Author Archives: The Musings of Spu

Part of returning to life ‘After B.C.’ (Breast Cancer) is going on holiday outside of the UK. Alt Text: A selfie of a white man & woman, taken at an intersection of the road with a statue in the background (it’s Bastille, Paris).  The man is wearing a grey, flat cap, tortoise-shell rimmed glasses, aContinue reading “Holidaying after Breast Cancer”

A rare moment where my personal & professional gig-going life comes together in one blog! Alt Text: A selfie of a white woman with long brown/blond hair, wearing red/brown rimmed glasses & a black puffa jacket with a fake fur hood.  She is outside a music venue.  Above her head is the venue’s sign whichContinue reading “Getting My Life Back”

I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not going to enjoy February & March like I used to.  Here I mark two years on from diagnosis & reflect on celebrating International Women’s Day as a disabled woman. Alt text: A white lady with brown-blond long hair, dressed in a black puffa jacket with a fakeContinue reading “Two Years On”

What’s it like having a mammogram when you’re a wheelchair user? Not easy! Warning: some of the frank descriptions within this blog may cause embarrassment or be upsetting. Alt text: Two lemons on a metal cooling stand.  One lemon is positioned straight ahead whilst the other is positioned side on.   Two weeks ago, I wentContinue reading “The Annual Mammogram”

Hello 2022 – it must be time for the 64 Million Artists’ Daily Challenge (again!) Alt text: a piece of corrugated cardboard roughly cut into a square.  There are 4 images drawn in black felt tip pen connected by directional arrows – a DAB Radio, a vinyl album, a turntable and two gig tickets. LastContinue reading “The January Challenge 2022”

“I still can’t believe that something as great as this came out of such a bad situation.  In March 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, by February 2021 I’d had COVID-19 twice, but by December 2021, I was exhibiting a piece of art that I’d created in Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.  It’s theContinue reading “Adventures with ‘Grayson’s Art Club’”

A few of us in our ‘Writing for Wellbeing’ class turned 50 this year, so we each decided to write how we felt about it.  As I’ve only got a couple of months left before I officially become ‘over 50’, I thought I’d blog about it, alongside a photo of myself dressed up in myContinue reading “The Hawaii 5.0.’s”

“My consultant who helps me to manage my disability said that at first, it would be hard whenever I had a new pain, but in time, I’d get to understand again whether the source was my disability or whether it needed investigating for cancer recurrence.  I guess I’m not far enough into my years ofContinue reading “#Scanxiety”

Alt Text: A small painting of mine in inks and watercolours of the part of an arm just above the elbow. There is a ‘Picc Line’ inserted into the skin and a large plaster (partly transparent so tiny amounts of bleeding can be seen) is holding the cannula in place. Various tubes trail from theContinue reading “Night At The ICU”

It’s been just over year since my Breast Cancer surgery, and I’m in a period of reflection. I’ve often joked that I have more than 9 lives. Then I had an idea. Why don’t I attempt to tell my story using 9 photos? Photo 1: Whilst this isn’t the greatest of shots, it gives aContinue reading “9 Photos, 9 Lives.”