It's been an emotional day!
Nik called me his sunshine. He usually has all kinds of completely random names for me (spider, biscuit, pinkletap!!) but this one truly made me smile. I know, sick buckets everyone :P
I received an email back from a friend I thought I had scared off with one of my crazy, excitable, too long emails! Relief! (Sometimes I do get a bit carried away, it's always nice to be reassured that it's OK to be that excited and that I'm not mental, although she may have just been being polite!)
I cried a few times finishing this...
And feel very excited about this decision...
I'm no good at proper reviews, I'm not a proper writer, I just write what I think, but I know what I like and I particularly like books/films/plays that grab me and suck me right in so that I react in some way, especially stories that make me cry (for some reason). I can tell the difference between bad acting and good acting, I'm just not good at writing about it. I know it affects the story for me but if the story's good enough it won't ruin it entirely for me, although obviously I prefer it to be well acted. (Nik and I'm sure many others would not agree with me, I think I'm just overly emotional and if the story gets me, that's it.)
I really enjoyed tonight's play, I wasn't expecting to, we just loved Miriam Marguiles ever since seeing her on Graham Norton (look it up on YouTube, she is SO funny!!) and Nik noticed she was in a play in Glasgow so we booked tickets. I actually booked them and went along tonight having no idea what the play was about, I didn't read the website, just chose seats and paid. Nik said it was a black comedy and reviews said it was actually quite depressing but good. I would agree and am glad we went. It's been SO long since I have been to the theatre. I don't think I've EVER been with Nik before. There's something about watching a story unfold from just a few feet away, I really want to try and go more often.
Regarding the Marrow decision, it's something I have been thinking about for a while, since Nik was involved in the charity as a student. He helped out a lot with recruitment days, making signs for fundraisers, giving his time and counselling people. So far, all I have done to help is make some cupcakes for one such fundraiser. I discussed it with Nik, he's told me all about how it works but I've never quite gone that extra step and signed up. The charity has set up the world's first stem cell donor register to save the lives of people with blood cancer. Please see here for more details, but basically you can register as a potential bone marrow donor which could save someone's life.
As I said, I have previously thought about this, but the decision cannot be taken lightly. It is a life long commitment to be on the register and you could be called on at any time in your life if you are a match for someone. It also costs them over £100 to add you to the list so you need to be serious about it and ready to make that commitment. Not only that but once you reach the critical stage if you are a match, the recipient will have had their immune system wiped out ready to receive the transplant so are extremely vulnerable, there's no backing out at the last minute, you need to be 100% sure you are willing to donate. It's a very simple thing to do once you are sure, simply fill in a form, provide a saliva sample through the post and that's it. If you are a match, it is a little more complicated than just giving blood - all explained very well in this video...
So it may make you feel a bit rough, you might have to have a general anaesthetic, you need to give up a few days and have a few needles stuck in you, BUT you could potentially be saving someones LIFE! I was finally given the extra motivation I needed to not be selfish and go ahead and make that commitment while reading the book above. Leukaemia is not something I have personal or even second hand experience of. What I do know of it is mostly from books, The Midwife's Confession and My Sister's Keeper, or TV or what Nik has told me. I have decided donating my marrow is something I am willing and able to do and would mean so much more than a few cupcakes. Plus from a purely selfish point of view, it would make me feel so good to be able to do this for someone AND it could be another tick on my life list - save someone's life. How amazing would that be!? (Just to be clear - the saving of a life, not the tick - I'm not THAT selfish!)
Is anyone else on the register already or thinking of registering, or is this the first you've heard of it and now considering??
Off to bed now, if I can wind down from all that! Glad I'm off tomorrow and feeling better so I can tackle the study with renewed vigour!
Nik called me his sunshine. He usually has all kinds of completely random names for me (spider, biscuit, pinkletap!!) but this one truly made me smile. I know, sick buckets everyone :P
I received an email back from a friend I thought I had scared off with one of my crazy, excitable, too long emails! Relief! (Sometimes I do get a bit carried away, it's always nice to be reassured that it's OK to be that excited and that I'm not mental, although she may have just been being polite!)
I cried a few times finishing this...
 |
| Excellent book, highly recommended |
Laughed and cried watching this...
 |
| A day in the death of Joe Egg |
 |
| Excellent play, also highly recommended! |
And feel very excited about this decision...
 |
| Bone Marrow Donation |
I really enjoyed tonight's play, I wasn't expecting to, we just loved Miriam Marguiles ever since seeing her on Graham Norton (look it up on YouTube, she is SO funny!!) and Nik noticed she was in a play in Glasgow so we booked tickets. I actually booked them and went along tonight having no idea what the play was about, I didn't read the website, just chose seats and paid. Nik said it was a black comedy and reviews said it was actually quite depressing but good. I would agree and am glad we went. It's been SO long since I have been to the theatre. I don't think I've EVER been with Nik before. There's something about watching a story unfold from just a few feet away, I really want to try and go more often.
Regarding the Marrow decision, it's something I have been thinking about for a while, since Nik was involved in the charity as a student. He helped out a lot with recruitment days, making signs for fundraisers, giving his time and counselling people. So far, all I have done to help is make some cupcakes for one such fundraiser. I discussed it with Nik, he's told me all about how it works but I've never quite gone that extra step and signed up. The charity has set up the world's first stem cell donor register to save the lives of people with blood cancer. Please see here for more details, but basically you can register as a potential bone marrow donor which could save someone's life.
As I said, I have previously thought about this, but the decision cannot be taken lightly. It is a life long commitment to be on the register and you could be called on at any time in your life if you are a match for someone. It also costs them over £100 to add you to the list so you need to be serious about it and ready to make that commitment. Not only that but once you reach the critical stage if you are a match, the recipient will have had their immune system wiped out ready to receive the transplant so are extremely vulnerable, there's no backing out at the last minute, you need to be 100% sure you are willing to donate. It's a very simple thing to do once you are sure, simply fill in a form, provide a saliva sample through the post and that's it. If you are a match, it is a little more complicated than just giving blood - all explained very well in this video...
So it may make you feel a bit rough, you might have to have a general anaesthetic, you need to give up a few days and have a few needles stuck in you, BUT you could potentially be saving someones LIFE! I was finally given the extra motivation I needed to not be selfish and go ahead and make that commitment while reading the book above. Leukaemia is not something I have personal or even second hand experience of. What I do know of it is mostly from books, The Midwife's Confession and My Sister's Keeper, or TV or what Nik has told me. I have decided donating my marrow is something I am willing and able to do and would mean so much more than a few cupcakes. Plus from a purely selfish point of view, it would make me feel so good to be able to do this for someone AND it could be another tick on my life list - save someone's life. How amazing would that be!? (Just to be clear - the saving of a life, not the tick - I'm not THAT selfish!)
Is anyone else on the register already or thinking of registering, or is this the first you've heard of it and now considering??
Off to bed now, if I can wind down from all that! Glad I'm off tomorrow and feeling better so I can tackle the study with renewed vigour!
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