Saturday in Brighton was a much better day!

Saturday .......... the first brush with winter. Cold but sunny. Blue skies - how I missed you. It's been like living in a tupperware container for the last week - just fuzzy greyness.

A planned trip with Neil his Mum and Margaret a friend of hers  from her singing group to Brighton. This was a birthday surprise for Neil's mum - something we try and do each year for her birthday and which she really enjoys.

We had a simple but very enjoyable lunch at a veggie cafe Iydea which has won a 2012 Award for it's food by Veggie Heaven.

My choice of potato, caramelised red onion, cheddar & chive galette with jumbo cous cous with crunchy shredded carrot & fresh dill in a lemon & mustard dressing, Greek Salad, Hummus  & Roasted Mixed Seeds - was just delicious. Twinned with a fresh juice of carrot apple and ginger made for a perfect lunch for me. The others said that they all enjoyed their choices as well.

Margaret Neil's mum & Neil at Iydea

On the sea front

Outside the Brighton Pavilion

 We even made it to the sea front and it was a bit blowy!

 


The main surprise was a concert at the Brighton Dome. It was a light hearted concert with plenty of tunes that were instantly recognisable. Here is a link to a YouTube video of the Rogers & Hammerstein's 'Oklahoma!' overture that they played to give you a flavour. Uplifting and light! Just what I needed. Neil's mum was truly delighted with her surprise.



This was my first trip to Brighton for a long time and it reminded me how much I miss my lovely friend Susie who used to live here before she emigrated to Perth (Australia).

Susie & me 10 years ago - love the hats !This photo always makes me smile!

 We had such fun times when she lived in Brighton. Such great memories.

 Hello Susie, Stew, Yassie & Xanthe!

Then in the evening we went to Hamish's 50th surprise birthday party.

Hamish & Tracy

Andy, Neil , me, Dan & Sam at Hamish's party.

A tiring but exciting day .... my grey cloud has blown away and long may it stay that way!

Friday's Strange flat feeling..

I should have been dancing with joy after receiving the news from the surgeon yesterday. But instead I have been feeling flat all day. I couldn't manage to shift the grey cloud that was following me around no matter how much I tried. I had a brief interlude of sunny intervals when Gillian rang and she cheered me up with her stories of climbing the London 02 roof on her company away day! But that cloud caught up with me again! I know that it would not last for long so decided to embrace it while it was here.

I soon realised that what was happening was that this while I was EXTREMELY relieved and happy that this latest episode with the big C was over but at the same time I wondered if there would be another episode that I would have to deal with. Of course who knows! I don't and the doctors don't. It is down to my body and mind being able to kill off those cancer cells and stop them from forming little colonies that grow and cause all the problems.

All I can do is carry on with all the stuff I have been doing as this is giving myself the best chance of it reoccurring and should that happen then I deal with it.

I spent a  quiet evening with Neil and Colin watching some TV and a delicious brinjal biryani and chickpea curry and an early night - simple things And tomorrow is another day etc

Discharged from Oxford - lung stuff all done!

I went to see the surgeon in Oxford on Thursday afternoon for the post op review. The tumour that was in my lung was made up of cells of the same type as the original demon that was first located in my bowel and removed back in November 2010. The good news is that they removed this one as well from my lung with very clear margins. The chest x-ray showed that all was OK and that the lung had healed. I am almost back to the same fitness levels as before the operation. I was told that I had done very well. So I was discharged from the lung clinic at Oxford so no more visits there are required.

I have been referred back to my bowel surgeon for further check ups etc and I have an appointment to see him on 2 November when I expect we will agree next scan dates etc.               Meanwhile life is there for me to get on with............!

Colin at the seaside.

                        Colin on video at the seaside! First film on the blog!

and some photos as well!

