I left Oakville late tonight and drove along the highway to Buffalo . The familiar landmarks and distractions - Hamilton, the vineyards at Jordan , the turn-off to Ridley College, the Niagara river and the Peace Bridge were not visible. It was just me , the radio and a dark road. I started thinking about my own diagnosis of ovarian cancer in '97. I didn't fully recover for two years and it was a horrible , bleak time of my life . My mother didn't go hysterical on me - that would have probably obliterated what little sanity I had left .She just made herself completely available , despite the fact that I wasn't particularly appreciative or nice to be around. I knew however,without discussion ,that she would give up her life in England in a second and be there for me if I needed her. Looking back, understanding that I had that kind of support was almost like a suit of armour . I could be brave knowing that I had extra protection and a safe haven . I knew that if it all got to be too much , I could just hand everything over to my mother and she would assume my load . I couldn't escape the realities of my disease , but I don't remember being afraid.
