Yesterday was truly a landmark day - I jogged 6km (yup, count 'em, S-I-X!), did 20 minutes of tai chi, then climbled 15 flights of stairs, came down, and went up again! I cannot point to a single point in time before cancer when I was in better shape! Having grown up asthmatic, I was trained not to push myself for fear of an asthma attack. Now, I do push myself and I can - finally! - see what the fuss about exercise is all about.

Once started, my obsessive personality kicks in and I don't want to stop. One more km, another 5 minutes, yet another flight of stairs...and when I get back to the flat, I start on my free weights. I am determined to have firm, muscled arms by the time I start radiation in 30 days.

Isn't it ironic that I am supposed to be in the worst physical shape right now, and yet the opposite is true? Go figure.

I wish I had started on this much sooner - now that I am getting on in years, my poor knees are protesting. But I ignore the creaks and clicks and carry on! My fitter friends used to bang on and on about beating their bodies, control over the physical, mind over matter etc. I used to stare at them uncomprehendingly while slurping my umpteenth glass of champagne and munching my fois gras and caviar. Not me! I thought. Nutters! I muttered to myself.

Doesn't God just love to turn our words back on us? Now look at me, I love my exercise! I no longer drink, or eat any animal with fur, feathers or legs. Only scaly, slimey things for me.

It occurs to me my life is turned completely on its head:

Protein BC (before cancer): Steak, lamb, venison, fois gras, eggs, anything dairy (especially anything with a French or Italian name), all shellfish, raw or cooked. Now: all verboten.

Veggies BC - rocket, gourmet salads, potatoes (done any way), rich western style veg soups. Now: local veg only, no potatoes, no salads.

Fruits BC - never, unless part of cake, or pie, or pudding. Now: as many as I can, fresh, three times a day. No other desert allowed.

Beans BC - peas, corn on the cob all the time. Now: only 10% of intake.

Grains BC - udon once a week, bread every night. Now: all verboten, brown rice only.

Exercise BC - eek! confined to cross trainer, 20 minutes exactly and only if there was something on TV to distract me while I was on the machine.

Booze BC - oh yes!, every evening, a couple of glasses of red, several carafes of Cosmopolitans and/or Pimms on the weekend Now: forget it, mineral water and green tea only.

TV BC - all the time. Now: rarely - I read more. Am obsessed by medieval history.

Prayer BC - yes, complaining to God. Now: still complaining, but spend more time saying thank you.

Shopping BC - hardly ever. Now: all the time, since social life is shot to hell. Can only go out once a week for a social meal. Otherwise, I have to eat macrobiotic at home. (Ok, sometimes I sneak the odd curry puff, but I do make sure it is sardine and not chicken!).

So you see, like it or not, cancer is a life changing experience. I am more concious of my health and I have stopped looking at the world through my supplement capsules. It is au naturel health-wise.

Now, I just focus on putting one foot in front of the other as I jog - a meditative experience. And - boy, this is the icing on the cake - am living with my mother again, and there are days when I actually enjoy it!

Well, God - I guess you must be grinning from ear to ear! I gues we all need a little lift now and again...even the Almighty...