A Place in History.

There’s many a thing that happen during the course of a week, any week really, but as an OMie no week runs as expected. Another appointment has wound up with another PET scan booked. Another period of my life when I’m so full of nuclear Medicine that I can’t even be in the same car as my children or my dog. The dog doesn’t mind so much, he actually kept a distance last time. Incredible intuition. Then there’s the light hearted way I describe next Tuesday as a day for mummy to ‘glow’ to London again and we all sing ‘RadioActive, RadioActive’. It’s not normal and forgive me, a little unfair. On another day this week, much more soul pleasing, I’ve written an article about my relationship with OM (Ocular Melanoma) and OM (Yogi style). An account of how there is a way where the two OM’s collide and find peace and strength. The whole ‘inner vision’ and centre of strength does help in moments of darkness, of which I’m having several at the moment. I did think I was on a break with a foreseeable time free from medics. To accompany my article, photos are required; well that was fun! With stitches still in my knee and my dodgy eye, I took to my mat in-front of a photographer, set designer, and Patricia, a friend and Yoga guide, (I don’t like to use the word teacher) and captured some moments of fun. All 3 of them qualified yoga practitioners. I have to say the positive energy in that room with us all together, including my younger daughter too, snapping pics to go with my words, was so energising. Now to explain the place in history title. Having a super rare disease and wanting to both raise awareness and discovery I was more than happy to hand over some blood to the Oxford Genetics Centre. A form signed and claret extracted for research into any biological reason why I may have this unusual cancer. It was explained that sometimes, out of the 25,000 genes we are made from, there may be a ‘spelling error’ along the way. What we’re trying to ascertain is whether this mutated gene is linked at all to any other member of my genetic family, both alive or passed, and if so- can they isolate it? I do like an answer to a question, especially that good old ‘why me!’ It will take a couple of months to determine whether this is a gene flaw and possibly to ascertain where it has come from- but, they may find nothing. That being the case my blood sample will stay frozen for multiple use over many years involved in a project called 100,000 Genomes. The largest medical science research project in the world. I knew I was here for a reason, apart from the obvious ones that are this life that I’m living, there’s a little bit of me that will live on way beyond now and may help change the lives or outcomes of future generations.