Today, I so very happy to have, someone
I am proud to call a friend, Chris Stovell sitting round my pool. Chris is a
top selling author with Choc Lit and an amazing runner. We even run together
most days, virtually! Today, Chris is talking about her latest half marathon and why she’s running for Pancreatic Cancer UK. Her story is a moving one, so
please have a tissue ready, it certainly made me cry. Now please help yourself to a glass of bubbly, settle down under a parasol and meet my lovely friend…. Take it away Chris….
Well Pauline, I think we both deserve a
sit down by your pool after all the running we’ve been doing lately! It’s great having a running buddy - even if
we don’t actually manage to run together - but thinking about you running in
those scorching temperatures means I’ve got no excuse not to get up and go out
when the skies are grey and it’s raining here… i.e. most of the time! I’m also enjoying running in the Earthathon
virtual relay we’re both taking part in; it’s just a bit of fun but it’s been marvellous
to receive so much encouragement and support from runners across the globe.
I don’t know about you, but I find
running and writing are mutually beneficial activities. Running’s taught me that half-marathons are
just a series of small steps; at the beginning of a race I’m always afraid I
won’t finish, but by putting one foot in front of the other I somehow cross the
finish line. This has given me more
confidence in my writing; I’m a slow someone writer but I know that every
90,000 word novel begins with a single sentence and with every sentence I get
closer to The End. Running also works as a meditative practice for me; all the
thoughts of trial and tribulations cluttering my head recede as I concentrate
on the rhythm of my breathing and the rise and fall of my footsteps. I’ve had a tough couple of years with health
niggles and a family bereavement, but at last I’m going forwards with my work
in progress. I often find that plot
‘knots’ untangle themselves during a run - I’ll arrive at my desk and suddenly
realise what to write next.
I’ve just started training for my ninth
half marathon, the Cardiff Half which takes place on 2 October this year. After much thought - because it’s always hard
to ask people for donations when money is scarce and there are so many good
causes - I’m running for a second time to try to raise funds for Pancreatic
Cancer UK. Pancreatic cancer is known as the ‘silent’ killer because many of
its symptoms reflect less serious illnesses meaning that by the time diagnosis
is confirmed it’s often too late – which is what happened to my dad. Unfortunately pancreatic cancer survival
rates remain shockingly low and this grim disease is still taking too heavy a
toll. Pancreatic Cancer UK is fighting
to make a difference though supporting those affected by the disease, investing
in research and campaigning for change.
It’s too late for my dad, but one day the breakthrough will come which
might spare another family this pain. You can read our story on my JustGiving
page and here. Thank you for your
time.
When you’re sitting, waiting with
fragile hopes, in a hospital room for relatives, it’s brutal to be told
instead, ‘the operation was a complete success – but we couldn’t remove the
cancer.’ Pancreatic cancer is known as the ‘silent’ killer because many of its
symptoms reflect less serious illnesses meaning that by the time diagnosis is
confirmed it’s often too late – which is what happened to my dad. The Whipple procedure, the major surgery he
withstood, which might have prolonged his life, came too late.
I’m afraid I can’t provide photos of
sad kittens or cute puppies to make my chosen cause seem more appealing.
Pancreatic cancer isn’t very pretty, it’s cruel, it ravages strong beautiful
bodies and is no respecter of fame, talent or fortune. All we have left are a
few reminders of what the disease took away from him, and ultimately, from us.
I still have my dad’s last pair of
glasses complete with his fingerprints. Light Titanium frames with sprung sides
and high-index lenses. On a ‘cost per
wear’ basis they were never going to be a good investment, but medication
combined with the dying of his own light had played cruel tricks with his
vision. But my dear friend, Jill, Best
Optom in the World, did her best for him and this pair gave him a few more weeks
of reading pleasure – not the dense, academic tomes he’d previously relished,
perhaps, but at least he could read a newspaper, engage with the world a little
and enjoy his stamp collection. After his death, they came to me. When I opened the case there was another slip
of paper placed beneath the cleaning cloth.
Phone numbers. Waypoints for the final path. Mum’s mobile, my sister, our husbands, my two
grown-up daughters and me.
I have a set of book cases Dad made for
me. He was a carpenter and joiner, often called in by architects when they
needed someone with traditional skills who could make oak staircases, roof
lanterns or sash windows.
The back pain he suffered with
pancreatic cancer was relieved a little when he leaned forwards. He made himself
a lectern so he could read sitting at a table. It now sits on my desk.
A wooden block also sits on a corner of
my desk. It’s an intensely personal and
profoundly moving object. What is
it? Well, it’s one of pair, the last
things Dad made for himself which were designed to keep his bed at a more
comfortable angle during his final weeks.
And the rest of our tangible memories
are photographs of the man we loved, lost and miss every day. One of a kind, my
dad
Pancreatic cancer is the fifth leading
cause of all UK cancer deaths, but research into the disease is extremely
underfunded and survival rates have not improved in forty years. It’s too late
for my dad, but someone else’s dad might live longer if those survival rates
improve. Please help if you can.
And thank you Pauline for your generous
support, for being a terrific running buddy and letting me chat by your
pool. I suppose we’d better get on with
some writing now, hadn’t we?
Christine Stovell says all her writing
- short or long fiction, poetry or feature writing - is about making sense of
the world. Her novels are published by
Choc Lit and she has recently completed a series of house interior commissions
for The English Home magazine.
My website: http://christinestovell.com
My Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christine-Stovell/e/B003NJ0DUM
A huge thanks, Chris for sitting round my pool, you inspire me on all counts and I hope your fund raising continues to grow making every km you run feel like a golden step. I'm now away to change into my running kit so we can have a short 8km run together.
Also a big thank you to you for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed meeting my friend. I will be back soon with more news on my running, poster designing and of course, my latest book. Until then, take care and I hope the sun is shinning on your face and in your heart.
Love
Pauline
xxx
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