My People.(Introducing my favourite Guest bloggers!)

The last blogpost told something of how Life has been changed by learning to coexist with that gigantic proverbial C-elephant in the room,but now I want to introduce the people (My People!)  who have made it possible. They are the people in my life who have lived "this" and as hard as it has been for me, I  also worry about how they have felt , coped, stayed optimistic through everything!They are few in number, and  of course, we have many other wonderful ,caring friends and family for whom I am eternally grateful , but "My People"deserve a special mention, a Jacqui Gong , if you like, because , after all these years they have not become desensitised or tired of worrying, or already written me off (as some inevitably do and have!).  THEY are my continued, unerring pillars of strength who hold me up when I falter, they are my rocks, upon which I am allowed to founder. They have been by my side (if only figuratively sometimes), for every step of this difficult pathway and have done and would do anything to ease my discomfort along the way. Just as importantly, they know the reverse applies.That's why I'm keeping going,for them, primarily, because I want to continue travelling as far along that road as I can possibly go!
I asked them if they would be prepared to contribute to this blog, and as usual, amazing human-beings that they are, they have stepped up to the plate yet again........for which I thank them , yet again!

FBUD
Fbud is the sort of best mate every girl should have. She is my SSbud (SoulSister!) She was, as she goes on to say in her contribution, which follows, there at the very beginning and has been there for me at every turn since.Her kindness, patience and generosity are boundless.Her sense of fun and humour are infectious.Her hospitality and attentiveness are second to none. She  is tall  and blonde with amazing, slim and toned never-ending pins  (how many Euros did we agree on Fbud?)No, she really is! When she used to come into the hospital on chemo-days, my Oncologist Dr.P couldn't take his eyes off her and her  (amazing,slim etc. etc...)legs and kept asking me about "My friend with those legs"! (But, it's ok, I can live with her tallness and her Top Model/Athlete legs, because she always makes (little) me feel good too!!)We confide everything in each other, enjoy the good times and smile through the bad...We talk for hours on the phone and  in person. We've never had a cross word. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's my Bestbud............Here's her side of the story so far........

Fbud's Frogblog (don't ask!)

In a weird and mystical way,Jacqui's cancer was the matchmaker in our relationship as BestBuds. Don't get me wrong, no way am I handing out plaudits to the Big C - would give anything for Jacqui to be cancer-free and be bestbuds with a  ski-ing, golfing, cossack-dancing northener of just under average height (tee-hee!)  but as Jacqui says ...Carpe Diem- what the... does that mean anyway ?? So, the story unfolds in this way.Its one of those gorgeous sunny days that make you feel privileged to be living in Greece (pre-crisis) .A group (flock,gaggle,stink?) of sweaty female tennis players sit down for coffee and a chat. As I sling my oversized tennis bag on the ground,it tips up, revealing its sordid contents. Hastily shoving back dirty tissues,spare knicks, nibbled twix bar (energy,right?), etc, I spot the business card of my gynaecologist. Having lived in Greece for longer than most of the girls ( see..i was washed up on these shores in a Moses basket!) , I decide to share my local knowledge and ask if anyone wants the name of a good multilingual gynae., totally not expecting Jacqui to say calmly that yes, she probably does need one since she'd just discovered a tiny lump..... FastForward (I know I'm copying you Jbud, but hey,you're the blog expert now !) six years on and Jacqui and I are well-established buddingBestbuds . It turns out we  have plenty in common which doesn't involve hurtling down snowy slopes or putt putt. We've been gym buds, we've shared confidences and references ( a dab of Tippex on photocopies of hers and I'm an Oxford grad- got the job !) , we've been on holidays together ,girls' nights out, drunk a lot and laughed even more. Then, crap of craps, Jacqui finds out that her cancer has metastasised! Radiotherapy,followed by chemo , just for starters and as Jacqui is now living far from the hospital, she comes to stay with me whenever she needs to. This is when we dive into deep Best Buddiness.............. But being Jacqui's best bud is never defined by the Cancer. I selfishly enjoy her company under any circumstances ,and shopping for wigs, lunching before treatments and bleary-eyed breakfasts after treatments are  all part of the fun,however warped that sounds ! Each time we get together ,I'm always blown away by how stylishly gorgeous she is, with or without hair and at her amazing ability to make life more fun for all of us who know her. Jacqui- you're simply the Best!