Telling everyone else

Friday 30 December 2016

The afternoon continued

So now the process begins and we have to start telling people.  

Some we phone, some we email, some we text, some we Whattsapp and some we Facebook (the power of social media).  It's hard.  The phone calls are the worst.

I'm met with lots of crying, shock, disbelief and heartbreak. It's cack, but I'm being quite matter of fact about it, just to get through it.

I mean, honestly, what else can I do at the moment??

My friends from school, friends from University, friends from choir, friends from travelling, friends and the boss at work,... The list goes on. It's absolutely exhausting.

I ask Susie if she can tell our two closest and ace friends Helen and Jen.  She goes over to see them in person.  She takes prosecco.  Jen and Suze get through two bottles and a lot of tears so they tell me. Boom for prosecco, sad face for lots of tears!!

It's weird, but it's made me think that I'm sooo lucky I've had a BRILLIANT eight years since my first diagnosis.  It changed my life for the better in some many ways and Tim and I have had some amazing times.  

We've bought a house, got married, took a mini-sabbatical and spent three months travelling in South America, made some AWESOME new friends, been on fantastic holidays.  I've also started singing in a contemporary choir and absolutely love it.  I have watched my beautiful niece, Scarlett, grow - she is my world - I love her. Susie and I have raised soooo much money for the Breast Unit putting on some legendary events, including the 1st and 2nd Worcester Snow Balls.  Crikey.

The pinnacle this year though was my 40th birthday.  I never originally thought I'd get there and I DID and it was AMAZING. It was literally the best birthday ever and I'm so grateful for it. 

I even climbed Snowdon during my birthday week - something I'd always wanted to do.

The evening

I was shattered, but Tim was meant to be going to see Rogue Nation at the cinema with the boys and I was meant to be going out for dinner with the girls.  We decided to keep to the same plan as we both needed some light relief, but the girls and I stayed in.  I did a diagnosis Q and A with them to explain everything which I've told you in this blog and then we ate fish and chips in our comfies and drank prosecco. Standard.

Tim had said he didn't want to leave me and wanted to keep me in his sights but he could see that I was genuinely doing OK and I said he should go for his burger and cinema night with the Worcester crew.

Both Tim and I were shattered by the time we went to bed, but comforted by our friends and humbled by the lovely messages of support we received.

One thing we never want is sympathy... I mean, it's only been a couple of days (as I'm actually writing this post on 1 Jan 2017 New Year's Day), but we've both said we know there are gonna be some tough times ahead and that there will be pain and tears along the way, and while I've not even started treatment yet, then we'll continue as normal, which means laughing with each other and preparing for our 80s New Year's Eve party.....