Bebo is about to go so I'm posting a couple of what I feel are important blogs.

(Bebo Jan 09)

Pondering...

It has been seven years this month since I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and two and a half years since I got the ‘ok’ from that one. Funny how something like that changes your life rather dramatically. You start to realise that life is fragile and short and certainly isn’t long enough to put up with shite from people who get caught up in foolish games.
When I found out that I had cancer I had just moved to Auckland after the best part of 25 years in Taranaki, and with that bombshell I was thrown into a time of “what the hell do I do now”. What I did was quit work for just over three months and decided that I was going to beat the cancer. I had a specialist that gave me just over six months to live. Wasn’t happy with that prognosis so I fired him and found a doctor who didn’t tell me to curl up and die. Was scary to sit in the office of the oncologist and have him say “I think you should make a will because I don’t think you’ll be seeing Christmas this year”. No manners that man, so I said a couple of rude words to him and pointed out that no one told me when to die, I fired him, picked up my file and walked out of the hospital. I remember rather vividly sitting in my car thinking “holy crap what do I do now” and laughed my head off for about a solid minuet. I had many moments of “what do I do now” and also had many moments of “you fix it, that is what you do”. After chemo, radio therapy and several blood transfusions I have some cool scars and some funny stories if you even wanna hear them.
Since I was 23 years old I have been collecting the set when it comes to cancers… yeah yeah I know, that sounds morbid… but. I’ve had breast cancer, skin cancer and Non-Hodgkin’s and have decided that three is a good number and I don’t need anymore.
My life has been put on hold several times to deal with the cancer and I have now decided that I don’t want to put it on hold anymore. At 37 I haven’t done half the things I wanted to have done by now and have made a list and intend to tick those off over the next three years. One of those things was have a family but thanks to chemo and radio therapy I’m fried so that isn’t gonna happen without some of that fancy IVF stuff; if you need an ‘Aunty’ to help you out with your precious children just let me know and I’ll be there! Yup that is an offer of free babysitting lol.
I still have a couple of years of being checked to make sure I continue to be cancer free and while that is going on I’m going to race my car, go on my long awaited Europe trip, attempt to buy an investment property, go hot air ballooning and get a job that uses my brain. Among all of that I will continue to do my wedding photography, painting and do a couple of papers towards getting my religious studies completed.
Most of all I want to grow my friendships and stay healthy. (Don’t take your health for granted, if you are trashing your body, please stop it as it’s killing you)
If you’re wondering why I have posted something rather personal like this, it’s in hope that it will help you treasure the people who matter to you. So my advise is this: Stop the bullshit, reach down and find your balls and do what ever it is that you have been putting off. You will feel better that you followed your dream. Honest…

Take care my friends and consider your answer to this ‘If this was your last year on earth what would do…’

PS: Oh and don’t eat white bread, it’s sooo bad for you!!
PPS: Thank you to those of you who have supported me over the last few years in all that I have done. And a massive thank you to the couple who have been my 'hero' in my times of need, I hope I have told you how much I love you for that.

Man-0-man I'm getting all soppy... can ya tell it's 2am
Good night
Chelles