Seize the day?

I started the week in London, visited Glasgow twice and now I'm back in Edinburgh.Phew! I am feeling quite relieved my stamina has held up. It's not all been easy and I am done each evening, tearfully tired would be the expression that comes to mind, but I recover. There's been a laughter filled evening with family and friends and touching moments between my mother and my daughter, the precious times in life in one week, no less.

Our One Day campaign continues to gain attention, with Stephen Fry tweeting about it. The twitterati indeed! And at the end of the week we had an great photo call at Hampden ( national football stadium , don't you know) launching a partnership with Scottish Women's Football. Nicola Sturgeon the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing loaned us her support, knowing such partnerships are great ways to get messages out about detecting cancer early. We were both awed by the young footballer who joined us. She looked fab with magenta coloured hair and wowed us with her talent with a football. Stand back guys, the women are gaining ground! Not sure I could pull of the hair colour but I admit to being tempted.... And look out for the first Deputy First Minister with pink hair maybe? The partnership is to raise awareness of how to be breast aware ( our TLC campaign see www.breakthrough.org.uk/TLC for details ) and promote knowledge of the risk factors for breast cancer too.

Physical activity is an important part of reducing the risk of breast cancer so anything that gets more women out taking exercise is potentially life saving. Its something I too want to get back to. The last year when I have been less well and therefore less active I have shall we say become more cuddly! I remember years ago reading the column of a young journalist dying of breast cancer. Her talented writing and very black humour made me laugh ....and cry. One of her quotes has stayed with me, "it's not over till the fat lady's thin". Brilliant black humour and also acknowledging a painful irony that many fellow travellers will recognise. Cancer doesn't generally deliver better cheek bones but more often the  treatments and the impact leave us feeling overweight, with yet another unwelcome impact on the self esteem.

But there are worse things for me than this and this week was yet another reminder of that for us. A friend of ours has been diagnosed with cancer again and this time it's inoperable. It's devastating for them all. Plans for a recent retirement anticipated and now dashed. I went to tell someone I know and found a fountain of emotion emerging from somewhere very deep. It's hard to put it into words, even as I write. But one thing I did express was my wondering how long I will "get away with it". It tells me I can take nothing for granted. And maybe that's a reality check I needed. So this weeks message for me and mine is seize the day. And be alongside those who aren't so lucky, if you can, it will make a difference for them.

Reasons to be thankful. I survived and enjoyed this last week and feel more like Audrey! Our holiday, which includes time with the family in Bulgaria in our little piece of paradise is less than a month away. If you say that quickly it sounds soon:-) And we are making plans to get a dog, oh yes, but say nothing to Koshka please!