To Pinkrose
Positive Thinking might be dragging her feet behind you but least you know she’s there somewhere! I’m sure she will catch up and if i see her on my travels i’ll give her a nudge on.
x
I’ve sent Laughsinthefaceofdanger to give Positive Thinking a good boot up the backside, so she should be with you very shortly.
Anyone with alcohol supplies will be a welcome sight - not fussy whether red wine/gin/beer or vodka… though Baileys might make me start a hasty jog towards you!!
Enid Blyton wood is good - magic faraway tree is in there somewhere, and that’s a place I haven’t visited since childhood!
Sophie xx
Perhaps someone could give Positive Thinking a nudge in my direction…thought I was alright about tomorrow (FEC2) but as it gets closer, it’s a lot darker…
She can meet me in the church for the carol service I am going to before I go…this is normally the real start of Xmas for me, and I am hoping that Positive Thinking will be there too as I sing along with 600 boys - it’s always an uplifting experience, and I am hoping that’ll be even more so tomorrow.
Just realised that sending Laughsinthefaceofdanger off to sort Positive Thinking out has meant that I have neither at MY back for tomorrow… any fresh ideas on what reinforcements I could call in?
Ok.
Positive Thinking is good, but we know that she has her flaws she tends to make a run for it just when you need her. May I introduce you to her little known sister ‘Bring-IT-on’.
Bring-IT-on will only appear when Positive Thinking has deserted her post. She looks in disdain at the trail left by Positive Thinking in her hasty retreat. This sister means business!! She knows it’s scary - thats why Positive Thinking cleared off but she knows there is no choice. She knows you would rather be doing something else the week before xmas but she knows there is no choice. She KNOWS you can do it.
Bring-IT-on has her gloves off. Let her hold your hand and take you to that scary place. Close your eyes, keep walking, it will pass.
xx
Woods are magical places full of wonders you never see from the outside
Reeb x
May I just add having been through the woods over the past year, they are never as scary on the other side as they are before you enter!!.
good luck, the ends do justify the means
Hi All,
just wanted to say to those of you stepping into the woods today/next cpl of days, that remember we are all going to be with you at some point, some are ahead & some are behind but we can & will do it together & look at all the supplies we have got together in the last few days, we will do this journey together 
Take care & love & best wishes to us all. Sarah.xxxx
Looking into the wood all I saw was a dark, dark inhospitable place. Slowly I walked through and managed to get on a footpath which slowly led me through into a glade. I followed this and sometimes nearly veered off into the dark place again. I kept on the path and finally have come through the other side. looking back, the dark wood is a scary place but not unbeatable. You will come through it, horrible as it may be and hopefully reach the open spaces and sunshine once again.
Well, took my first steps in and didn’t fall flat on my face PICC line put in with no probs at all, then straight to chemo ward, where they were waiting with open arms - and we were home by lunchtime. Feeling a little ‘odd’ and tired, but (touch wood, and at least in the woods there are plenty of tree trunks to grab in a superstitious moment) - nothing too bad as yet. Even managed to eat some chocolate and it still tastes good.
I know that it may be a little darker round the corner, but for now the glade I am in is touched by only dappled shadow - don’t be afraid - come join me and see
xxxx
(Positive Thinking never showed up - but S*d It let’s Get Going was there to gee me on, passing her back to help out the next traveller)
Positive Thinking needs a good kick. She is totally annoying, especially as most people suggest that’s the first thing you turn to.
Glad the wood is fairly pleasant at the mo, give me a couple of days and i’ll be crashing in. You will probably hear my ‘jungle cry’!
Have provisions of ‘Bring-IT-On’, ‘laughinthefaceofdanger’, ‘S*ditandgetonwithit’ as well as ‘Don’tyouknowihavecancerthereforeigetthelastbitofcake’ and ‘Gin’ (Gin isn’t an acronym, it’s just Gin’). I
If i find the dappled glade i will sit and picnic for a bit just to get my bearings, all are welcome to join me.
xx
Hi stay calm and everyone else I too was getting seriously p***d off with the positive thinking malarky and find your comments re bring it on etc great. Also I have found an article in cancercounsellingtrust web site ( sorry turned 60 this wk and cannot do links) Go to their home page and in the resources link there is listing. Peter Harvey has an article entitled 'The perils and pitfalls of positive thinking’I dates from 1999 but he says it all. Love Jackie
Hi everyone,
I embarked on my adventure through the woods in May. There are definitely terrible things in those woods, and plenty of good things too, but you have the right equipment with you. I have emerged from the dark part of the woods, but have tripped many times since then, and will probably continue to do so, but it is light here now, where I am. I wish you all the best, and I’m sure you will find people to hold you hand when you need someone, as long as you ask. Don’t stay huddled in a ball with your eyes shut when you get frightened but reach out to find help.
