Apart from getting well and going bananas (please excuse the pun, but it really is annoying) trying to do a seemingly impossible jigsaw of a green grocers - all in the name of healthy eating - this week has been pretty non-plus!! The chemo has really taken it out of me, they did say it is accumulative but I was choosing not to believe them until now...
So, it's a good job I was sneaky and saved my weekend's adventures from your eyes so that I could fill you in and brighten up the mid week bore.
We were lucky enough to go to the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A museum on Saturday. A friends' tickets came our way when the XX festival moved dates, and quite niave to many of his hits and eccentricities, I was really surprised to enjoy it so much. I got a real sense of being in the presence of a star, and man do I want to be a rock star now!!
The new audio system I found very disorientating though, it was sensored so if you move a muscle whilst enjoying a song or introduction you have to move another muscle and start all over again. There was also a LOT of curator's notes so my advice would be to choose which method of learning to go for from the beginning other wise you end up not listening or reading!
Advance tickets have sold out but there is still a chance to see the exhibition if you turn up early enough on the day. Running until 11th August, I'd say sooner the better.
If you find yourself at the V&A and there are no tickets, a brand spanking new exhibition has just opened called the Memory Palace. It is 'a walk-in story that brings to life a new work of fiction by the author Hari Kunzo.' With work from 20 internationally acclaimed illustrators, graphic designers and typographers, it does look worth a trip! I intend to go next week when I'm feeling a bit more up for it so will report back soon.
We finished our day on Greek Street because we were exhausted and hungry. Stumbling across 'London's first vegetarian pub' was such a bonus. Norman's Coach and Horses is an absolute gem, a welcoming pub down stairs (with a piano sing-a-long on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and a quaint 20's stylee tea room and restaurant upstairs. I had tofush and chips with a mound of peas, and maki (coconut rice with fruit centre sushi) for  desert. An imaginative menu and cosy decor makes this a really lovely pit stop in the middle of bustling Soho.

Passing the time

Oh boy! The steroids are keeping me a going and a going tonight. It is generally the day or two after treatment that you feel horrid so here's how I prepare to dodge the immenant side effects (as well as the box sets such as Treme and Mad Men - they definitely help!):

The worst I find is feeling sicky, so I protect the gut with mucilaginous foods. If you can stomach it, slippery elm powder lines the digestive tract, but it is gross. Oats in everything. Leeks and seaweed, my preferred choice also contain mucilages.

For the moments when you feel peckish and pukey at the same time, frozen smoothies packed with fruits are a delight!

I'm a little worried because my acupuncturist has gone away for three weeks but so far I have sworn by an hour of needles and 'whale song' to keep me going. I use sea sickness bands that you can get from most big supermarkets which I have found very helpful too.

A sore mouth is another hurdle which I don't enjoy but I get over it by applying pineapple or papaya to the ulcers. Their protein enzymes break them down and they sure are a delicious cure. I'd compare it to having Calpol as a child but wouldn't go quite as far as faking it to have some!

Exercise is very important, even when all you want to do is liiieeee in beddddd. It gets the drugs pumping round the body and I promise makes you feel a lot better! When I'm feeling pretty rubbish I do three ten minute walks.

I'm going to channel my steroid infused high elsewhere now so I'm ready to practice what I preach tomorrow, so until next time...

Round 4: Cancer you are going downnn!

I'm in hospital for round 4 of chemotherapy and I'm absolutely freezing! To reduce the risk of hair loss I have opted to use the 'cold cap'. A spectacular contraption that reaches minus 6 degrees, aiming to restrict the blood flow to the fast growing hair cells so they are not affected by the drugs. It is only 50% effective though and you have to wear it every time the drugs are administered. It is cold, I was warned by my doctor that some people find it unbearable, but if you are worried about hair loss there is no harm in trying.
Unfortunately, I have a tiny head and I was given a normal-person sized cap the first time I came for chemotherapy so it hasn't really worked for me - I had to shave my hair - so it is definitely worth checking that the cap is tight enough. I still have some hair and I want to hold on to it so I'm carrying on, this time with a teeny cap.
Patti Smith is keeping me company with her fabulous autobiography 'Just Kids'. She tells an inspiring tale if ever I did hear one. My sister of Lola Piccolola is also here keeping me generously supplied with healthy snacks and stories.
It's really not all that bad!

Other crafty news, I have been busy juicing (a seriously super way of getting in your five a day) and making more artwork with the left over pulp. My header at the moment is a mixture of berries and pineapple pulp topped with melon triangles.
Annoyingly my computer has broken so I can't upload this mornings' creations but watch out for more coming soon.
I'm also off to art therapy at St. Barth's hospital this afternoon. I'm a little shy for it I think but after watching Mad Men's Betty glamourously pouring her heart out to her counsellor I might change my tack and go for it! Her cigarette is my paint brush.

As part of Clerkenwell Design Week last month, I saw an exhibition that I've not been able to stop thinking about. Design Exquis is 'inspired by the collective method of creation, developed by the Surrealists, known as Esquisite corps'. Using the notion not dissimilar to the game Consequences (a great story-telling game in itself) curators Florian Dussopt and Geraldine Vessiere set four artists a challenge. The first is given an object which is chosen for its design qualities, they have to respond to this by developing a piece of art work. On completion their work is then passed on to the next artist for them to use as inspiration for their creation, and so on.
A mixture of Florian's whole-hearted enthusiasm in explaining the exhibition and the fascinating response to the challenge from the artists made this a must see. Luckily, the next exhibition is on its way. The next Design Exquis will be showing at the Roca London Gallery, 7th September - 16th November.
Until then, I have organised my own Equisite corps between my pals. I am kicking things off this week and am passing my piece on today. Exciting! I already can't wait to see the results.

