Monday, 31 December 2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!
Sunday, 30 December 2007
Opioid Growth Factor

This is some interesting information and hopefully will help other meso sufferers
http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/Opioid_Growth_Factor
Tuesday, 25 December 2007
Christmas

Well, It’s been a busy Christmas day as I have been catching up with the holiday washing, taking care of a poorly little boy, cooking Christmas dinner, like any normal day really and I would not have it any other way. I am so pleased to be here watching my children open their presents and enjoying their Christmas.
Monday, 24 December 2007
Merry Christmas and a happy new tumble dryer!
I wish all my new friends I have met on here a very Merry Christmas and I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow. I am so happy to be able to celebrate thisChristmas and I know a lot of my new friends know what that feeling is like.
Sunday, 23 December 2007
Midnight dash

I took my youngest son, Kieran, to the out of hours doctors surgery last night.
He and Siobhan, my daughter, had started a cough on the last day of our holiday and Kieran had developed a very high temprature last night. He was vomitting and very lathargic. Siobhan still has a cough but seems to be han dling it better.
I was worried about Kieran and took him to the surgery which was in our local hospital were he was seen quite quickly.
He was given some Calpol, every parents favourite, as we had returned to late to get to a chemist. He had quite a good night and had a day of lazing on the sofa with his duvet and his new blanket he bought from Lapland, it has a large husky dog on it.
He seems a lot better today, he hasn’t eaten anything but he has been drinking which is the most important. I am going to give him some flat cola as well as I had a GP who swore by it and it does seem to work in replacing fluids and sugars.
Saturday, 22 December 2007
Back from ye North
The children and I arrived back home today after a trip to Lapland.
It is a very beautiful place.
I am going to add the full report about the trip in the holiday blog part of the site.
Thankyou for your many good wishes for Christmas and new year, it is good to know I have so many great supporters and new friends.
The ex had to get a new washing machine while we were away as we could not find anyone to fix the old one until new year! With holiday washing, that is not good. I tried the tumble dryer and it looks like that is on the way out too! Oh happy days… : )
I would like to take this oppurtunity to say Merry Christmas and a happy and wishful new year to all who log on. May all your wishes be granted for 2008.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Happy birthday Kieran
A very happy birthday to my little boy, Kieran who is 11 years old today.
We had a cake made by the hotel we were in which tasted wonderful. I broke my sugar rule for his birthday.
I bought him a camera for his birthday and he thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures.
Happy birthday sweet heart, I love you
Mum x
Monday, 17 December 2007
Grease night
We had a brilliant night out last night. The evening was filled with great music, great entertainment and most of all, I went with some great friends and family.
We all dressed up for the night, we had cheerleaders, pink ladies, T-birds and some people, who were not with us, dresses up as Ninja’s, Super Mario and some other crazy characters that were nothing to do with Grease! The picture is of myself and my sister. I look forward to the next one, Thanks guys.
Well, this is it, we are off to Lapland today, Kieran has a little play to do for the other children in the school and I will pick him up around 11:00am. I will do a holiday blog when I get back.
Happy Birthday Dad


I am going out to a Grease themed evening tonight at the Holiday inn i Plymouth. I am going to celebrate my dad while I am there.
Dad, where ever you are, I love and miss you, you were taken too soon.
I believe you are with me every day.
I will toast you tonight and remember the wonderful person you were and still feel yoi in my heart and my memories.
As you always loved Monty python, I will quote a line to you that is very much the person you were and the very wise advice you would gave me.
“Always look on the bright side of life”.
I love you
Debbie x
Sunday, 16 December 2007
Last day at work for a while
I have just finished my 3 day shift (the pod decoration is here) and am very excited about going to Lapland.
I am going out tomorrow night with my friends from work as we are going to a “grease” theme night. That should be fun. I will be off to Birmingham on Tuesday and ready to leave for Lapland on Wednesday which is also my little boys birthday, he will be 11. I am looking forward to Christmas this year, much more than I was last year.
I will add a post tomorrow as it is also my dear dad’s birthday.
Friday, 14 December 2007
Christingle Service
*The Orange represents the world.
*The red ribbon represents the blood of Christ.
*The candle for the light,
*The four sticks represent the north, south, east and west and the four seasons.
*The sweets represent the fruits of the earth.
This is the last one as next year he will be going to a new school.
My employers very kindly let me have time off to go as I am working 8am till 8pm today.
The service was lovely. He was called out to say a prayer in front of everyone watching and he was wonderful.
I am so pleased to be seeing the second one since my diagnosis as last year I was so upset as I thougt it was my last Christmas.
I am so proud of him.
Well done little bean, you were fantastic.
I love you x
Mesothelioma Survivor