Sunset on Saturday evening over the Common

Neil & Colin

Big Suffolk Skies on the beach at Southwold

Colin outside Weavers Cottage where we stayed.

and a final thought for today........be postive

Stand up to Cancer Campaign

Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK have joined forces to launch Stand Up To Cancer in the UK. which is a campaign to help accelerate cancer research in the UK, by raising funds to turn breakthroughs in the lab into breakthroughs in our hospitals.

This week there have been a number of programmes across Channel 4, E4 and More4  which tonight culminates in a live fund raising show. Hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen, they will be inviting everyone to get involved, show their support and raise millions for the fight against cancer.  The idea is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured, and  they need our help.


Stand Up To Cancer began in the USA in 2008, and has since raised millions of dollars for cancer research, with the money focused on bringing more effective treatments with fewer side effects to patients quickly.

I have been volunteering at my local Cancer Research shop for the last 6 months and having never worked in a shop since I left school way back in the 1970s I have been amazed by how much I have enjoyed it. I have met some amazing volunteers there - some of whom have been touched by cancer in some way and are happy to donate their time for free every week. This week I was involved in the window display for this latest campaign.

 Please donate something no matter how small so we can try and accelerate the research and try and get some new drugs to patients to cure this terrible dis- ease.

Autumn Walk with Colin

A sunny afternoon on Wednesday and so I took Colin for a longer walk....... thought you might like to see what we saw on such a beautiful day.

                                    

Only seems like yesterday it was spring and the ferns were just emerging! 

 

Now they are fading for winter

Blue sky

Dappled light

This one is still green.

Autumn sunshine

Green and gold contrasts

The lane we walked along

The lucky tree!

Not sure if these are edible ?

Colin had a blast sniffing everywhere!

A day trip to London

I made a great step today in my recovery. I went to London on the train to meet my friend Britta for lunch at Vitao a veggie restaurant in Wardouf Street. It was not the smartest of restaurants. It’s very earthy looking with lots of wood and dark colours, which made the whole place looks like it has been sculpted out of a hollowed out tree. Not quite the Rain Forest Cafe though!  It has a veggie buffet of hot and cold dishes and you pay by the plate load -  so assuming you can fit it all on you can feel free to pile it as high as you wish.  If this wasn’t enough they have a coffee menu as extensive as what you’d find in Starbucks yet it’s all fake -  dairy free milk, fake caffeine free coffee and smoothies and juices galore as well. And a big selection of teas. I tried the Invigorating tea which did revive me ready for the journey home.

Doesn't look very West End?

Interior - very low key - bench seats and hessian sacks - very vegan!

We even had delicious fresh coconut water...........

I 

 I then called in Whole Foods at Piccadilly Circus for some supplies and because it is always a treat to wander around the food department and appreciate all the organic food. How I wish there was one closer to home. Who would need to cook when they have such a superb selection in their hot and cold take away sections - you could have a different box of goodies every day. Not to mention how much time I would save not having to chop all the veggies and salads!

Whole Foods Piccadilly Circus - where did she come from to get in the photo!

So much choice and no chopping required of me!

And I did buy my favourite treat ............ Co Yo yoghurt - which is as it says on the lid  - Coconut milk yoghurt - no dairy. Delicious, very rich and you only need a small amount which is just as well as this small tub costs £1.99. The very reason it is a treat!

Yummy!

And of course another tea to try - but not green tea - thought I could do with a new flavour!

When I got home and unpacked the Whole Food goodies someone just couldn't resist the paper carrier bags and the guilty party is here!

Where's my treat!

Green Smoothies

I have been making green smoothies for a little while after I came across Kriss Carr on the internet. She is one fascinating lady. She was diagnosed with a rare & incurable cancer in 2003 when she was 31-year-old . She was diagnosed with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), a vascular cancer in the lining of the blood vessels in her liver and lungs so rare that only 0.01 percent of the cancer population has it.Weeks later she began filming her story - watch the trailer when you click on her name above for her story.

