Category Archives: Uncategorized

Hi everyone Just a very quick update. It’s partly a language thing. Turns out that when the doctor said ‘weekly’ treatment, amounting to six cycles of three weeks (which with my stunning maths ability I thought meant 18 weeks, stopping just before Christmas), what she actually meant was six cycles of three weeks, each ofContinue reading “Language and treatment!”

Hi everyone Well that didn’t go as planned! I was going to be one of those people who were monitored for 5 years and then signed off, but withing 3 months the cancer had returned. Needless to say, it’s been a worrying and disappointing few months since then, but I’ve now started on 18 weeksContinue reading “Return to treatment”

Hello everyone I am going to make this the last post about my health for a while – as things are improving and although the myositis is still making my muscles weak, I’m moving in the right direction and working on my strength and fitness with the physios. I’m running up to the first monitoringContinue reading “Happy birthday to me!”

Hi everyone Health update below, but in the meantime, what about that Melania statement re. Epstein?! I was looking for some up-to-date examples of textual phenomena for a chapter I am revising for a second edition (see – I must be better – I’m working!) and I looked at the transcript of the first lady’sContinue reading “The lady doth protest…”

Hi everyone A rather delayed update – I have finally finished chemo and together with surgery it seems to have (mostly) worked, so fingers crossed the cancer won’t return any time soon. Meantime, I’ve picked up a new autoimmune condition (Correlation or causation? No one is saying!) but it has resulted in extreme muscle weaknessContinue reading “Onwards and upwards!”

Hi everyone No, I haven’t had a baby – I had an operation (remember?!) But I do have a new grandson, Aidan, who is bringing joy to the family and is a bonny lad already. This is motivation enough to keep on with the recovery (as are the other three grandchildren) and I am nowContinue reading “New Year, new baby, new determination”

Hi and a very belated happy season’s greetings to you all – and a wonderful new year to all of us. I intended to post before Christmas, but the upshot of the surgery was that it was a much bigger deal than I had realised (though it went fairly well) and I’ve been coping withContinue reading “I did it!”

Hi everyone In a week I will be going through some surgery, followed by recovery (I hope!) and more chemo. It’s all looking fairly good on the getting rid of cancer front and I’m hoping to hear that most of it has gone after the surgery. I’ll keep you posted on that! Meantime, I’ve gotContinue reading “Knives out!”

Hi everyone More news on treatment and challenges soon, but meantime I wanted to draw your attention to the important date this Wednesday (26th November) when it will be National Linguistics Day. This celebration of everything to do with human communication is the brainchild of Rebecca Mitchell and it is growing every year. If youContinue reading “National Linguistics Day!”

Just as I thought I was bossing the chemo and knew what to expect, two things happened this week! First, it became clear that I am facing surgery, which up to now I’d been imagining might not happen (though it had been mentioned as a possibility). They even have a date pencilled in, so thatContinue reading “All change”