Update - First Chemo done!

 Hello dear family and friends, we were delighted to be home for 8 days last week and the sunshine just added to the beautiful time we had.  We chilled, did some gardening, cleaned the decking and glass surround and we swam in the sea.   Gail got to meet my amazing chill swim group, with a turn out of about 18 of us, in the Sea at Bigbury, with supporters on the shore and afterwards, bacon butties, tea and cake from the Magical campa van we love and know called Scarlett.     As well as that wonderful day, I got to swim with friends at Devil's point 3 more times that week, it was cold but so exhilarating and I thank all the crazies who enter the cold water and give me the courage to do it too.

We had a fabulous lunch, never to be turned down when Mark and Baz invite us and lovely dinner dates with our neighbours who are looking after our home whilst we are away.  We are grateful for all the support and offers of help from everyone we know.  How lucky are we?  The answer is 'VERY'.

So we drove back via our friends Ang and Emma's who again took over the care of our doggies, Archie and Izzy whilst we continued the onward journey to Marple Bridge via my Mom's in Oldbury.  That gave us the space to have a lovely time with my Mom and then move back into our lovely holiday cottage, unpacking even more stuff than we had before.  No matter how we try to down size, the car gets fuller every time.  God only knows how we will get it all back when we come to go home.

The main news is that Gail had her first Chemo today and she was amazing!  Its big guns chemo as we knew it had to be and after a number of infusions in the hospital that took 6 hours, she has come home with a slow release pump with more chemo for the next 48 hours.   We know the effects of this treatment will accumulate, but for now, she has not felt any of the common symptoms and she is watching Man City with her brother as I type.  

We know there is a long road ahead and we hold hope that the treatment will control the cancer and give us time.  There is no cure or so they say, as indeed I was told over 3 years ago about my diagnosis.  But then no one knows how long we have for sure and so living every possible well moment, having those loving connections and having some faith about what and how we really are apart from earth beings, is what will sustain us for as long as we are meant to be here.

Thank you everyone for your unfailing love and support, your care and respect and your unconditional offers to do anything we might need.    Please know that any time that we are needed to return the grace that you have each have given us, it will be there for you.

That's it for now.  With love and unfailing gratitude - Olga and Gail xxxx