Taking a seemingly tragic situation and turning it into a creative expression, Kris shares her inspirational story of survival with courage, strength, and lots of humour.

With experimental treatment as her only option, Kris became determined to find answers where there were none. She travelled throughout the USA interviewing experts in alternative medicine as she tenaciously dove head first into a fascinating and often hilarious holistic world. Along the way, she met other vivacious young women determined to become survivors. Their stories are as poignant and exciting as the women who tell them. As Kris's amazing journey unfolds, she realises that healing is about truly living rather than fighting.

Crazy Sexy Cancer is more than a thought provoking film, it's an attitude!  Its about the power of the mind! She looks super healthy and well and it has been 9 years since she was diagnosed.

Kriss Carr

One of her top tips for supercharged living is to create an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle.   and that means eating more green veggies.  A way to incorporate more green veggies is to juice them or make a smoothie. I find smoothie making easier and less washing up. I have been trying this green smoothie recipe by Kriss Carr.

This recipe makes enough for 2 people. You can adjust the recipe accordingly.

-1 Avocado
-1-2 pieces of low glycemic fruit:  green apple, pear, berries & cantaloupe
-1 Cucumber - peeled if not organic
-A bit of kale or romaine or spinach
-Coconut water (or purified water)
-Stevia to taste
*You can also add a sprinkle of cinnamon and some cacao.
*You can also use coconut meat or almond butter or nut milk in place of avocado


Once I got past the fact that it may look like pond slime or something that  bit alien it is actually delicious.

It sure is Green!

I encourage you to live on the wild side and try it. You never know you might like it and is such a nicer way to incorporate green veggies into your diet than eating a plateful for dinner!

Meanwhile I am off the painkillers and just some sensitivity on the right side of my chest which I can live with. I think that this is more to do with some nerve damage or pain from the ribs than anything else. Not in any real discomfort.

No more stitches

My stitches were removed this morning at my Doctor's surgery. No screams from me as they were removed as there was no pain! The nurse said that the wound was healing very well and that there was no infection which is all excellent news!

So after a siesta this afternoon to recover I went for - by my standards of late - a longish walk with Colin and Neil. It was wonderful!

So onward and upward. Neil is making dinner this evening - so all round a great day!

So this is what I did yesterday

I baked these - I was so impressed with the results that I had to take these photos - not something that I would normally do!

They were for a cake sale that Sally was holding today at work for the  charity Action for Children.which keeps children and young adults off the streets. 
 

As yesterday afternoon was sunny I took a stroll around the garden. Autumn is definitely here.  The autumn colours are beginning to show. And when it is sunny it doesn't always mean that it is  hot! 

 
 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is the month for the annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

As well as providing a platform for breast cancer charities to raise awareness of their work and of the disease, BCAM is also a prime opportunity to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

This is for all the lovely ladies that I met at Penny Brohn this year who are living with  or recovering from treatment for breast cancer. I am thinking of you and so inspired by you.

Here are some links to some charities that can give you some more information.

BreastCancerCare

Macmillan

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

At home ..........the days pass so quickly!

Found this on Pinterest and thought it very poignant. And I have collected a few!

 
It's been a week now since I came home and I can't believe how quickly time flies. I'm still making excellent progress but I have to watch that I  don't overdo things. Otherwise I have fuzzy feeling in my head and need to rest. It's a bit like being very tired which  is exactly what it is. So you learn to take it easy and not push too hard and to appreciate the special time when you are allowed to take things slowly, sit down and read a book, surf the Internet , watch a DVD, chat on the phone, sleep or go to Fego's.

Colin sharing the bed for an afternoon nap!

I am not in too much pain and I am just taking paracetamol to help, which seems to be working. I am hoping that will soon be able to ditch them.

Tomorrow I have my stitches out at my local doctor's surgery with practice nurse. I hope she's gentle!

Meanwhile I can sit/lay back and enjoy these beautiful floweres I have been sent. Thought you might enjoy then too!