Chapter 27 - The post treatment trip

CHAPTER 27 - The post treatment trip

This blog feels like my life has been one big travelling fest. It hasn’t, but clearly, all the big moments in my life have included travel. Why did I book this particular trip? For a host of reasons. Honestly, it was very clear to me that the future was an unknown entity. I had passed the first hurdle but had an incredibly long way to go. There was every chance of it coming back (70% to be precise) and I wanted to create some memories with my family. I also wanted to escape the reality. Get away from that hospital. I also just needed a rest - it had been a long 8 months. And finally, I had a great reason for one major holiday - Paul couldn't challenge this one:)))))

Paul had been running a property maintenance company at the time and he did just give it all up. It wasn't a huge risk as you are always relying on your next job in this game rather than long standing customers. But, he didn't once concern himself with the risks. I suppose he needed this break as much as I. 

Indyana was 2 and 3/4 years. When I say she was a dream child during this trip, I cannot explain how amazing she was. She followed us around different time zones, different cultures, different foods, new people and new hotels like she was born to do it. She slept when she was tired, wasn't ill once, potty trained to perfection up the gold coast of Australia - she just let life take her on this journey. She does remember some of it even today - playing snooker with back-packers in hostels, riding horses on a beach in Thailand, playing with her second cousins (Skye and Madison) at Uncle Erics, meeting new friends and the amazing water park in Dubai. Although of course, I have many a photo like the one with Indy fast asleep in a buggy outside the Opera House in Sydney. I can at least tell her she has been there! I am so proud of my little girl during this trip - she made it even more therapeutic than it was. I have of course created a mini-me now though - Indy will quite often make comment on whether she likes a hotel room and wonders what the airplane food will be like. I do think she is a natural born traveller just like her mum. We recently had a conversation where I explained to her about all my travelling. She advised me that she would definitely be travelling when she grew up and she would be putting Mummy in her suitcase so that I can come along too. (I will be holding her to that). 

So, we visited Dubai, Thailand, Australia and Bali in the first half of the trip. I met up with family and friends that I knew along the way. This time, I got to see my cousin Sue, for the first time in a long time in Australia. It was so nice spending time with her again, and I love that we are now in each others lives, if only on Facebook for the minute! Eric and Rose were again, just wonderful hosts, making Indy feel so welcome. She, Madison and Skye played with all their toys in the drive. It was really nice for Indy because it felt a bit like home. 

I spent time trying to rebuild my strength. I discovered Bikram yoga and joined many a class at each of our stops. I also ran as much as I could - not any great distance but I wanted to reclaim my body. I had handed it over to machines and medicine for 8 months and now it was mine again. On reflection, I felt more well in these 3 months than many of the months and years to come. Perhaps the chemo was still in my body fighting all the bad stuff? 

At the end of May, we had to take a pit stop back in the UK - I had my first post-treatment check up. And it was Indys 3rd birthday. I wanted her to have a party with her friends at home. I will deal with the post-treatment check-ups in a separate chapter. Indys party was lovely. We had it in the garden with all of our friends. It was a lovely opportunity to catch up with everyone. We were home for a week and then headed off to my mums house in Spain for the European leg of our travels. 

It was so good to see Mum and Dad back at their house. They had bought their place in Spain in 2007 and of course, had pretty much left it for 8 months to live with me during all of my treatment so it was nice to see them back in the place they loved. They are always so happy there. They have transformed an old village house into a stunning moroccan themed home. They have such a great eye for design and Dad can build anything he sees in a magazine. The house has 360 views of the mountains and you can’t help but just relax there. We spent a month or so just really chilling. I was keen that Indy continue socialising so I enrolled her in a local nursery for a couple of days per week. She learnt a fair bit of Spanish in her short time there.  

One weekend soon after arriving at Mums, I took off to our beloved Puerto Banus where lots of the girls were meeting me for a much needed girly weekend. I had a new pixie crop hairstyle but still wore my wigs out in the evening. It was still just a tad too short. Given, I have really curly hair, I would never have dreamt of ever having a short style but I actually really liked it as it grew. It was quite striking and more individual than any of the styles I have ever had. It was a very funny couple of days with the girls where we got up to the usual shenanigans. My girls were like a boost of love, well-being and laughter. They have been a constant comfort to me. 

Paul, Indy and I then took off on the second leg of our travels. We drove all the way along the east coast of Spain through to France. Again, we had some amazing times. I remember stopping at all the big cities, Barcelona, Madrid etc but also some stunning little towns off the beaten track further up north. We got to France and stayed at one of our favourite places, in St Tropez. Kon Tiki chalets is a long row of huts on the sea front at Pampelonne beach. It is perfectly located - you can walk to the famous Club 55 and you awake to the sound of the sea. We met with Leaanne, Tanya and families and spent a glorious week with them. Indy and I flew back to Mums and Paul drove the car and met us there. We had one final trip planned, which Mum and Dad joined us for. A drive to Portugal to meet the Kings. Jay and Keeley King. Again, we had a super week with our dear friends. 

So, at this stage, we had been on the road for almost 6 months. I was starting to feel unsettled. I think I knew that I would have to resume normal life (whatever that was) at some point and I turned my thoughts to what this meant. My career is such a large part of what defines me and what I know. And I knew that I needed now to consume myself with work to start feeling a bit more like me again. I send an email to one of my mentors and friends, Simon Ward. I had met Simon when I worked at Camelot and he was MD of one of the print companies we used. He has since gone on to set up a hugely successful marketing services company called Inspired Thinking Group. When I was diagnosed, I received a hand-written letter in the mail from Simon. It was beautiful, honest and motivating. My email let him know that I was ready to work again, and to ask that he consider me should anything come up. His response was ‘how soon can you start?’ I will always be grateful to Simon for his ongoing support during my career but in particular for bringing me back into the real world at this point in my life. 

We had such a special time on our travels. It was our family escape. It was the period of time where I didn't have to deal with the reality of life after cancer and the pains and fears that are weaved into your new world. It was our time and I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life.