Hubby is looking so much better so we book Sunday lunch for next weekend for when our younger daughter comes home, we decided to go to the Shaun the Sheep pub, this is not its real name but our little grandson loves it because it has lots of sheep figurines inside and he's always loved the Shaun the sheep stories!  I text daughter to say booked, she texts back Harry has nits!  He's only been back three days at school.   Hubby shudders at this news and jokingly says don't bother coming,  I point out that we would soon see them on his head because he still has no hair.  I'm off to see nephew tomorrow before he goes on holiday but it's not looking good as they are off to Disney world and all the states connecting which may no longer be there by next weekend.   8 sessions to go, this is flying by, however we don't get any information until many weeks after the finish as it carries on working it's magic.  Stay strong all of you. Xx

Hubby has a bath and I check him for burns, but there are none,  the vaseline is working, we assume that as he only has nine sessions to go that we may get through radiotherapy relatively unscathed.  Hope is a pure thing and has kept us going through all the traumas over the past six months.   People seem amazed at how we are coping but in reality we really haven't had amy other choice, sink or swim, it's as easy as that.  Knowing he is fineI I set off to see my nephew and his Mum to see how the house is coming along.  No sign of nephew just a Mum and Dad on their hands and knees trying to decide where the floor tiles are going., he had forgotten to tell them he was playing in a pro am golf tournament this morning, they have been left with the debris!  It looks like a bomb site and is no where near finished but young people being full of enthusiasm they have invited friends to stay the first week of October! ! Well I say, you have to look on the bright side!!  I make my excuses and leave them to it. 

Monday was a lovely day, I arranged for a friend and me to have lunch, our nails done for her holiday (another one abandoning me for sunnier climes!).  I check that hubby is OK with this,  he says fine as he is getting collected earlier and earlier by the voluntary drivers as there are so many people with cancer travelling to James Cook that they end up going all around the county!   We decide it's a day out for him and meeting new people,  they have all been going so long now that they have a communal table whilst waiting for treatment!   I'm not quite sure what we are going to do with ourselves from next Thursday when the treatments finish, I can't quite believe I have written that!  FINISHED.   My friend and I have lunch and a laugh, which is the best medicine.  Home to cook tea and hear the latest tales from the dark side.   Roll on Friday,  daughter home and staying longer than intended, bliss.

Hubby is feeling better and looking to the future, free of hospital appointments, blood tests , toxic infusions and being targeted by radiotherapy.   He has even planned to try and get his buggy out before it snows!  It's great to see a light at the end of the tunnel.   March seems a long time ago, the diagnosis,  the shock to both of us, my tears in private and his anger at being told he had smoking related cancer. Our family have been marvellous,  friends there when we needed them, kindnesses from strangers and hospital staff who care.  I have looked back at some postings I have made and our progress has been amazing.   I only hope that the end results will give us our lives back for some time to come, but I know this is not the end of cancer for us, but it's a good start. Stay strong my fellow friends. X

This radiotherapy is kicking in in the last week of treatment.   Hubby has a nasty cough, pulled stomach muscles and a sore throat.  He can now have paracetamol  but it is so long since he had any that they get stuck in his oesophagus and slowly melt causing terrible indigestion.   Our daughter comes home on Saturday and I have been bragging about how well he looks, a miracle is needed in the next twenty four hours!  I pick my friend up and we go shopping to Teesside Park,have lunch a good catch up and an invite to her hubby's 70th.  When did we all become so old?  I call in at M & S for something special for tea, spot the gorgeous red roses and buy her some, but I haven't done anything she says surprised, you have been there for me I tell her and your support has been unwavering.  Thank you God for good friends.xx

My daughter calls from the car Friday night, the traffic is atrocious and they finally arrive in Wakefield at 10.30 pm, Harry has been a star and I have been on tenterhooks all night.  Hubby is struggling with acid reflux and I am worried he will not be well enough to enjoy the company.  Up early Saturday and they arrive by 10.00 am.  Hubby is not in a good place and niggles about everything to me whilst trying to be happy.  All our plans go out the windows so we go out without him again.  We have a boisterous six year old boy to entertain! !  Indoor play park,   miniature golf where my daughter and I fall about laughing at Daddy trying SO HARD to win and making a complete mess of it,  men are so competitive.   Off to trampoline and rope swing indoor play, where we adjourn to the bar and have a catchup on Dad's health. Back home for tea, arguments over vegetables,  Grandma siding with Harry as he is only little,  black looks from daughter! well isn't that what Grandma is for, rule breaking.  Harry is left with me as Mummy and daddy are booked into  Redworth for their anniversary.   Bedtime story, an Aliens eaten my teacher.   Hugs and kisses and then feet up and new Scandinavian noir series.  All is well, apart from the Cancer hanging over us like a black cloud.  See you tomorrow. Xx

It's 7.30 am and a little knock on my bedroom door, Grandma is it past zero zero seven o'clock?  Daddy says not to disturb  you til then, he scrambles into bed with me and plonks his pyjama covered legs over mine and his blonde head under my nose, I do so hope Mummy managed to get rid of the nits from last week!!  He plays a game called Swampy on his I pad whilst I doze, but he's  a little chatter box and has to explain all the levels of play to me.  I give up and make a cup of tea for Grandad, he seems a little better today.   Sister in law arrives, the anniversary couple arrive, not happy with hotel, the crowd in last night seemed a little, dare we Say it, common!!  Turns out it's  sister in law's Company thst were there that night with a free bar, slight embarrassing pause from son in law!, Off to Sunday lunch, lots of vodka for me, hubby insists as he feels I deserve a drink, not going to disagree, even have Panacotta with raspberries and vodka, don't want to mix my drinks!,  Harry and Daddy set off for Surrey, we drive home, cup of tea,newspapers and more wine for daughter and me,  love these girls of mine, they are such fun.  Family arrive safely, we have an early night and hubby seems a little better.  Three more sessions to go. 

Well there are just the three of us now,  daughter keeps giving Daddy lots of hugs and listens avidly to his tales of people he is meeting whilst having the treatment.   There is one person he has taken an instant dislike to, he keeps telling all and sundry about his private parts and in front of women, hubby is old school, ladies are to be respected! I have been hearing these stories for weeks so I escape and read the paper.  We leave him for his treatment and we go shopping, our favourite Mother daughter  hobby.   Lunch in M & S, Mum's treat, off to find boots for her, find them straight away,  wow we both say, that was easy, yep too easy they only have two right feet!  We hang around whilst they seek the two left boots to no avail, give up,  will order on line she says.  We call in the food hall and buy Indian food for two, hubby having soup as still suffering indigestion badly.  Feet up, food wine and the Corrie wedding, we will miss her dearly when she goes tomorrow. 

Today is a BIG DAY!!  No more treatment or appointments until the end of October,  what will we do without the daily intrusion of chemo and radiotherapy.   I have arranged to have lunch with a friend and a cinema visit to watch Victoria and Abdul.  The movie was lovely, nothing complicated which is great as my mind can't seem to cope with convuluted stories at the moment.  Home in time for hubby to return and put the flags out that for this year at least we have a few months to ourselves.   We must stay upbeat and assume the best, so we will try not to think too much until our next appointment.   So friends I am signing off as there will be little to report until we know which road we will be going down in the future.  I have enjoyed writing these posts, they have helped me cope and clear my head.   It has been good to look back and see how far we have come since March and I hope and pray that you are all staying strong the best that you can.  Love to you all, Carol