Well will you look at that – a shiny new year! I saw it in on Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman toasting the moon with a plastic cup of rum and cola.  I had a bit of a wobble – last year was tough for various reasons and sometimes the future terrifies me – but as soon as the tears started several arms surrounded me and kind words were said as well as a few about ruining my smoky eye look so they didn’t last long.

After the breathtaking fireworks display and the hoopla of the first few minutes of the new year I quietly took myself off to the edge of the sea with my glass and had a few words with cancer.  It’s private but the final sentence was this; “so yes you might come back but look at me now after your last effort; who I’m with, where I am, whatever you do next I’ve had this Christmas and New Year’s Eve and it’s been wonderful so SOD off.”

I came back to London and hit the ground running.  I have first PET scan of the year tomorrow – it’s so strange that now I can be blase about them.

The other thing to address is more tricky.  Many of you probably know I’m going through a legal procedure too and it didn’t take long after my return before that cranked back into action.  This isn’t the forum for it really but I will express my surprise that the legal profession can use an illness against “the other side” with such callousness.  Is it really necessary for me to complete a medical questionnaire when one of the best cancer consultants in the country doesn’t know for certain what the future may bring?  I’m saddened and can only assume they have no idea what the impact this has on me or that they know perfectly well.  Either way I’m amazed what people will do to try and get a few extra bob.

Now that Facebook has the timeline thingy I can see that this time last year was exactly when this all started.  My favourite status during that time is the one about my darling pal explaining to a friend I hadn’t met yet that when I visited her we wouldn’t be going to the pub as planned because “Dolly has a condition that means she’s unable to go out” and how I planned to slowly lick said friend’s face by way of greeting.  I felt dreadful and we all thought it was an abscess.  A few days later I was in hospital, shortly after that – well, y’know.

So Happy New Year Team Dolly – I’m planning to make it a fantastic one – hope you are too.

xx