My friend Jill has iris melanoma - skin cancer in the eye. Yes you really can get it in the eye, search for it on the 'Net and see. She goes to a place in Gosport, HARBOUR CANCER SUPPORT GROUP, for a cuppa and a natter with people who understand her fears and she also gets free alernative therapies (donations gratefully received).
Jill goes into hospital tomorrow, ready for an operation on Wednesday, in London, to sew a radioactive disc into her eye to kill the tumour. She wanted to raise funds for the Support Group as, after 3 years, their lottery grant has run its course. As her house is quite small, and neither of us being sure a) when her surgery would be and b) if she would be having a good day or a bad day, we decided to hold the Open House/All-day Coffee morning here at mine. I printed loads of flyers and posters, and roped the kids into delivering them.
On Wednesday I shopped for the ingredients for some nice puds, cakes, and savoury nibbles. The kids and I spent Wednesday afternoon making sponge cakes and quadruple chocolate brownies (recipe shamelessly nicked from ITV). On Thursday after the chaos of getting exam results, we got stuck into making savouries - creamy ham puffs, and pitta crisps - and a rather nice chocolate, toffee and peanut torte (a little heavy on the peanut butter but nice). By 9pm I'd gone way past the end of my tether so A kidnapped me from the kitchen and forced me into the hot tub, pressganging the kids into finishing off and tidying up.
Friday dawned bright and early, I was up by 7.15 rearranging furniture and wondering how I was going to get everything done before the start time of 10.30. My kids were stars. They got up early, got fed and dressed without too much nagging, and got on with making some dips - hot broccoli, and creamy sun-dried tomato - whilst I went to Jill's to pick her up, as well as her youngest child. We didn't get as many guests as I'd hoped but we did manage to raise about £50! And of course I'd catered for too many so the 3 gannets that I live with have had plenty of pudding options this weekend. Another friend of mine came round with a bottle of fizz, so once it got to a civilised time (7pm) we cracked it open and proceeded to 'relax'. Slept well that night.
Anyway, if I could ask you to do whatever it is you do to mentally/spiritually offer good fortune to someone in need of it, please remember my friend Jill. Her cancer shouldn't be terminal, but she will need positive thoughts to deal with the pain and discomfort her operation will bring for a few weeks.
Thanks, friends!
And this week promises to be equally manic as tomorrow I have to take K to finalise college arrangements, plus pop into Harbour Support, plus pick up Jill's youngest for a couple of nights sleepover here; Wednesday I have the derm clinic for my skin (more on that soon); Thursday is the start of the Home Ed group at the hall, I am now Treasurer; Friday is a deep breath kind of day until going out in the evening with friends; Saturday, all things being well I am off to London, maybe with Jill's middle child, to visit her in hospital.
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