Against my better judgement .. decided to go see it. I’m sure it’s a fine movie - just not my cup of tea - but so many people I know kept telling me how great it was. Yeah no. At least for this bear.

Don’t hate me. Don’t tell me that missed something. I didn’t.

I particularly want to say ‘thank you Jax’. I know how much you did .. do .. for me. No doubt in my mind that without you, I wouldn’t be here, not just your support, but my ears, my voice, your questions, your knowledge - without you - I wouldn’t know half of this village to begin with so I couldn’t have even done what I did without you.

Two other big shout outs to Pepe Sasso, my Radiation Oncologist and Rowan Jones, his lead nurse at the hospital I was at.

The diagnosis was severe, and there was no time to return to the USA or UK and start the process over. Pepe and Rowan were instrumental in my treatment, especially when Jax was told by another doctor to ‘prepare for the worst’, that it was too late for surgery and maybe - just maybe - he might be able to ‘give me more time’. Pepe and Rowan’s dedication and care made a significant difference as did their knowledge and skill. Not only that but Rowan introduced me to Alien Weaponry .. a Maori Metal band (I know!),

All this to say. Thank you. I couldn’t - and therefore wouldn’t - have made it without you. Thank you for your contribution to my life. I am alive, and grateful for every moment. Your actions and support have made all the difference.

• All our friends who stepped in to help take the load off Jax … Scott, Ramsey, Steve, Bernadette, Lauren, Noah, Sarah, Arran, Nix, Tosh and and and …

• All the unsung heroes in doctors and nurses in clinics, hospitals, chemo, oncology and radiology, not forgetting the staff that work the multi various scanning machines that I have been passed through multiples of time and the ‘Spatial Physicists’. YES .. spatial physicists - the science behind this process is extraordinary.

• Herne Bay Pharmacy who went out of their way to deliver things to the house, ‘wrangled’ things we needed and just went went out of their way to help - not like a ‘store’ at all.

• I lost count of all the Labtest nurses who kept pulling blood out of me - only very occasionally did I even feel it.

• The people at Farros and their team that made sure that the food I could eat got to me.

• My ‘CBD’ Doctor - Jax found him, organized him and got the prescriptions. (CBD for medical use in New Zealand is allowed - but the process was new and definitely not well understood

• Nigel - my ‘hearing’ consultant

• Philip - my gastro consultant

• Osama - my chemo consultant

• My ‘swallow’ consultant

• Kath - my physical therapist

• The many Ambulance drivers

• Lovenish and his team of drivers

• Shashank - at Apex who personally delivered and swapped out our rental car at the house.

• All the local restaurants that delivered food.

• Other local establishments that gave Jax quiet haven and a space to breathe - outside of our flat, particularly Ben at Jervois Wine Bar and Annabelle’s

• Milly’s Kitchen in Ponsonby - you would be surprised at what they could get their hands on to help Jax.

And oh so many more …like the construction guys outside on the road who had large areas cordoned off - but let us park ‘behind their tape’, so I didn’t have too far to walk to the car … (this at a time when I didn’t dare walk down the hill to the park in case I didn’t have the strength to walk back up the hill to get home!)

Thank you all.