Monday 8th December 2008

We didn't blog last month because there was not much news to report. However, Jane visited the doctor today and got her latest results. The blood tumour marker count has gone up again slightly but there was no exponential growth and the Doc seemed happy to stay in a monitoring mode. This is more great news; no treatment now for more than 12 months. Jane still gets tired and needs plenty of rest but we realised last week that she had missed her vitamin B injection. She had the jab this morning and so that should relieve some of the tiredness too.

Other news. Well, like most of you we are into Christmas preparations. This year we are more organised than usual but we can't think how or why. The puds are made and we have made homemade mincemeat too. We have done the first batch of Christmas cards and the spare bedroom is becoming a bit of an Aladdin's cave. Jane's Mum is coming for Christmas and Sheila, who lives just behind us, will join us for lunch. We shall go to Canterbury for a short stay after Christmas. Leo comes home from university next weekend. Lydia, meanwhile, is mid-panto season (oh yes she is!)

More and more we are convinced of the power of prayer and we thank all of you for all of yours; they bring great strength and comfort and, tangible results! We wish you all a very joyous and peaceful Christmas and a very happy and fulfilling New Year.

Love from us all.

Monday 6 October 2008

We didn't blog earlier because we knew that Jane was going to get some test results. She had a soft tissue scan last week and the results today. We were a little worried because the results appointment seemed to come so fast on the heels of the scan. However, good news!! The tumours in Jane's liver have shrunk in size significantly. She will have another blood test in about 6 weeks' time and see the oncologist in about 2 months. So, there we are, your prayers continue to work; praise the Lord!!

We had a great time in Gozo and this photo comes from that holiday. We went to the beach most days, read a lot and even went to a healing service in the local church. We found some wonderful restaurants and the whole experience was really relaxing. We had stayed at our friends, Barry and Denise's apartment. They joined us for the last few days and made a real fuss of us. The sunshine really lifted our spirits after the complete failure of the English summer.

The weekend before going to Gozo we celebrated our wedding anniversary in Paris and so there's a photo of Jane enjoying a water ice in Marais too.

Leo's back at university now after a great summer. He and I went to see Seasick Steve in Southampton last Friday night (fnatastic swamp blues) and I drove him back to Cardiff with a double bed on Saturday. As I type Lydia's at the gym and life goes on as we race towards Christmas.

Thank you all, for your continued prayers - they mean so much and they have such effect.

Last, I am running the Salisbury 1/2 Marathon on 19 October for Salisbury Hospice where Jane was an in-patient in January 2007. If you would like to sponsor me visit :www.justgiving.com/peterstamps

Thank you!!!

Sunday 10th August 2008

Jane is upstairs taking a nap. She still gets really tired and achy and needs a lot of sleep. Those who know Jane also know she only has 2 speeds; full ahead and stop. Yesterday she was baking scones and then helping at Bemerton church doing teas in the afternoon. Today, after church, she was straight back to bed.

Leo has come back from a 3 gig tour with Taking Tiger Mountain. He loved it and they even sold some merchandise; he has a taste for more now. If you want to listen they have some songs on Myspace I believe. Next he is working at Reading Festival and then off to Amsterdam (with the band I think) and then Barcelona (without the band I think) - hard to keep up. I have asked him to put some dates on the calendar so that we know how many we are feeding.

Lydia is back from holidays in Tenerife looking very tanned. This weekend she is in London with friends. Jane and I will take our holidays in September - we had hoped to enjoy an English summer at home and I suppose that is just what we have got. Last weekend we walked up in Groveley Wood - even when it rains the canopy of trees allows us to stay pretty dry. We haven't been able to sit in the garden much but we have enjoyed a lot of wild strawberries and some raspberries and recently we have had masses of mulberries and now the balckberries are starting. There is always something to be thankful for.

Our love to you all.

