Living in the same house as cancer: Reflections snoitcelfeR

Some of you will had read Tracey's last posting (I nearly put "last post" which sounds rather foreboding) in which she speculates on her future. If you haven't go and read it now because I am going to comment on it.

At some stage in this processes we were always going to get to the point of looking at the prognosis for the future. Bluntly how long is Tracey going to survive. It feels horrible to write that, no one looks at me and says "Chris, I give you 12 years, both your parents died in their 50's, and with improved medical science I give you till your mid 60's". But of course Tracey has had a real view of her mortality and there has been plenty of research done in to survival rates of cancer patients. When Tracey last saw the Oncologist he gave her a figure of 70% survival after 10 years. I'm not sure what the survival figures would be on average for someone of Tracey's age. Since then Tracey has been doing a bit of personal research on the Internet and come up with the figure between 30%-50%. As a family we tend towards the half empty rather than half full so this is the figure lodged in her mind. We are both experts in the field now and can dismiss the Oncologists statement, his training and his years of work. Of course either of us could drop down dead tomorrow or be part of a car/bus sandwich at any time. But with good health I would hope we could reasonable survive in to our 80's, I've been looking forward to a long penniless (thank you David Cameron) retirement.

So what has happened is that we have had to reassess our future. Only gently at the moment as Tracey still has to go through radio and hormone therapy. There is a feeling that Chemo is the end of it all but it is only the beginning. What do we do now? I think the only answer to this is to begin to live life to the full. Do all the things that we have always wanted to do. Of course I don't just mean long weekends spent with a pole dancer from Belarus or spending the week as sleep in help to a busy fire station. I mean getting out and about. visiting all the people and places we want to see, getting all the chickens and dogs we have ever wanted to keep, watching the kids grow up and providing them with all the help we can. Being a bit more outgoing and a little more selfish. Less time worrying more time doing. File this under the new Tinsley's.

That aside what week it has been, snow and ice, a new apprentice and a new Strictly winner, I have been beside myself with excitement. On the downside no Rugby. A few more snow photos including Adam's wonderful snowman with satsumas and a carrot.