Operation eve......

It's operation eve as I'm writing and I'm ready. Partly because it has been such a lovely week and barring the obvious I feel pretty much the fittest and healthiest I have ever felt. I've made it a bit of a challenge this week to do some form of exercise every day as I'm not sure when I will be able to exercise again. I managed to complete my mission despite the unseasonably warm weather. Monday was a 5k run, Tuesday a 10 mile walk, Wednesday 5k run, Thursday a personal trainer session and Friday a 6k run. The weekend doesn't count!

It's also been a week for catching up with friends and family. As ever a huge thank you to you all - without you all, your thoughts, wishes, cards, texts, presents, chocolates etc etc I would not be feeling as positive. I'm humbled by all of the support I have received and wonder when you will all get bored! Because I am now utterly bored of all of this!

As I have now run out of things to tidy and E-bay at home I have moved on to room decoration. Not me personally you understand, but getting people in to do it. Stephen is now seriously worried as this involves money leaving our account rather than funding it! So earlier this week we had new fitted wardrobes in our spare room, followed by a new carpet on Saturday. Very pleased with the results so far. Furniture will arrive next week. Probably time to start thinking about paid employment at some point soon, especially as this is now definitely possible after the recent wave of positive news. Just the small matter of surgery and then radiotherapy, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

We had a phone call from Briony's school on Friday to say that she had been upset about my operation. We sometimes forget that she is only 7 years old and no one should have to deal with this at her age. However, she continues to be an absolute trooper. She's written me a letter to take with me tomorrow which I will always treasure. The line that really got me was "You are the best Mummy ever even if you do have cancer. Please try not to think about it, it is nearly all over". Followed by "Also you can smell my writing" as it was written in her favourite fruit flavoured pens! It turns out, following a conversation with the teacher that she is concerned that I won't be able to drive her to school as she enjoys the time with me in the car in the mornings. Suffice it to say we have offered her reassurance, but I do worry about how she is coping with this overall and what longer term effect it may have on her.

Friday was a funny day. I was due to go to Bicester with my good friend Claire for a bit of retail therapy. I was a bit late leaving and then the aforementioned phone call from Briony's school came in just as I was getting in the car to leave. It left me a little distracted, plus even later! I tried to call Claire to say I was going to be a little late but the car was saying that there was no phone connected. Swearing, I pulled over to search my bag, but no phone. I realised with horror that I had left it on the roof of my car. However, there was no sign of it. When I got back from my retail therapy, I biked about 3 miles from home looking out for it either whole or in fragments in the road. No sign. It clearly wasn't my day as on the way back the chain also came off my bike. When I got home, find my iPhone revealed it was around 7 miles away. I duly called the phone a couple of times, and on the second time someone answered. It turned out that the phone had managed to stay on the roof of my car for 7 miles and then fallen off! Bar a new screen it is remarkable undamaged. I may email the company who provided the non-slip casing and let them know of the super non-slip credentials!

In other developments the return of hair is gathering pace. Typically just as the weather has turned warm I am now having to remove hair from my legs for the first time since November. The hair on my head is also growing back quite quickly now. So far it would appear that it is still pretty much the same colour so all bets are off!

A lot of people have asked me how I feel about tomorrow. For some reason I am remarkably calm about it and am even looking forward to it. That might sound odd, but you have to remember that at the beginning of this journey I wasn't suitable for surgery so we have come a very long way. It signals another huge milestone. I have wondered about taking some photos in a kind of "before" and "after" fashion, but wonder if this is just weird! I am curious how much they are actually going to remove from me and how much it weighs so I am going to weigh myself this evening and will do the same tomorrow evening. That's where the weirdness probably ends!

I'm seeing the oncologist Tuesday week for the onward plan, so won't know when radiotherapy will start until then. I'm presuming he will also have the results of the various biopsies at that point.

The pre-op assessment didn't really offer any additional insight into what will be happening so I have given up trying to work it out. I figure that as long as the surgeon knows what he is doing then I will just lie back and let him get on with it. So I've no idea what time I will be out, how long the op is or any other such questions. For those who know me well (control freak that I am) you will understand this is a big departure from normal for me. Everyone keeps wishing me good luck, which is great, but I think it is probably the surgeon who needs it rather than me! Still very disappointed about it being a day case and no hope of an overnight stay. I'd bought new pyjamas and everything!

Stephen will post a quick update tomorrow evening. But please, if you don't hear anything, please assume that everything is ok.

Laters everyone x