The Pre-Chemo Madness!

What followed on from those first few outings was a busy, but strangely, a fun 6 weeks. I wanted to see as many people as possible before the chemo started at the end of May. I wasn't allowed to drive for those 6 weeks because of the surgery, so instead, people called to the house, others acted as taxi for me, Fergus brought me places... I was spoilt!

Fergus brought me to the Falls Hotel for a mini-break. The sun was shining and we spent 2 lovely days in the west of Clare walking along the beach and eating ice-cream. We even found a signpost for Australia and that was the day we made a pact - once we got through the next few months of the hell that lay ahead, we were going to go to Australia for a holiday!

We took this photo and sent it to Cathy and David with a promise to visit once we had gotten over this next hurdle!

In particular, the week before my chemo started was packed full of fun. It was my birthday on the 21st of May so Fergus got the time off work and we made the most of it. We went to Dublin to hear a talk given by Prof Brian Cox whom we are both fascinated with. He's an amazingly talented physicist and gave a great talk on black holes and the origin of the universe.

WIth my Godmother

We stayed in a lovely hotel nearby and the next day, we met with my Godmother Brid and her husband Gerry for lunch. The sun was blazing and we sat outside the Tram Cafe in the beautiful heat. Of course sitting outside in the sun brings its own risks - sea gulls and pigeons. This photo was taken just seconds before, what must have been a massive bird, shat right across the two of us! Yes I know it's meant to be lucky - but we didn't win the lotto after!

For the birthday itself, we had a small gathering at home. I didn't feel like making a fuss or having a party but it was a lovely get-together. Anyone that knows me well will know that I LOVE Davy Fitzgerald! Ever since those epic summer days in the mid 1990's when Clare hurling took the country by storm, I developed a soft spot for Davy! In fact, he is often referred to as my "other man" in this house! Having the most epic sisters-in law, they gifted me with one of my all time favourite presents - a Davy Fitz T-shirt! I wore it with pride that night, and many more times since!