800 Press-Ups

I have done the best part of 800 press-ups since finding out that I have this thing. 
My mother, who is of course, worrying about everything I do...(actually she always has...you don't swim in the sea do you? You're not going underground are you? Are you sure that's safe...?) said yesterday that maybe I should think again about whether it's safe to be doing press-ups every day. I told her that this is such an important part of my well being and feeling of control and strength. And that actually the day I couldn't do at least one press- up would be the day I would  give up. That's just not happening.

But if it did happen well then I don't have to worry...not at all. Rachel and I have just been so overwhelmed with the amazing press-ups that have come from our friends all over the world. We have tried to make sure they have all gone on our press-ups FB page hopefully you've seem some of them.Each and every one is a small act of defiance and each  makes such difference.

Of course its not all press-ups...wish it was....going out to find cool locations on the moor could be a great pastime!... I have now had my first round of chemo, four different medicines pumped into my blood stream to try and begin to halt the march of the lymphoma. It's pretty amazing just how quickly the effects take hold...from the very obvious like the startling passage through of the bright red medicine!! bit like eating a basket full of beetroot! To the effect of some of the anti sickness medicines which have forced me to start eating bran and prunes for breakfast. Now  breakfast has always been my absolute favourite meal of the day.... soft silky scrambled eggs stuffed inside a croissant - delish. Two things wrong with this; one I can't eat soft eggs whilst on chemo and two it's not prunes and bran! I know these are small things but they are small things I'm having to get used to. My body now has no immune system, so I can't eat any live food...(no more of my delicious home-brew Kombucha), no soft cooked eggs, no hard boiled eggs as they block you up anyway, no salad...I'm drinking boiled water as our beautiful fresh moorland water isn't filtered. Our plumber, when we moved in, said to us in the most amazing Devon accent -    " what for do you need a filter? You've got your teeth!"

I have been really careful but I have already picked up a virus in my glands and throat, a stark reminder of how carefully this chemo path needs to be trodden.I have two more weeks until my next round, the Doctor  said that the middle week could potentially be the hardest in terms of immunity...but so far I feel fine. Getting out on the moor on my bike, walking the dogs, watching the seals being liberated, basking in clean winter sunshine,  seeing all the amazing women around the world march yesterday in cities near and far... these things make me feel fine.

So 800 press-ups in and things are moving on at a steady pace - I guess as they should be. But what has touched me more than I can say is the support from friends. Press-ups at a snowy Camp Kamaji, campers from years ago signing camp songs whilst pressing up with their children. Old friends gathering around the Witch's Tree, children in schools, in bedrooms, on the beach in the library...children I have never met before, pantomime performers, fathers carrying sons, awesome triathletes..All these small acts of defiance are the best medicine , the best support, the best a person could ever wish for. So I'm signing off with a humble thank you to you all.
I will keep on keeping on...I hope you will too.