Tag Archives: friends

a good day

25 Tuesday May 2010

Posted by in cancer, chemo, food & drink, friends, hope, hospitals, neighbours, sevilla, work

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After all was said and done my “scary” hospital day yesterday turned out quite well. I’d got up early for yoga class and tried to keep busy doing biz stuff at home later, but I was getting more and more nervous as the day went on. And it was silly because I KNEW that this oncology appointment was just going to be about setting up my next PET scan, but unlike going to get my port flushed out (which I can now do on my own!), actually having to talk to the oncologist makes the whole cancer thing feel more real and threatening somehow. But it went well. Had a nice chat with doctor Ana and, after a bit of consternation on her part, she agreed to let me have the scan early in June, which was what I’d been hoping for. I have so many things on the go that I want to know as soon as possible if I’m going to be okay for the next few months. Also, if this next scan is clean, it’ll be the first summer in three years that I haven’t been on chemo…

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my new spanish teacher!

25 Thursday Feb 2010

Posted by in friends

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This is María Paz.

You may remember that she dropped everything to come with me to the hospital on Monday after receiving a frantic last minute phone call from me when I found out Flor couldn’t make it. And so she was with me when I had the awful appointment with the oncologist and she was very supportive – at least I knew that I wasn’t just being oversensitive and that the insults were not imagined. Another positive thing that came out of that hospital visit was that I vowed I was not going to let Dr Ana get the better of me again in May simply because my Spanish is rusty and, especially when nervous, it takes me some time to put my thoughts and palabras together.

And so yesterday I called up María Paz and asked if she’d be interested in having English classes with me. She said she’d love to but it would depend on how much they’d cost. When I told her the cost would be an hour of her time once a week having Spanish conversation with me she was delighted. And so am I. The past couple of years I’ve barely spoken any Spanish, and I’ve always been better at understanding than speaking anyhow (those damn verbs!), which I realised on Monday was a situation I want and need to rectify.

We start today…

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care package

28 Thursday Jan 2010

Posted by in birthdays, friends, health & happiness

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This is apparently “make az feel totally special” week. My buddy Taliesin has been re-building my online store, (he also came up with the BEST new header this week!), and yesterday I got an amazing birthday care package from Sledpress, which you can see above.

First of all, more BioFreeze!  Sled had sent me a couple of tubes a while ago when I had a serious “back outtage”, and now I have even more. I just love this stuff, which is not available in Spain. It’s freezing hot and does wonders for clenched tense muscles.

Also, a chokecherry & blackcurrant antioxidant supplement that I’m very interested in trying out (I seriously cannot deal with goji berries) … I’ve been given a 60 day supply so I shall report back mid-March. It looks like very serious stuff.

And what looks like tiny purple Japanese sandals are actually “massage thimbles” – how cool is that??? I think these are actually for Peter, who very kindly gives me a short foot massage most nights before I go to bed in order to help with the awful neuropathy I still have from the last bout of chemo. And can I tell you? OMG!!! P tried them out on my poor  suffering feet last night and it was … well, it was kind of like aaaaaaaaarrrgh!, but I also didn’t want him to stop. Heaven.

The pièce de résistance is that little spiky blue ball, which I believe is going to become either my best friend or worst enemy, and possibly both (this is best explained over here). All I need now is a rug!

Sled … muchísimas gracias, amiga.

azahar rising

27 Wednesday Jan 2010

Posted by in art, cancer, friends, health & happiness, hope, love

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Just yesterday I was telling you how I am constantly overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends, and then this came in the mail … a paper collage made by healingmagichands. Not only is it beautiful, but I could feel the love and caring that was put into creating it and it made me feel very special indeed.

This piece has been in my mind for several weeks, but it took a long time to gel. I don’t know that I necessarily need to explain this work, but my “artist’s note” would say something about the power of will and strength overcoming shadows & ill health. The vine along the left side is sort of the continuity of life as the struggle goes on, growth does not necessarily stop and in fact, the struggle may even nurture grown. At any rate, the vine gains in strength as it rises.

I call this “azahar rising”.

Thanks so much, Ellie.

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lovely lazy christmas

28 Monday Dec 2009

Posted by in christmas, friends, games, home

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It was a perfect Christmas weekend. Quite rainy, but that made it feel even cosier to stay in and just, well, be cosy. Nog and I set up the “gaming table” on Christmas Eve … with chess, backgammon and scrabble. And we played all three whenever the mood struck. And of course I watched my two favourite Christmas films, along with some other stuff on TV & DVD, and did some reading. Lots of amazing food was consumed, along with plenty of cava and wine. And we also got out for a few walks in between rain storms. All in all, a very happy Christmas indeed. Oh, and there were prezzies too.

You can see them below the links …

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