Oxfordshire was great. This weekend I've been celebrating the English countryside, the only place where children clap with glee on receiving a 99er in the rain. I found Stratford particularly gorgeous with its cobbley streets and sloping rooftops. We saw a deer out of our bedroom window and felt charmed by the nature. It was an idyllic trip.
My one issue was eating out. Since my diagnosis I have nosed dived my head in to a hundred books on what not to eat and which foods can help kick this to the curb. At home, I have stuck to what I have found out (which I intend to share) and have found it relatively easy, but eating out is difficult. I have given up dairy but no restaurant wants to help me carry this out. I will plan better next time I think. If I'd have taken healthy snacks around with me I wouldn't have had to have a slice of peanut butter stack (eek!).
We have decided there definitely will be a next time. Just an hour outside of every city I'm sure, there will be country side. Its slow pace and colourful background leaves you feeling so relaxed, I think even a weekend would be enough.
Back amongst the commuters and traffic now though, ready to explore London some more and catch up on my cancer admin. Next issue: sort. out. wig!

Wow! If Agnetha: Abba and After (the first half at least) isn't enough to put you in a good mood - plus a weekend to boot -then I don't know what is?! A light hearted documentary that covers the careers of four ordinary Swedish town folk come hugely talented pop legends of the 70s. It ends with the story of how an unlikely (and sadly very cheesy) duet with Gary Barlow comes about for Agnetha after over twenty years out of the lime light.
Sweden's blonde bombshell came across beautifully. She lives a modest life nowadays but here's some undeniably cool photographs to remind you of her colourful career, courtesy of Last FM.

Wishing you all very good weekend! I'm off to Oxfordshire for a few days. After everything I said yesterday about loving my city, well I'm also very fond of the countryside. With all the talk of infections during chemotherapy I just love to breath the clean, fresh air.

I have a new hobby!
N.B. My choice of picture for my first cross-stitch was intentional. I'm pushing healthy eating. Go eat some carrots.

A talk at the Bloomsbury Institute tonight titled 'Cities are Good for You' got me to thinking why I love living in a city so much and what keeps me in London despite the smog and crowds. Here are the results in no particular order - 

1. Architecture. The Lesser Known Architecture exhibition at the Design Museum will make you see buildings in a different light if you haven't been converted already. 2. Our daily bread. The E5 bakery sells the tastiest loaves for really reasonable prices, find out more here. 3. Impossibly stylish people, brought to us this week by The Sartorialist. 4. A constant supply of good art, my favourite at the moment being the Souzou exhibition at the Wellcome Collection. A gorgeous collection of work that really grabs your attention.  It's a debut for Japanese 'outsider art' in the UK and it finishes on the 30th June so get down there quick. 5. Strokes of genious (or madness); I really like the sound of this grass-free park. A floral, scented lawn planted in West London claims to provide a friendlier habitat for pollinating insects. 6. I can get sushi whenever I damn well please, enough said. 7. More well dressed folk, found by the Style Scout. With so many vintage markets and endless highstreets for a playground, there's not much excuse for anything else! 

So what keeps you in the city? Or is it the rolling hills of the country side that puts a smile on your face?!

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Today I have been to Haven, a charity-led breast cancer support centre in Fulham. I took part in the young persons support group, one of the many groups and workshops run at the centre. I found it surprisingly rewarding speaking so openly to people that are going / have been through cancer. There were lots of different stories told.
I also used one of my ten free sessions on an hour of pure indulgence; reflexology leaves me feeling weak at the knees giddy, it's divine. There is a huge choice of complementary therapies from reiki to emotional freedom therapy (that's a new one on me!).  I had an initial appointment with a doctor who talks through each and helps choose the best therapies best for you.
It's a really lovely place but busy so appointments are for quite a way in to the summer.

I've had a busy few days of extra curricular anti-cancer activities and I'm feeling good. Yesterday I visited the Royal London Hospital for Intergrated Medicine to learn about mistletoes and it turns out there's more to the plant than a Christmas kiss.
Mistletoe extract, also known in the medical world as Iscador was first used to treat cancer in the 1920's. It's main aim is to support the body's own defence system but may also have some effect in directly combating cancerous cells. Its a complementary therapy and by no means claiming to be a cancer cure, but some studies have indicated an improvement in the survival time when Inscador is added to more conventional treatment. The only thing is, the most popular method of administration is by injection. By yours truly. Gulp!
The hospital itself is a fascinating place so I'm glad I came across it from hearing about Iscador; it's quite well hidden. It's managed by the NHS but it seems more affable than your average hospital. They intergrate the best of conventional and complementary treatments for all sorts of complaints such as IBS and depression. The Dr's rooms were covered in plants and it felt like a healthy environment to be in.
You have to be referred by your doctor and they will need to write to the Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine, Complementary Cancer Care Clinic, 60 Great Ormond Street, WC1N 3HR.
It's relatively safe method of therapy so it seems like a no brainer to me. People have started coming up to me on the street and kissing me though, and it's making me blush!!

Before I was ill I'd play silly games to decide my own fate: if my rubbish landed in the bin then I'd have another choccy, or if I could be the first on the steps coming off the tube I'd be in for a good night. That sort of thing. 
Like most things, these superstitions have become a bit more cutting now: I was given some peonies last week and besides 'what gorgeous flowers and what a lovely gesture', I thought nothing of them. Now, after a trip to the Royal College of Physicians garden things have changed. I found out peonies are called peonies after Peon, the physician to the Gods. Somehow (in my maybe not too serious mind) this means I'm going to be well looked after all of a sudden and I'm going to live! Hurray! 
I wonder whether the sender of the peonies knew she was giving such a gift as life. I doubt it but I'm going to take great delight in telling her...