Over and out...

Just for anyone still checking in, I thought I would post one final report before thanking you all and bowing out stage left, hopefully never to need to return to this site again.

Well the burn is now completely healed and the swelling seems to have disappeared, just the sort of mark left that you would expect from an area exposed to sunbathing. The hot water bottle on my back has settled into a pattern of filling up if I overdo things but dispersing the fluid if I take it easy again for a while, so hopefully the threat of further surgery to cure it will fade away. I'm still quite tired and it takes me by surprise how little I can do without wearing myself out but hopefully that will pass - makes me quite impatient! Similarly any little germ seems to stay five times as long, presumably because my immune system's been shot to pieces, but hopefully good eating and not much drinking will eventually reboost things. And keep the cancer at bay (something like 20% increased recurrence risk if you drink even slightly more than the recommended level, or even at the level, I've learned). So that sorts that issue out then! :-) Luckily I've always loved elderflower...

Thank you so much to everyone for your unbelievable support. I think it makes an actual physical and psychological difference to the ability to deal with the treatment to have the level of support that I've had, and my friends taking me to the hospital every day for the radiotherapy turned it from a chore to positively enjoyable - a great chance for me to catch up a bit with what's happening in your lives! I will never forget it or be able to repay it but certainly hope that any of you in need will turn to me first.

Never did wax lyrical (excuse the pun!) about the beauty of hair, did I? Suffice to say that despite always having been a fan and not understanding my female (and some male!) friends hating their bodily hair and the extraordinary lengths and pain people will go to to remove it, I can now say I have never missed anything about my body more! I have a little party for every eyelash, pube and whisker I encounter every morning (and they are coming back!). Nuff said.

Well I'm off. One last positive note - today I received confirmation that I have been accepted onto my Food Policy course at City University for September. Which is nice.

Now then, what was I doing...