Sunday 20th July 2008

There is not a lot of news at the moment so I am just indulging myself with this blog. At the last visit to the oncologist Jane's tumour markers were up slightly but the Doc seemed to think within reasonable tolerances and wasn't at all alarmed. It was a little disappointing but, I guess, not altogether surprising. Jane stays pretty well so long as she gets plenty of rest; but those of you who know her also know she only has two speeds - full ahead both and stop. She doesn't do pacing herself!! Jane is now in the prayer ministry team at St Paul's; I am sure she is going to be just brilliant at that. The picture is from the archive - taken in Siena about 3 years ago.

Leo is home intermittently. I have just boooked tickets for me and him to see Seasick Steve in Southampton in October. Lydia, meanwhile, has gone on holiday with friends to Tenerife for a week.

My work goes along - I am just happy to be here.

Our love to you all and continuing thanks for your prayers.

Saturday 28th June

We returned from Italy earlier this week having been there for Martin and Tina's big birthday bash in Pozzuolo. We had a wonderful time enjoying great weather and company. Thank you, Sandra, for looking after us so well. Pictures are of Jane at the birthday lunch and Sandra's wonderful home.

Jane found the Ryanair seats really uncomfortable but she coped womanfully with the peculiar motion of our rented Chevrolet Matiz!!

She is seeing her consultant on Monday; if there is anything of real interest I will blog again next week.

Leo is working at Glastonbury and Lydia is at a wedding this weekend.

Love to all of you.

Sunday 8th June 2008

Sorry folks - I got confused with my dates at the last entry and posted June instead of May. Well, now it is June and we shall wait to see if it flames. Both Lydia and Leo are home at the moment and we have all enjoyed the Salisbury Festival of Arts that finished last night with a party in Cathedral Close and fireworks.

Lydia had a friend, Suzanne, staying at the start of the festival who was involved in a performance art piece called "Hotel Medea" that was put on by a cooperative group that was part Brazilian, part British - if I got it right. Anyway it started at midnight and the first part finshed at 2am when Jane and I left; it then went on 'til dawn. Lydia and Leo both stayed. It was an amazing performance which we all enjoyed but it left us tired for Tinariwen (fantastic band from Mali) the following night. The lead singer/guitarist collapsed on stage towards the end (we gather subsequently from exhaustion) but not because he had been at Hotel Medea (sorry- weak joke).

Now we have 2 girls from S Africa staying who are part of the Fezeka choir in the Cape Town townships. The choir has been fantastic and we have also been treated to a talk from Archbishop Tutu and a chance to meet him this afternoon at the Bshop's tea party.

So, what of Jane? Well, she's running around at full speed looking after guests and children - and she doesn't like being told to slow down. If you know her you will get the picture. Anyway, the girls return to SA on 17 June and we head for Italy on 19 June to see Martin and Tina Leggett for their birthdays.

We are sooo lucky! Pictures this time of Leo with Archbishop Tutu and Ntombe (one of our guests) and the fireworks last night.

Love to you all.

Groveley Wood - Sunday 11th June 2008

Jane and I went up to Groveley Woods, just outside Salisbury, this afternoon for a stroll. I attach a photo of the bluebells and a little bunch of wild flowers that Jane collected. It really feels like summer today - hurrah.

Love to all

Peter and Jane

Thursday 1st May 2008

We had a great weekend in Barcelona. Jane did really well and had sufficient energy and stamina to visit the Picasso Museum, Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell and take in the shops. We also found some wonderful restaurants and enjoyed an Oxfam event in the park on Sunday morning.

As we were leaving the park we were treated to the sight of a policeman arresting an unlicensed balloon salesman. He got the seller into the car OK, it was just the 169 balloons that caused a problem! On completion of the task he got a round of applause but he blanked us all - too bad. Photo attached.

I had the chance to have some really good runs along the seafront to try and counter all the excellent food - not much luck there!

We got home on Tuesday night and since then Jane has had a cold but apart from that all is well. Thanks for continuing prayers - they do work.

Wednesday 23rd April 2008

Jane went to see her oncologist on Monday. Her tumour markers have dropped a further 2 points! It's still going in the right direction. She gets tired and achy but we think that's related to the painkillers as much as anything.

