I was doing the nursery pick-up a while ago when Kate, one of the two women who run the nursery (along with four others), asked to have a word with me. She proposed a charity walk to raise funds for my sister, Rachel. For the renovations and equipment that will be required before she can... Continue Reading →

A couple of weeks ago, my Mum mentioned that Rachel had an appointment for a mammogram coming up. Mum and I have tested positive for BRCA2, and Rachel hasn’t been tested, so they’re starting her screening early. It was on a Wednesday, which is my visiting day. Could I go? I said yes, of course.... Continue Reading →

Some days, I can almost forget that I’ve had cancer. I’m busy. I have a novel coming out and I’m editing the next one. I am a mother to two children who are still young enough to be endlessly demanding. Last night, as he was supposed to be going to sleep, Joseph sat up in... Continue Reading →

Since the lovely Ipso Books decided they want to publish my three novels, we’ve been busy working away at getting the first one ready. There were edits, and then copy edits, and then a proof read. None of it was too arduous, as this is the one we all felt was the closest to being... Continue Reading →

Yesterday was Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day and the second anniversary of my breast cancer diagnosis. I think it will always make me reflective, this date. I think that every year, when I reach it, I’ll do a quiet ‘yes, I made it’, just as I whisper ‘white rabbits’ to myself on the first... Continue Reading →

I woke up last Thursday to several messages from Paul, who was in London for work. He was having a Crohn’s flare-up, and it was getting worse. He was going to A&E. I asked him to keep me posted and got the kids up, took them to nursery. A little later, my brother-in-law Scott sent... Continue Reading →

On Tuesday, I went to hospital for the third of my six-monthly bone-strengthening infusions. The first time I had it, I was in bed for a couple of days with flu-like symptoms, but the second and third have been pretty straightforward, with no obvious side effects. Still, when I woke up on Wednesday I was... Continue Reading →

We’ve had a tough week here. My parents have both had the flu and haven’t been able to help out as much as usual for the past couple of weeks. My brother-in-law, Scott, has been struck down too. Paul and I helped where we could. Louie was off school last week for half-term, so he... Continue Reading →

I have a friend called Michael who’s pretty special. A lot of my friends are special, of course, but this one is quite unlike anyone else I’ve ever known. When the London 2012 Olympics ended, he set himself the challenge of racing in every city that’s hosted the Summer Olympics before Rio 2016. And then... Continue Reading →

This week, Rachel had an appointment for a CT scan at a hospital in Nottingham, and I went with her. When I arrived at the home, she was fast asleep, so I read a couple of letters and cards from the big box full of love, and cried a bit, like I always do when... Continue Reading →