29th August 2022
The bank holiday at the end of August clearly defines to me the end of summer. The Chiltern views on Ewelme Down Farm in Wallingford offers a rural rustic style log cabins. The perfect city escape for us because it is only one hours drive.
This location is my blissfulness, a gem of a find if you want to be surrounded by nature with minimum human contact and nothing much to do but to unwind in silence with a good book and the surrounding nature.
The farm has taken up the governments rewilding scheme which makes it extra special because of the area purpose which offers great views in the summer and most importantly plays it's role in boosting biodiversity whilst offering spectacular views.
According to rewilding Britain, 'the UK is in the lowest 12% of global countries for biodiversity intactness'. I am happy to visit a farm which is playing a role in helping to restore the ecosystem at a local level, especially with my recent cancer diagnosis it makes me think about climate crisis on a more personal level.
Furthermore, the biodiversity of the world provides rich resource and a dominant role in cancer and chemotherapeutics therefore it is essential farms support rewilding schemes, to help minimise the risk of losing many important species so that we can carry on using nature to heal and find new drugs for the future.
This time round our short trip felt a little different for the two of us. Rob, (my partner) and I were escaping these last few weeks because Cancer was beginning to disrupt our daily lives.
What started as a routine 360 Health Assessment check-up, offered by my work for those employee's over the age of 40, (every two years) has led to not knowing if I have Cancer. More worryingly where the primary cancer is located, commonly known by the medical profession as 'Unknown Primary.'
As you can imagine this type of news is like cotton wool, the start of a snowstorm that not only plays with your body physically, because you are being poked at by the medical professionals for blood and scans but also because mentally your life is put into a state of limbo. Not knowing if you have cancer because you are waiting for the test results to be confirmed is a period of wretchedness. On the one hand instinct was telling me I have it but I was unsure. The doctor’s behaviours and the further tests being carried out made me sense something was not right.
The one place most professionals tell you not to look up is the internet, yet I found this useful information from reputable organisations, such as the NHS, MacMillan, and Cancer research to name a few organisations. Knowledge is power and I like to take ownership by sometimes doing my own research. At this stage the Cancer seed had already been planted in my mind and I was feeling jumbled. Just like the song says, I knew there might be trouble ahead but let’s face the music and dance, Nat King Cole.
What I did know is that I wanted to escape the medical world in the August 2022 late Bank holiday weekend. I wanted to live and be in the present moment. I wanted to have a good memory before experiencing any further unknown news about cancer. I wanted to lift my spirit and mood. Most importantly, we wanted to live the weekend normally, like we did before my life with cancer started.
Thankfully we managed to let go of everything and we really did forget about Cancer for most of the weekend. We enjoyed the moment which was helped by playing one song over and over again because we became silly and the song put a great big smile on our faces and we danced a few good times, (Cancer can't take the grooves away!) throughout the day listening to Escape, (The Pina Colada song), Rupert Holmes This song says it all for me and helped me get out of my head and live in the present moment not taking life too seriously. Fun fact, I don't like Pina Colada's and I am really into yoga!
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