Season's Greetings!

I have arisen from the food coma of the last two and a half days and although my muscles are still a little atrophied from the lack of movement, I think I'm OK...  


I am of course joking. I'm all good. I think?!  I know last Christmas I was in no fit state to eat, drink and be merry but let's just say I think I have made up for it this year! Oh my life, I feel M-A-S-S-I-V-E.  I know it's fashionable to go on a detox in the new year but I really feel I could do with one.  A Christmas bleach of my insides. This sounds a bit like the chemo treatment I had last year but obviously a bit nicer. I do have a couple of new books on this very subject but I am still not entirely convinced I believe some of the stuff in them so watch this space.


Earlier today saw me do a 2-mile Boxing Day walk with Mat and Amy. It was nowhere of note other than the village we live in but it was great as it was a lovely walk and gave us a chance to discover more nooks and crannies.  We really are lucky to live in such a pretty area.  


It also cleared the cobwebs from the Christmas Day food-athon of yesterday! We went for a SE Asian fusion feast with a rather large chicken roasted in a Thai marinade, traditional Christmas veg incorporated into a nasi goreng and beef cooked weeping tiger style. The Christmas cake(s) and copious amounts of cheese were more 'traditional' and the all day feast that ensued epic.  Coupled with the copious amounts of telly watching, all I can say is thank goodness for elasticated waistbands! 


Given the crazy of the last fortnight, it's nice to be able to kick back and essentially relax and do nothing.  I always find the build up to Christmas so much busier and stressful than the event itself and not only did I take part in the usual round of Christmas socializing to the point of thinking red wine should be banned (no way), there was also the matter of; 


- taking part again in You Me Bum Bum Train and loving it as much as last year's experience.  So much so that we are going again for the summer 2012 run. It is one of life's frustrations that people who take part in this cannot really talk about it openly as it will 'ruin' it for those that haven't been. The 'not knowing' is definitely one of the attractions of this 'experience!'  Ask me when you see me what it is all about...


- eating Korean food for the first time.


- receiving a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Lucy and Scott for my 'one year stem cell anniversary'. I was rendered speechless by the gesture and truly touched by their kindness especially given the recent distractions they have had. Thank you once again both, I am truly grateful.


- taking part in a surprise birthday party for Matt P and seeing him genuinely surprised by it thanks to Melody's superb organisation.


- receiving my final dose of 'bone strengthener' for 2011 and spending time with the fantastic healthcare team at UCH.


- seeing an amazing play called 'Crush' at the Finborough Theatre where not only was I hugely affected by the dialogue and acting on show but impressed by what a great venue it is for new theatrical pieces.


Anyway, 'Gladiator' is currently on TV and I'm getting distracted by it. Film watching over the last couple of days has been off the scale with 'Super 8', 'Troll Hunter' and 'Contagion' in the mix. Sadly not one of them has gripped me enough to not actually fall asleep (!!) although 'Troll Hunter' was quite good for being a little different. 'Contagion' just made me feel itchy!


The "Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife" speech is coming up and Maximus Decimus Meridius needs my full attention so I'm off. I love this film!

Christmas tree window view

Presents!

Christmas candles

My Christmas elf

Good King Wenceslas - by whistle! 'Notes' above. What a racket!

Swiss roll bowl cake - on fire!

Leftovers

The sparkliest & glitterest Christmas cake for miles made by Amy

Cheese dreams on a platter

Beautiful flowers from Lucy & Scott - thank you both!

photos from shewithacapitalV

Feeling festive!

Our Christmas tree this year
The pine smells wonderful!

Still not feeling a 100%.  My throat is still really sore and I can't seem to shake off this cough.  Mat is the same but his stronger constitution seems to be fighting off the bugs a lot faster as he is already talking about climbing again some time over the next few days!

We had a TSC Christmas meal at The Swan at the Globe on Friday night where a good time was had by all.  It was a great venue with a fantastic atmosphere and terrific food.  And Shakespeare read out over the tannoys in the toilets!  A little disconcerting but somewhat reassuring as you do your business as it did feel like Simon Callow was in the corner reciting Hamlet :o)

Anyway, I have been feeling festive and as you can see from the pictures below, the festive countdown chez Capital V has started. I still can't believe that this time last year I was in hospital and now I have decorated our tree.  I feel very lucky that I am able to do so.  However, as you can see the randomness remains. When Christmas decorating, it is not always about the baubles...!

Another view of our tree

Decor in close up

Yes, that's a caterpillar. And a ladybird. And a pink elephant.
It's not always about the bauble!

I have also been making my own Christmas cards - smug or what?! Crafting after all is the new rock and roll :o)

I'm off to get some shut eye. It's going to be a busy week!

All photos by shewithacapitalV

Happy birthday to me, myself and I

The stem cell - pluripotent. Special.

According to Wikipedia, December 8 is the 342nd day of the year, the day that John Lennon was shot dead and Archduke Maximilian Franz of Austria was born. It's also my 'other' birthday or rather Day Zero.


I can't quite believe that this time last year I was having a full on chemical romance to fully get rid of this cancer and so get better. One year on, I'm still in complete remission and still standing. Go me! 


To add to the whole medical drama that is my life, I have been unwell most of this week. Nothing more dramatic than a nasty cold/flu virus I have picked up but ill all the same. I'm feeling better now although I did feel like I was going to die a couple of days ago! This time last year when I could have actually died, I felt OK. Strange how that happens.


Anyway, last year I do remember telling myself that I would mark this day in some way each year even if it is just by eating cake. Or having a glass of wine. I have to toast each one of the 3.6 million stem cells pumped back into me somehow! Each and every one of them. Even the ones in the freezer. I hasten to add that these aren't next to our frozen peas or garlic bread but the ones held in storage at the hospital for when I need them. As of today, there isn't actually a cure for myeloma yet, just lots of treatment options.  No one can actually tell me how many years I have till my expiry date. Two years? Four years? Ten years? Twenty? Erm, we're not quite sure. I'm hoping it may never come back but no one can tell me that.


It's not ideal, in fact it is rather crap but what can you do? I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. It's just a question of getting on with my life. As written about on here over the past year and where I hope to keep mentioning the shenanigans that I get up to for many years to come.


Last weekend it was all about De La Soul at Indigo at the O2 where I nearly put my joints out dancing to old school hip hop and where Mat left his Surrey roots behind and got all 'street.'  All we needed were the tracksuits and bling and we would have been there I tell you.  There. It was possibly one of the best gigs I have been to in a while and brought back memories of my youth, when life was less complicated and not as scary. 


Anyway, apparently if a stem cell had a face it would look like the one above. Thank you Mat :-) I couldn't think of a better looking one for it. I'm off to get my groove on.  Happy birthday to me, myself and I.