Today marks a peculiar moment for me as I sign off, knowing that by the time this is in print, I will have undergone my operation to remove colon cancer. As I write this, I am a bundle of nerves, but I am also eager to reclaim my life. A life where I don’t constantly feel drained, where I no longer have to monitor my blood loss and wonder if it’s time for another transfusion. The road ahead is uncertain and full of bumps, I won’t know the extent of the cancer’s spread until after the operation, nor how much chemotherapy or radiotherapy I will need. These questions loom large, but the journey is necessary to give me the best chance to spend many more precious moments with my family. The thought of not being here for my little boy brings me to tears every time.
The hardest question I face daily is how I am feeling. Most of the time, I don’t really know. I just focus on my task list and get on with it. But now that this edition is complete, and I am on medical leave for a couple of weeks, I am left to confront my reality and ponder all the unknowns. I still don’t really know how I feel.
However, I am incredibly proud of this edition. It’s one of the biggest we’ve produced in a while, packed with community content from a range of events, loads of local news and the sports section is huge. I hope you enjoy the read, and hopefully, I’ll be back in a couple of weeks.
Amanda
