Firstly, apologies to those who don't follow Scottish football, but, hopefully, you will get the gist of my story. Secondly, beaten only by the late, great Rodgers and Hammerstein, thank you to Hibs supporters, Charlie and Craig Reid, aka The Proclaimers, for penning the second greatest football anthem ever, Sunshine on Leith, which I have unashamedly plagiarised for my chapter headings and more. 

You can read a summary of my story in my picture gallery but here are the words which explain those photos.

Now, roll up, roll up and donate your sweet cash!

Why? Well, it's been a tough old year...

CHAPTER 1

MY HEART WAS BROKEN: SORROW, SORROW, SORROW, SORROW

I'm a life long Celtic fan. To make matters worse, two of my grandsons, brothers Alasdair and Euan, are Rangers fans and they have enjoyed reminding me of that this year. Need I say more?

CHAPTER 2 

YOU SAW IT, YOU CLAIMED IT, YOU TOUCHED IT, YOU SAVED ME

That "IT" was the small matter of a suspected cyst which turned out to be a cancer, the treatment of which required the removal of one of my kidneys in January 2021. The 5 weeks between diagnosis and treatment were a blur of further CT scans, preoperative tests, PCR tests, self isolation  - and the most raucous, wonderful, family Christmas Day (Family motto: We get knocked down but we get up again...).

Because of Covid-19 restrictions, that family couldn't accompany me to or visit me in hospital. Those experiences should have been nightmarish. However, thanks to the staff at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, they were far from it. 

My Consultant, Ms Jane Hendry, would make an excellent role model for politicians of all colours. In every conversation with me, she went straight to the point in a precise, concise and positive manner. On top of that, she is a lovely person and a brilliant surgeon: you have my word on the former and my healed body is testament to the latter.

As for her colleagues, I fell asleep in the operating theatre with, at least, 6 medics focusing their expertise on me, including one nurse holding my hand and giving me the " Bob Marley" treatment. The last thing I heard was her telling me that everything was going to be alright. When I  awoke, it was to the gentle voice of another nurse reassuring me that, indeed, everything WAS alright. Priceless.

Subsequently, all of the medical and domiciliary staff on Ward 11D looked after me with skill and unfailing compassion, often making time amid their busy schedules just to talk to me or concoct for me that very British medicine - cups of tea at all hours.

Due to the professional care and sheer humanity of NHS staff, three days later I was physically and psychologically ready to go home. That I did, and armed with advice on how to aid my recovery, which I was very happy to follow (it involved a lot of, "get your husband and best friend, Harry Clarke, to clean the house, cook everything, do the dishes" etc), six weeks later I was fit enough to take to Glasgow's potholed streets and towpaths on my bike. 

CHAPTER 3

WHILE I'M WORTH MY ROOM ON THIS EARTH, I'LL THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Now, less than five months on from my operation, I'm cancer-free, fit and training towards my goal of raising funds for the NHS by cycling the canal paths from my home in Glasgow to my daughter Clare's in Edinburgh  - over 50 miles. Before beginning this training, the furthest I had cycled in one day was 30 miles - and that was over 30 years ago. So, at the age of 64 and 3/4, it should be fun: mibbees😬. Make a note of the date (Covid restrictions permitting): Saturday, June 26. Or another day if the weather is awful. Cycling on through the wind? Cycling on through the rain? Though my bike be tossed and blown? Seriously, ARE YOU MAD? Actually, if The Chief could just put some Sunshine on Leith on June 26, that would be perfect.

Thanks to the generosity of Hibernian FC, I'll be wearing a shirt fit for the occasion- (Hibs and Hearts 2020-2021 tops surely have the best logos ever?). Hibernian provided the shirt and the testimony on the back for free. As my thank you to the NHS, I am donating the cost of it to NHS Charities Together  - an umbrella body that supports NHS charities throughout the UK, directing resources towards staff and patient wellbeing wherever these are most needed. My donation, however, is a drop in the NHS's ocean of need, particularly in these pandemic times, so me, Alexander the Greatest, my Hearts FC- supporting grandson (where did I go wrong with my grandsons?!?) and his sister, Super Sadie, are appealing to your hearts, hearts, glorious hearts and asking you to contribute to my fundraising effort via JustGiving.

Thank you for reading my story and for supporting NHS Charities Together: 

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much (Helen Keller as quoted by Hibernian FC on Twitter & Facebook).