Come To Heal

Monday 7th June

I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be here with my little family.

The tide is way, way out, and it’s the kind of day where the pale blue sky and the sea merge into one. There’s a small sailing boat in the distance and it looks as though it’s suspended by a thread in the air.

Husband has spent the first few days sleeping. He needs it. A combination of working hard and worrying hard. His body has been winding itself up into a tight spring over the last 6 months, and if we’d left it any longer to come away, someone or something would have suffered when the spring snapped. Thank God, then, that this place can unwind him gently and safely.  I’m beginning to see the bloke that I know and love emerging out of the stress and worry. He’s relaxing. It’s good to see.

For me, well – my junky veins are still nacking, but my mother of all coldsores has nearly gone and my mouth ulcers have finally disappeared which means that I can enjoy eating and drinking again. AND,  guess what – my hair is making a brave attempt at returning. It’s peeping through my skull, whispering ‘is it safe to come out now? Has the nasty chemo gone?’ There’s a layer of white, fluffy downy stuff which is about 3 millimetres long, and a hint of a dark brown 6 o’clock shadow. It’s quite exciting!

The kids, meanwhile, are in their element here.  We managed to climb up a treacherous gorge this morning for a couple of miles. We were doing really well until we came across an extremely tricky bit. We were faced with a deep pool of water flanked by steep, slippy, mossy sides. I managed to cling to the side and edge myself along to safety, but the 9 year lost his hold and slid down the sheer drop desperately trying to save himself by clutching onto wild garlic, stones and soil. He landed in the pool of icy water – right up to his waist. His sister, clinging for dear life further up the slope was laughing so much she nearly joined him. The irresponsible mother loved it. I feel like I'm getting stronger by the day.

I’ve had all sorts of medicine to treat this bloody cancer, but this place definitely has healing powers that no other drug can match...and what’s more, it doesn’t make your hair fall out!