As for positive thinking, here is a link I found on another thread from msmolly, but it is very like Jackie’s article, I believe.
guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/02/cancer-positive-thinking-barbara-ehrenreich
Hugs to you all, there is always a glimmer, even if it sometimes seems very far away.
Maria
hi all,
i would like to say that while at the begining of this long trek my woods looked like the backyard of a knightmare to elm street. i can say in hindsight it was more like nania, lots of sureal feelings, and lots of genuine caring and good thoughts. it may be a trek that you might get hurt now and then, but the good feelings from the people that understand and care whats happening to us made me believe that,you know what, you can put a fire to that dismal wood, and end up with charcol for the barbie where you will invite your friends and have fun, it all depends on how you see it x
You lot forgot a couple more characters. What about HeadInTheSand? Usually loiters outside but sometimes sticks its beak in for a poke about. Can sometimes need to be told to get stuffed and take its chum Overstretch with it. Both of them have been stalking me for years. Fortunately I ducked out of the way of HeadInTheSand and got a lump looked at quickly, but Overstretch still dogs my steps and I take on too much. Am learning how to kick him into touch and offload big things, but not so good at doing it with the little things so still end up with too much on my plate.
Oh, and pyjamas! Haven’t worn any for years and years and years, so off to Sainsbury to buy some of their cheapos, just in case.
I forgot. I’ve asked Santa for a Kindle, as I reckon I’ll have lots of hanging around waiting for stuff in the next few months.
Chocciemuffin - how could we have overlooked these characters? lol - Headinthesand still crops up on my trek, often accompanied by BlatantlyIgnoringThis… they have their uses occasionally, as long as we don’t grow to rely on them!!
How close to the dark dark woods are you?
Sophie xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I’m on the black ice-covered slippery slope heading down towards the dark, dark wood with no way back - entry is inevitable. Core biopsy 1st Dec, diagnosis 8th Dec, met consultant yesterday, MRI scan next Tuesday with possible further biopsies etc just so surgeon knows which bits to cut out. Surgery and Tamoxifen inevitable (now who was that, BringITon?) but the facility is excellent and they do this OSNA thing where sentinel node biopsy results come back while you’re still out cold.
Oh, how about “They’re turning me into a Smurf!” with the prospect of a blue boob - can’t wait for that particular indignity. Poor left boob has already been all colours of the rainbow just following the core biopsy, so I suppose this is just adding to its palette. The blue tears will make subtle noiseless sobs a bit less discreet - maybe I should start wearing electric blue mascara as an excuse for a blue face?
Another one woods inhabitant is “This One Or That One?” I gather indecision is almost a given but I’ve been best bosom (sorry!) buddies with that one for years. Bloody hope the surgeon doesn’t have that particular chum, I’d hate to think she chops up the wrong boob!
Hi Guys
Will be joining you in the woods soon. Will be making my way down the path on 7th January and I will be searching for all your flickering torches as I take each step. Bag packed ready but sh*ttingmyself.com insists on coming with me. Hoping positiveattitude and her sister BringITon kicks him into touch. Hope I bump into the Gin carriers but any company would be more than welcome. Standing outside looking in doesnt seem half as scary now…even though it is 3:46am and snowing heavily…Alison x
To Chocciemuffin and alimbutt sorry to hear you’re joining us, but will leave provisions at the start of the wood (Gin bottle might only be half full by then)
I take my steroids tomorrow, which i guess is the equivalent of doing up my shoelaces, so nearly ready to go.
Overstretch is one that i might have a battle with unless completely wiped out and was rather un-nerved this morning when ‘Woe-is-Me’ and ‘SorryforMyself’ turned up. Who the bl**dy hell invited them??? It took all my strength to hang on to Positive Thinking who took one look at these guys and tried to make a bolt for it. SHE IS SOOO ANNOYING!
I really feel as if we are all here and some of the threads have made me laugh a lot. Onwards fellow travellers! x
Oh. My. God. How could I forget Sh*ttingmyself.com? Twin sibling of CatOnAHotTinRoof who has been my constant companion, along with Sleep?WhoNeedsSleep!
HaveAnotherTissue also a good friend, though I find sleeves will do in an emergency.
So who’s got blizzards out there? Nothing like making the journey easy, eh?
Just had a very silly thought. When you find out you’re pregnant you have lots of worries, lots of niggles, sleepless nights, discomfort, etc etc etc and it takes absolutely ages. You have to buy lots of bits of kit along the way (big knickers and maternity bras, baggy clothes, creams and unguents) and it’s all very strange and scary. And at the end of it, life is never the same again. I think I’ll look at this journey like a pregnancy with all of its nasty symptoms as the wait for “the new me” that will be born at the end of all the sh!tty treatments I’ll be having along the way.