Hair today...

In the wake of my last long, pretty intense post, I thought I'd share a brief update about the bizarre resilience of the human body.

In recent days, I've noticed that my once-depleted, whispy, greying eyebrows have turned into two jet-black caterpillars. Not only this, but my eye lashes have grown thicker and longer, making me look (in my mind at least) like a (balding) eye-linered 80s New Romantic.

We aren't surprised by this because my consultant oncologolist, some months ago, predicted it would happen as a side affect of the drug cetuximab, which I'm taking as part of my chemotherapy treatment to target the cancer which has metastasized (spread) to my bones.

But it still makes me smile when I look in the mirror. While growth of my remaining head hair has slowed to a crawl, I've been fortunate not to lose the rest of it and my beard seems softer than it did before. Weird.

I'm sure there are good technical reasons why things happen the way they do with chemo but I don't like to delve too deeply into them, preferring the funny mysteries to the sometimes gruesome realities.

My spotty facial rash (also a side affect of cetuximab) has definitely calmed down this time around. I'm not taking anything for granted, but I am thankful. I'm also thankful, for now at least, for a quiet house and some drizzle after the heatwave and general nuts-ness of life in recent weeks. Macy (BA) and Dan (MA) are both kicking off new university courses, Reuben has started his final year of GCSEs, and Rosie and Lisa are back working at school.

I'd also like to shout out to Rosie's boyfriend Nick and my good friend Jay for raising more than £3,300 for bowel cancer charities between them in the sweltering heat last Saturday, separately cycling/running over 200 miles in total. A big thanks if you sponsored the intrepid pair, and thanks too for other friends taking part in upcoming sponsored events. It feels surreal to be sat motionless hearing about these agonising achievements but it means a great deal and gives us a hopeful focus, as well as raising much-needed funds.

I told you it would be a brief update;)