I have had a link sent to me from one of the many followers of Meso and me. Suzanne finds amazing links and she found a link about a woman in Adelaide who has survived Meso for 10 years and she is pregnant.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s2117895.htm
Thanks Suzanne, I know a lot of people will be inspired by this. Keep them coming!
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Next CT scan

My next scan is on 7th January. I will have my follow up appointment on 18th January. I am so hoping to get the same result and always have the same feelings before the appointment. The stress and worry of Theo growing is the worst. I don’t want to hear that. I appreciate his efforts of not growing and he will hopefully stay as he is for a very long time. ITV have decided against running the story. I thought it was a little contrversial although the publicity would have given Meso another kick.
I am sure there will be oter times. I am off in town now to do some more Christmas shopping before the Lapland trip. I really wish I could get a private plane and give invites to all those that have supported me. Alas, that isn’t going to happen so I will take you all in spirit.
Christmas shopping
Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Christmas Assembly
He is looking forward to his trip next week as am I and my other 2 children.
I went to the funeral parlour afterwards with my sister and my friend and made my arrangements with the undertakers. I have sorted out as much as I can at the moment. I gave the poor undertaker a task which shocked him, I asked for a purple coffin with purple lining inside. He went away and made some calls and came back with a very positive ‘yes’. I didn’t like to ask if I could have dragonflies on it also!
I have done it now, I don’t want to have my children arranging it for me and especially want to put it behind me and carry on with the future I have.
I have got ITV coming over on Thursday as they have asked if I wil do a peice to camera about the bitter comments I had through a local newspaper. I will put across that the media had nothing to do with me getting the payment. It will aslo add a little more publicity to the awareness of Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure.
Monday, 10 December 2007
Funeral arrangements

I am going to a funeral directors tomorrow with a good friend of mine to make arrangements for my day when ever that may happen. It has to be one of the hardest things I have ever had to do but I don’t want my children to have to do it. I love them so much and it breaks my heart to plan this and as I said before, I want t start 2008 with a clean slate. I want to put this behind me. I know what music I want and roughly what I want the service to be like. I am not a heavily religious person so will talk about the whole thing tomorrow.
Sunday, 9 December 2007
Christmas Decs at work
My team mates and I have been busy making our work space into an ice palace. the theme for
the call centre work spaces and teams are Christmas Films. We have chosen “The nightmare before Christmas. I made the Jack and Sally figures for halloween and was pleased to hear we could use them again. My team mates have been making icycles with paper and it is like a scene from blue pater with all the paper
One of my team mates is coming with me on Tuesday as I am going to make funeral arrangements for myself. It is not something I want to do but I want to end this year with the arrangements and start the new year fresh with a positive mind ahead. Putting the arrangements at the end of 2007 hopefully help all of us to move on.
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Morning after

I enjoyed my night out although it was a shame that the venue was opened to the public at 10:00pm as it would have been better to have a little longer mingling and dancing with friends. I out danced one of the guys there which was a great feeling. I was so impressed with myself as I was dancing to some really upbeat tunes for about 20 minutes.
I haven’t got any pictures as I forgot to take them. After the event, I went to a casino with a friend. I have never been in one before and didn’t waste any pennies. I watched my friend lose his!
I haven’t got a clue when it comes to poka and pontoon. I would be hopeless but at leats now I can say I went in one.
A lot of guys on the team are going down with ome kind of bug. I seem to be ok at the moment and feel like I can battle anything.
1 week to go before Lapland and counting!!! No illnesses please !
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Orange Christmas

I am out with friends tonight at the Orange Christams party. I work for Orange, the mobile phone company and am looking forward to the night. There will be awards given to those who have done well in the call centre and it will be great to socialise with my team mates.
I also went out last night with some of my team mates and had a great time. I am still abstaining from alchohol, been about 6 weeks now. I was never a heavy drinker, I liked the occasional beer after work. I have put that on hold as it contains yeast and I want to see if it will make a difference.
I have also cut down on sugar, I admit to being a chocoholic and have kept away from that for more that 6 weeks.
I have not had any cravings and the worst thing I am trying to do is stay away from bread.
Yeast free bread is not as nice as normal bread and I find it hard to change that. I am going to start making soda bread.
I have done quite well keeping away from dairy.
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
H.A.S.A.G

