid of Myeloma UK and my 3 Peaks Challenge. We'd hoped it would raise about £300 but they raised a whopping £900+!!!! How great is that? It will take my total to over £5000 so I am so so so so chuffed.

I can't believe my mum had said at the start that she would have liked to walk but just couldn't quite do it (not really surprising for a 77 year old!). Her and my dad have just been doing all they can within their churches and their friends and this just goes to show what you can achieve when you put your mind to it....a marathon walk obviously just isn't necessary (now if only I'd know that before I said I was going to do it!!!)

So mum and dad....if you read this, I am very very proud of what you have achieved today....thank you guys!!! Here's hoping it will all go towards valuable research and will help people in the future to live with, and hopefully survive longer with Myeloma. And who knows, perhaps it will help me at some stage too! We can only hope!!!

A year on!

Just a note to myself as much as anything, that it was a year practically to the day that I gave that first 'adhoc' blood test. All for a sore throat which has never recurred since. It seems very wierd to think that I could have still been going on with the daily routine, not knowing that I have a potentially terminal cancer.

Hmmm, and which would have been better? Knowing you're going to kick the bucket earlier than you'd expected but getting the opportunity to be checked, looked after and hopefully treated early enough to give better chances? And to do all those things in life you keep putting off 'till the kids are older/leave home/get married'

Or living in blissful ignorance of the truth and only finding out when it's late in the day and potentially the symptoms are pretty awful.

I have to say, I don't think I can answer that question. And woe betide anyone who tries to tell me what the answer is!!!! I am grateful to have those opportunities to live my life with Nick and the kids in a more fulfilling way...and to make sure that friends and family know how important they are to me. And my scenario has definitely meant that I know how much they all love me....and that's not a bad thing to know! In fact, it's a pretty fantastic thing to know!! (And while I'm in the mood I just want to say to you all (and you know who you are) that you have been absolute rocks to me in the last 10 months and words can't thank you enough. I plan to stick around long enough to repay your friendship and support many times over!)

But I do wish that I didn't have this noose hanging round my neck just waiting for some sod to kick the chair away!!! Oh well, live life for the moment, think the best and all that stuff hey. I'm so positive at the moment that I feel like I'll live forever...and none of us are going to do that!!!

Right, better log on and do some work now.

Walking in Wales

Well, my training is now well and truly on track!! Nick whizzed me off to Wales (my bday present from January) without the kids. It was so nice to get away and regroup for a few days. Nick and I get on so well when we're away from the house and all the everyday stresses....but then again, I'm sure most people do. So, we did nearly 7 miles on the Friday which was just fantastic. Then over to Conwy castle in the afternoon. Then the next day it was canyoning where I managed to get over my fear of low heights (I'm fine jumping out of a plane but jumping 6ft into a plunge pool scared the living daylights out of me!), and then a small walk in the afternoon. Sadly, we had to go and pick up the kids on Sunday, but I managed to bully Nick into a 3.5 mile walk first.

So that was all really good apart from it made me realise just how tough this Yorkshire 3 Peaks challenge is going to be. I'd thought it was the poor relation of the 3 peaks that covers Scotland/Yorkshire and Wales, but it seems that it isn't as there is more walking involved, just over a shorter timescale!!! So, home we came, and this morning I went for a 7 mile walk while the kids were at school. I have another booked in for Friday so hopefully I can keep it all up and get myself a bit closer to the 26 miles in july!!!!

Healthwise, I think I'm doing ok. Having a small blip at the moment and think I need to go to the doctor about a small problem which I'm hoping is just general and not kidney related. I'm sure it isn't to do with that, but hey, life wouldn't be the same without something each month to worry about!!!!

I give blood this week (probably Wednesday) in time for next Friday's consultant appointment. I have a good feeling this time so hopefully I'm right!!!

Sunny Sunday Afternoons

I realised today that I hadn't written for ages. A bit like last time, I have to say that is good news for me as it means that SMM hasn't been dominating my life. It's taken 9 months, but I think that we're starting to learn how to deal with things a bit better. It's also helped no end having 7 weeks between appointments. I think previously, as soon as we've got over one set of results, I've had to start thinking about the next lot. This time, I'll have had 6 clear weeks between my appointment and my bloods, and then a further week before the appointment. It will be interesting to see if I get stressed in the week running up to the bloods/appt or whether I'm in an all round better place now.

Training has been very slow for my Yorkshire 3 Peaks and I feel really bad about that given how generous people have been with the sponsorship. But just as I was getting back into it, Easter came upon us and I had the kids all day. But this week it's all going to get going again. School starts Tuesday, and so does the training!!! I'm nearly at £4000 now....absolutely amazing. I've upped my target to £5,000 as I think that is pretty doable now. There's lots of money that I think will still come in so I felt like I should raise the bar!!!

I have to say, I continue to be amazed and humbled by people's generosity. Lots of people are doing coffee mornings etc which are great and they all lead to lots more for Myeoma UK. But I've had 2 things happen that I think are particularly fab. One of my best friends sisters, and a friend in her own right, has asked all her friends to give me sponsorship rather than presents for her 40th. I don't even know that I would be that selfless and both Nick and I were really touched. So generous. And one of my brother in laws is trying to arrange a networking event for all the businesses that he does business with in the hope of raising £2,000. That would be just amazing if he can pull it off!

So what else in the last couple of weeks, not much other than the usual Easter activities with the kids, Odds Farm, West Midland Safari Park, soft play areas, catching up with family and friends etc. We nearly lost Nick for a while too due to the Icelandic Volcano. He was in Romania when it went off, but luckily managed to get to Paris on the day and then finally got home 2 days later. Seemed like forever, but when you hear about all the people still stranded he's done well to get home. In the end him and his colleagues had a car drive over to pick them up and bring them back on the ferry (no foot spaces available!) but there was a slim chance of having to go via a Helicopter! Think he was a bit gutted that didn't come to anything!

So courtesy of my kind friend that I met via this blog, I am putting a new song onto here today. He has introduced me to Laura Marling who I have to say, I think is fantastic! Thanks C! (Sorry Anne, maybe another time for one of yours!!)