I'm lucky to still be alive - and I plan to stay well and write a book

My health seems to be fairly stable. I continue to have dreadful feelings of pulsing and dizziness in my head and regular migraines. Luckily though, my MRI scan doesn't show any tumours.

The medication I was trying unfortunately hasn't helped at all so my oncologist has referred me to Ear, Nose and Throat. My aches, pains, sweats and tiredness are all part of everyday life for me.

In the overall scheme of things I consider myself quite well and lucky that I am still alive and able to enjoy living.

In fact, I'm beginning to think that there will be a world disaster and I will be the only living person left.

My plan is to stay well and write a book. If anyone has any contacts or knowledge of how I should go about it I would appreciate it!

My life priority continues to be my family and living for the day. I have recognised that I need to have goals and things to look forward to in order to keep me focused and the book is my long-term goal. Short term, I continue to enjoy my weekly meetings with friends and setting them personal fitness targets and work-out routines.

As a family we are providing short-term respite foster care for children, which we all really enjoy doing, and coincidentally five different children, who we cared for individually, have made contact with us this week.

Two friends who I haven't seen in a very long time have tracked me down.

John came all the way over from Ireland to visit me. David who, now living in the USA, decided to do a web search purely out of curiosity and got quite a shock when he found out about my cancer.

Thanks to The Argus, he managed to get a pretty good picture about what I've been up to.

It had been approximately ten years since I had spoken to either of them yet the wonderful thing about true friendship is that wherever the person may be you can just pick up as if those years had never passed - so try not to leave it too late.

I hear myself continually relaying my cancer story but I never mind. If anything I find it helps me, although I do worry that I might be getting a bit boring!

Cancer seems to affect everyone's life in some way at some time and, although I cannot understand or justify how individual lives are selected, in my more profound moments I do view it as a natural way of keeping our species culled and making way for new life and beginnings. I would rather that than wars.

Jacob, Lewis and I enjoyed a fabulous week away in Lanzarote with my mum.

It was a wonderful holiday made better by all the great people we met. Strangely enough, these included three families from Southwick.

Undoubtedly I feel so much better when I am in the sun and it was great to have time with my mum.

As well as lots of lounging about in the sun we got up to all sorts of antics including a jeep safari, riding camels, visiting volcanoes, snorkelling and all sorts of evening shows.

I managed to get pulled on stage almost every evening.

The most memorable was the reptile show when I had a huge albino python wrapped around my neck and the men versus women competition when I definitely forgot about my age and my health.

Unfortunately Tom was unable to come due to work so we missed our first and quite probably last wedding anniversary together but we will try and get a weekend away together soon to make it up.

Just before we went away we did an interview for BBC South Today, which we also missed but my dad recorded it.

We were tired when we arrived home as it was the early hours of the morning but that didn't stop us getting up and dressed in our Halloween outfits and setting off to Tully's Farm Spooktacular, near Haywards Heath.

I was up and out early the next morning to get my hair dyed bright pink and ready to give my speech to launch Marks and Spencers' Pink Halloween fun day and fundraising event on behalf of Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research UK. I was very nervous but delighted to be asked and able to front the event for such a worthy cause.

My song played throughout the day and I had some really interesting conversations with people about their own cancer experiences.

I think it is so important to feel able to talk about cancer. It is still considered by so many to be a taboo subject and a word that can only be used in a whisper.

My pink hair stayed with me for longer than anticipated and I eventually had to have it all bleached out. I wish in retrospect that I had got people to sponsor me for my daring.

Halloween was all action for us this year. On the actual evening Lewis and I dug out our pumpkin and decorated the porch then the boys and their friends dressed up.

Lewis went to a party and Jacob went out trick or treating on family and friends.

I, on the other hand, ready for a quiet night and opportunity to sort through old files and papers, ended up sitting by the door all evening handing out treats - I calculated we had 80 trick or treaters call throughout the evening.

Since giving up work I am pleased to have more time to be involved in the boys' school and social lives. I helped out with the cycling proficiency and enjoyed a fabulous day trip to Canterbury Cathedral and the Canterbury Tales with Jacob's year group.

Because I am nosy I read some of the notes that had been left on the prayer book and was deeply moved to see that one of my friends and parent helpers had written one for me.

I so enjoy the company of children and was highly entertained when three teenage girls called to my house and tracked me down to the hairdressers for my autograph.

Children often make me smile but none as much as my own, who I adore and love so very deeply. I think about and worry about them so much in my quieter moments when I am alone.

I cannot imagine what it will be like for them to grow up without their mum. I want to do more to help them when I am not around but I don't know what else I can do.

For now we will carry on as normal but keep the cancer in the open and continue to enjoy our time together as best we can.

Bonfire night was good and we went to a couple of really good public events locally.

Lewis had to be descriptive about the fireworks for his homework so we had a lot of fun doing that together.

Jacob and Tom have been a bit under the weather with coughs and viruses and Jacob was off sick from school for almost a week.

Selfishly I have to admit that I rather enjoyed the quality time and snuggling up lazily together. Tom and I haven't spent a lot of time together what with me being away and Tom works so hard commuting to London.

Both our lives are very busy but we have managed a couple of meals out with friends, a 40th birthday party and the re-opening of our local pub following a refurbishment, although my head was bad so we were unable to stay long.

In some ways I feel like my life is settling down a bit and I am getting into more of a routine with things.

I have regular visits to the hospital for blood tests and treatments and weekly therapies, school runs, cycling, power walking, setting and participating in weekly fitness workouts with friends and fish and chips with my Dad on a Friday.

It is bizarre. Just as I think I've caught up with everyone from my past someone new appears and naturally I find it essential that I keep up with my existing friends.

On the more negative side, my migraines and dizzy spells tend to catch up with me and I do need a lot of sleep. I usually end up in bed at least one or two days a fortnight.

I met a lady from a cancer support group and found I couldn't stop talking. It's made me realise that I'm ready for that unity now and will be going to one of their meetings.

I feel eternally grateful for all the continued support from everyone and don't think that I would have been able to stay this positive without it.

Most of all I am so proud of my wonderful sons and the way they cope and grateful to Tom. I realise without my fabulous husband I wouldn't be able to do half the things I get up to and my life wouldn't be half as good.

I can be contacted personally on my email address which is sandra.carey-boggans@ntlworld.com.

My song, My Journey, can be purchased for £1 download on www.sayiloveyou.org. All proceeds go to cancer charities.