Plan of action

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse ………….

they started to get better!

The first was my decision to approach the Royal Marsden about possibly having my bone marrow transplant there. I don’t know whether this will be a better choice or not but I was so relieved when our insurers gave the go ahead. I have an appointment in about ten days time. At last I have another string to my bow and we can weigh up our best options. It is so frustrating being passive and I hate just moaning about things without being able to play an active role in solving them.

Feeling much better after approaching the hospital, the next piece of good news came when I looked at our email – the promise of an interim payment from Biffa before Christmas. This will not only give us more security but it means that if we do decide to choose the Royal Marsden at least we will have the money to cope with all the trips to and from the hospital. The solicitor we have now is so much more proactive than the one who was acting for us before.

We’ve just returned from a lovely weekend spent with our son in London. Even whilst things were at their worst I was looking forward to going, just to get away from the problems for a while. However, it was much better being able to go there with good news and a plan of action. I have just been reading some findings from Australia about how different women react to breast cancer. It seems than well-educated women have the worst psychological reaction because they feel they have lost control of their health and wellbeing. I can completely understand this.

I feel so much better now we have a plan. On our way up to Mitcham I checked out the signposts for Sutton where the transplant unit for the Royal Marsden is situated. It is about 30 minutes by car from my son’s home. Whether or not we go ahead with the transplant there – and logistically it would be more difficult – ultimately the decision must be made on health grounds, nothing else.

While we were in London our son took us to the BBC Television Centre where we looked round the main building and the Media Centre where he works. It was much larger than I imagined and absolutely fascinating. It was great for Ray and I to get away and stop brooding over difficulties. We had a wonderfully relaxing time.