Anyway, to cheer her up there is an addition to the family in the form of Edith (see picture) - a therapet. She is supposed to be Lydia's cat but Jane and Edie dote on one another.

Other news - Lydia has passed her driving test, I have retired from the Regular Army (but I'm still working!) and we are about to have a long weekend in Barcelona.

Jane has requested that we keep this blog going and so, of course, we shall! It's a great way to stay in touch and we appreciate your posts too!

Love from us all and thanks for your continued prayers.

Sunday 9th March 2008

Jane went to see the oncologist at the end of last month. Her tumour markers have fallen again! She is now down to 75. Last year about this time it was close to 2000. Apparently the average count for people unaffected by cancer is about 30. This is great news. She doesn't need to see the oncologist again until April and no more treatment in the meantime. That means that she will have had 6 clear months without requiring chemo. Of course, she still needs painkillers and a lot of rest for the damage already done but this is still wonderful news.

We will keep this site going for the time being and post once a month at least until April when we shall review. As always, thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers.

Friday 15th February 2008

Life is so normal at the moment that we quite forgot to update the blog. Apologies to anyone who wondered whether we are still here. First, the important part. Jane is well. She is still taking quite a lot of painkillers and she gets tired and achy but apart from that things seem pretty good. She has another apointment with her oncologist at the end of this month and we will report again after that.

Family news isn't hugely startling but; Lydia has finished her probationary period at the Playhouse and has had a pay rise. She is due to take her driving test in a couple of weeks. Leo is now doing documentary film at Newport and enjoying it far more than the previous course. I am about to leave the Regular Army after nearly 33 years and will then serve in civilian clothes doing a personnel job. The work is close to Salisbury and will provide the stability we need at the moment.

We'll update a bit more at the end of the month. Best wishes to you all and thanks for all the encouragement and prayers.

Saturday 5th January 2008

Happy New Year!! We started this blog almost a year ago when things seemed really quite bleak. Since then, as most of you know, Jane's tumour markers have dropped by about 95%; a miracle by almost any measure. We went to the hospital in mid-December and will go back again at the end of February. For the time being Jane requires no more treatment unless something unexpected crops up. She is still taking quite a lot of painkillers in the form of Fentanyl patches and paracetemol but things look so much more rosy than they did a year ago.

I apologise for the random arrangement of photographs on this blog. My inexperience in this medium is well and truly exposed. However, Lydia's graduation (1st Class Hons from the Central School of Speech and Drama) was a big milesone for all of us but especially for Jane. We are proud parents of a clever girl who is now in full time employment (hurrah!!). The other photograph is of St Ives harbour taken on New Year's Eve but it seems to have lost some quality in transfer. I found myself there early in the evening searching for fireworks (a story too long to tell here) and my camera was in my pocket.

We had a quiet Christmas here in Salisbury with Jane's mother. On Boxing Day we headed for Canterbury to see the rest of Jane's family. It seemed as though the whole of Southern England was on the move as we travelled bumper to bumper along the M25. It has been a very different kind of Christmas this year without Jane's father; he has left an enormous hole that will never be filled.

On 3oth December we re-packed our bags and headed for our beloved Cornwall. We stopped in Truro with Uncle Ralph and Marilyn before heading down to Marazion to see Dick and Sarah Reynolds who are in the midst of restoring a fantastic property with truly wonderful views of Mounts Bay. From there we headed up to Nancledra to spend New Year's Eve with Graham and Jenni. Jenni's son, Giles, provided some rockets for us to set off at midnight and from their garden we could see the light of the fireworks in St Ives and Penzance simultaneously - it's magical up in that part of West Penwith at any time. Thanks, Graham and Jenni.

Thank you, to all of you who stay in touch and encourage us to keep the blog going - we will. Terry, thank you for getting in touch - we'd love to know more about the family link!!

Well, we will write again in a few weeks to keep the site relatively current and to renew our thanks to you all.