So, what has been going on then?

Well, after crashing five times whilst trying to buy some bits and bobs from Amazon (presents for others not for me this time) I've given up on my laptop!! It's lucky it's not been jumped on and thrown out of the window!! Stupid thing! I am beginning to think that if I am not going to go bonkers over the next few months with it I am going to have to invest in a new laptop. So folks, I would appreciate some recommendations please? I mainly use the laptop for the internet as well as iTunes and a bit of photo editing (photo storage is now all on a separate hard drive). I don't do gaming but will need some MS word and excel to do a few things every now and then. Think that's about it. I've had my current laptop about 6 yrs so specs are pretty old. Thanks in advance peeps!!

Ok, while we're on a roll with requests for help, I also want to get a scented candle / candles for some relaxation / meditation mood setting. I don't want anything too overpowering as my flat is only small. I tend to like citrusy scents, but anything to set me on the right road would be good, so any tips?

Right, I think that concludes this evenings request slot, although any books, DVDs or tv box sets that can be recommended, that's always great!! Thanks a million!!

Anyway, what have I been up to over the last few days, apart from having a tantrum at my computer?! Well, all in all it's been fairly uneventful. I went back to mum and dad's last Friday and as they've been reading this, they had their eye on me (hello Mum and Dad), so there were no misadventures. I didn't manage to get my walk in everyday - rain and rugby conspired against me on Sunday - but Dad and I did about a mile on Saturday to see the ducks at the end of the lane (luckily for the ducks, there was a little girl already feeding them as we'd not taken any bread!!). Mum and I did a lap of the park another day, and I guess that was nearly a mile.

The highlight of my time back home was having my old (as in known her a long time, not as in she's old - she's younger than me) friend Jane come over to see me, along with her mum and her three month old son. Oscar is such a little cutey!!! He was happy to give me a cuddle (it has been known for babies to take one look at me and burst into tears) and then we must have worn him out as he had a little power nap!!! I think mum was getting ideas, but you'll have to wait a while on that score I think mum!! Thanks Jane, Doreen and Oscar for coming to see me and hopefully I'll see you all again soon!!

So what else did I do?? Oh yes, I had a lovely shopping trip to Morrisons!! Now normally before I leave home to come back to London I do a bit of a shop in the supermarket as they are big out of town jobs so have more stuff than you can get in the high street versions in London. Also, morrisons had just re-opened with a huge new green grocery section so I was planning on stocking my fridge with lovely fresh organic fruit and veg (am trying to go more organic now and reduce the chemicals my body receives - its getting enough at the moment with the cytotoxic chemo drugs!!). Anyway, it seems morrisons are not great stockists of organic produce!! I couldn't believe it, but I think there were only about a dozen different fruits and veggies that were organic!! Now I guess you can probably pick up more organic stuff at the various farm shops but it really amazed me! I couldn't find any organic meat either. All in all morrisons - very poor show!! It makes me wonder if we really are more spoiled with the availability of this stuff in London? Is it that with having organic food shops like Whole Foods and As Nature Intended the supermarkets around London stock more organic products than elsewhere in the country as a way of competing? Hummm

I came back to the big smoke last night to find I've finally got an appointment to see the liver specialist in Guildford for a week Monday. I also had a message from the nurse specialist in guildford wanting to arrange for an MRI to be done, ideally before seeing the specialist! Of course, when I tried to return her call, I was told she's not at work til Monday! Typical! Don't really know why she couldn't have called my mobile if they needed to get things done so quickly!! Oh well, I guess it's saving the NHS ££ if they don't call mobiles!! Hopefully we'll be able to make contact on Monday and we'll get this next ball rolling too!!

I had to pop to the hospital this morning for a blood test. I took mum with me, which was a bit of a gamble as we don't tend to come out of visits to the hospital on our own without some eventfully happenings!! The first time was when they found the tumour in my bowel so I guess nothing could beat that! Last time though was the infamous scan day of my first chemo adventure, which involved hospital gowns and firemen - I'm sure you all have heard the story!! Anyway, we managed to escape the hospital without much incident today, although it turns out you can rip skin off with a dressing and then it stings like f**k when the line entry site is cleaned with an alcohol swab!!! Oh well, another wound to add to the gorgeous bruise I've got going on still!!

Did I say that my trip home was uneventful? Well, it turns out that the lovely London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham felt that I needed a little photographic reminder of our drive down last Friday afternoon and kindly asked for some ££ in return!!! I finally fell foul of the traffic in front of me stopping just in time for me to be stuck with the back of my car still in a box junction!! Grrr. I guess I'm lucky that it's the first time I've been caught though after 10 yrs living in London.

Well, it's clinic day tomorrow so the Vince family entourage will be hopefully not passing too many hours in the waiting room for my appointment with the oncology registrar - hope they've read through my notes, as I normally see my wonderful consultant!! So far so not too bad - the sensitivity to the cold only lasted a few days last week and the nausea not much longer. I was shocked at how my energy just drained away as the drugs went in but this week my energy levels have picked up again. I'm even hoping to do a yoga class on Saturday morning, although I'm not ruling out starting the meditation phase a bit earlier than the rest of the class!! ;-)

Anyway folks, if there's anyone there who's not fallen asleep with these ramblings, thanks for reading!!

Take care y'all!!

Xxxx