Hampshire asbestos support and awareness group is run by 2 sisters who unfortunately lost their dad to Mesothelioma in December 2005. They have worked hard to raise awareness with this disease and I will be adding a link to their site if anyone wants more information. My daughter sees to all that and as she is studying hard for her illustration course, she will add it when she can.
In the meantime, the link is below :
www.hasag.co.uk
Please take a look, I hope it is helpful.
comments removed

I have had word that the comments on the website have now been removed. I am taking some very good advice and ignoring the person concerned.
I have just finished my 3 days of work and am going to finish off the decor for the work place and put it all up on Saturday.
Lapland
I have booked the travel insurance through my work and have organised the travel to Birmingham.
I think I am looking forward to Lapland more than the children!
I will be adding a blog when we come back. I will add it to the holiday blog.
Thanks to my friends for their great support.
Monday, 3 December 2007
Targeted again

I have another comment from the guy who seems very bitter about my payment.
I have responded and have asked him to contact me directly and not go through the newspaper as he is becoming quite malicious in his comments. He is trying to say I blame my dad for my illness. I have never blamed my dad and loved him immensly. I am not sure if this a malicious attack by a family member as the person comments on my family all the time, assuming illnesses and how they feel. It’s like it is an attack that is very personal.
This is the first letter (which was not from the malicious person):
I am very happy that Mrs Brewer has won a satisfactory settlement from the Ministry of Defence. I am sure that this settlement was only made possible by the attention of the press and certainly not through the benevolence of the MOD. Mrs Brewers claim that the disease was occasioned by the contact with her fathers overalls was perhaps a little tenuous when considered against the refusal of the Ministry of Defence to compensate service men for the same condition. A warship was only habitable, if that is the word,because of the vast amounts of Asbestos that was used to insulate the ships. Blue asbestos being sprayed onto baremetal surfaces to a depth of about 50mm to insulate from the sea. Machinery spaces where it was only possible to work day in and day out surrounded by asbestos lagging. The dust caused by that material being subjected to the vibrations of high speed machinery and the effects of rough weather caused many of us,who were proud to serve in the Royal Navy,to conract asbestos related lung disease. That is a fact and is not denied by the MOD. As we were serving personnel and not civilian employees or their dependants we as a body are barred from any compensation. Is this really fair? | ||||||||
John, Kelly Bray The second letter is more personal :
|
Alimta battle continues

Yet another Mesothelioma sufferer is denied Alimta when this could extend his life by a few months. Victor Lamb is having to pay for his own treatment when it should be freely available on the NHS. When is this goverment going to take any notice of the voices who want the drug.
Victor was featured on the front of our local paper and the link is below.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=181429&command=displayContent&sourceNode=229968&home=yes&more_nodeId1=133174&contentPK=19139942
It is an idividual choice and if it gives the sufferer hope, who are this company to deny it. I have never heard of any company or committee so inappropriatley named “NICE” they certainly are not.
The update on the Alimta appeal will not be available until later this year or early next year. For some people this is too late. The link below details a little more about the meeting/appeal.
http://www.thompsons.law.co.uk/ntext/life-extending-cancer-drug-alimta.htm
Come on people the scottish have this drug free, we are run by a scottish minister, this is an unfair judgement and we all need to shout some more.
Sunday, 2 December 2007
Lapland tickets

Yay !! I have the tickets for Lapland….I am so looking forward to it. It will be myself and the 3 children going. Now the panic starts with the passports and documents.
This is the part I don’t like much, I will be fine when we are on the plane bit have this mad panic about the passports, tickets and documentation.
I would say I was OCD’d up but I was told I could not say that as I don’t have OCD. What that means is I have not been diagnosed with it but still have the mad panic and sweats that occur with this condition.
It isn’t pleasant and I do try and ask myself..what is the worst that can happen? That is why I panic, I am trying to stop that worse moment happening. I am going to sort out the insurance and travel to the airport tomorrow.
Any way…back to the main subject…….YAHOOOO!!!!!!!
: )
Saturday, 1 December 2007
Kieran's early birthday party
I arranged for my son, Kieran, to have an early birthday party with his friends as he will be in Lapland on his birthday. He will be 11 years old on 19th December. He had his party at the local bowling centre. He thoroughly enjoyed himself and his friends had a great time too. His favourite thing to do though was to go on a simulator ride in the bowling complex, I am sure he went on it 4 times! Good job I arranged the bowling !!!