My Diary – August 2008

Friday 22nd August 2008

A fortnight goes by so quickly these days!

On Saturday 9th I went to Fenwicks in Canterbury to have my nails done. The girls got me a voucher for a manicure for my birthday in February, so I decided finally to use it. I was in the town by 9.30am, and I couldn’t believe it. Normally at that time on a Saturday I’m not even awake, let alone dressed and in town! My appointment was at 11am, so I had a bit of time to go shopping first. I was with Megan, my cousin and PA. We looked at designer handbags because I really want one, and I very nearly bought a Radley handbag. I’ve wanted one of those for ages, but they’re too bloomin’ expensive! I do have a little brown one which is very cute, but I can’t fit anything in it! Luckily, though, I just about managed to resist buying a bigger one, but there’s always next time! For the manicure I had my nails filed which I can’t stand, then my cuticles cut which was horrible, but then a lovely hand massage, so it was ok! I had my nails done with a French manicure, and after that we came home.

Oh, I wish I could tell you where I was drinking tea on Thursday, but at the moment I’m afraid I’m sworn to secrecy! I’m going to be doing something very exciting in a couple of months’ time, and I can’t wait!

I had a great day out at the BBC studios in London last Friday. The day was organised by Eve, who works there. I met her when she came to film me for the Rotary Citizenship Award that I won in April. First of all we met with the other winners of the Rotary Citizenship awards and had lunch, and then we went for the tour of the studios. I was taken on my own special tour with Mum and Nikki, my guide communicator. First we went inside the TARDIS, and I then felt a life-size talking dalek from Dr Who. We went behind the scenes in the newsroom where I could play with the sound and put the music on which starts the news. Then I went on the set where Newsround is filmed, and went to Studio 1, where only very important people get to go, so I felt very privileged to be allowed to do that. There was a choir practising for Saturday’s show - Last Choir Standing. They dedicated their song to me, then sang ‘Just Too Good to be True’, and ‘Wonderful World’. Unfortunately they were the choir that got voted out of the show on Saturday!

We then went to another room where I introduced Newsround and The Weakest Link, but only for fun though. The other winners were in a different room pretending to present shows. I got to meet Lizo, who is one of the Newsround presenters I remember seeing before I lost my sight. He was really nice, and he said that even he hasn’t been in Studio 1, and he’s worked there for years!

I was then allowed to feel lots of things from the cabinets which line the walls of the corridors which were from different BBC shows, and which included a pair of lungs and a brain from Holby City (brilliantly disgusting!), the Queen Victoria bust from Eastenders, the original Wallace and Gromit figure, more things from Dr Who, (an Ood, Dr who’s regenerated hand) which really helped me understand what the show must look like, but I have to admit that my favourite part was putting my hand inside the puppet of Badger, from the children’s programme ‘Bodger and Badger’!

I didn’t feel well at all on Tuesday. I had a meeting in the morning at home, but started to feel worse as the day went on. My back was in agony, my chest felt heavy and my heart kept beating faster. I felt really weak and generally just crap. Nanny and Linda came at lunchtime, but I was so tired, feeling crap and emotional that I went to bed and fell asleep instead of staying in the living room with them. I felt a bit better when I woke up, so then went on my laptop to check my emails. That made me feel better because I had some really nice ones. One from Cosmopolitan Magazine to say I’ve been nominated for their award, ‘Woman of the Year’ (I so want that title!), and I also had an email from Caroline, from Pilgrim Productions, to say that they’ve contacted Port Lympne Zoo, and they have a monkey that they’re willing for me to hold! Not many people know that this is my actual dream which I’ve had since I was 11. It’s not on my list of goals in my book, because it’s different. I’ll explain it more once I’ve done it, but I can’t wait! It’s happening next week, so that should really cheer me up.

We also got a call on Tuesday to say I’ve won another award. It’s an award from the Kent Deaf Children’s Society, and I’ve won the Young Deaf Adult category. It came as a total surprise because I didn’t even know this award existed, let alone that I’d been nominated for it! I’m going to an award ceremony next month where I’ll be presented with my award. I have no idea who nominated me, but thank you very much if it was you!

I have other good news too - my book is one of 16 longlisted for the Young Minds book award, and the shortlist is decided by young people reviewing the books on the longlist. Here is more info about it:

YoungMinds Book Award 2008

Every year YoungMinds, the UK's leading children's mental health charity, holds a book award. This year for the first time the award will be given to a work of fiction or biography for young people aged 12+ which helps them to cope with the stresses and challenges of growing up. The books have all been published between 1 June 2007 and 31 May 2008.

The award process:

Young people will select the shortlist, which will be announced in September 2008. A panel of adult judges will then choose the winning book, to be announced at the award ceremony in London on 17 November, following the YoungMinds Annual Lecture. 

If you are under 25 years old, and would like to review my book to help it win this great award, then please visit:

http://www.youngminds.org.uk/about-ym/youngminds-book-award/what-we-want-young-people-to-do/the-books

Thank you very much!

Other good news for my book - it is now going to be published in large print which will help people with a visual impairment. It will be published by the end of the year and available in libraries. I think it’s brilliant news, and I’ll keep you posted about when it’s actually out.

Back to my week… unfortunately, I’m still not feeling well, and I’m not quite sure what’s wrong. The girls came on Wednesday morning which was good. Kerry is back now from working in Spain (along with her new tongue piercing! I was a little bit shocked when she let me feel it!) and that afternoon I went to sleep again - it’s not good for my reputation!

On Thursday, Helen from the Teenage Cancer Trust came over. It’s the third time we’ve met, and she’s lovely. We discussed all my fundraising ideas, and I’m now going to start organising some big events to help raise money for this fantastic charity. A few people have said that they’ll do some events too to help me reach my target, which I’m very, very grateful for. My auntie’s friends in Scotland are organising some fundraising events, and the money they raise will be going to the Scottish Appeal to build a TCT unit at Yorkhill Hospital in Glasgow. It will still be raised as ‘Nicole’s fund’, which means the fund is now helping towards two TCT units instead of just one, which I’m really pleased about, and obviously Scotland is very special to me because I was born there and I still have family and friends who live there. The total I’ve raised so far for TCT is £1157.61, so I still have quite a way to go to reach my £50,000 target! If you would like to make a donation to help me, then please visit my Justgiving page at the top of my diary. Thank you!

I think that’s most of my news. It’s still quite quiet here at the moment which is good as I’m not feeling up to doing much just now.

Will update soon.

Love Nicole xxx

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Friday 8th August 2008 - Happy Birthday Evelyn!

08.08.08, the 8th anniversary of me being diagnosed with cancer. Who would have thought I’d ever get to say that!

This fortnight has been really quiet, which has been lovely. It’s giving me a chance to catch up with everything as the last couple of months have been very hectic. It’s also great because last week I was bitten several times on my face by mosquitoes, and my forehead and eye were swollen up. I’ll use Mum’s words to describe it: “You look like you’ve joined the Martians,” followed by, “you look like something from Star Trek.” Well that’s just bloody charming! Luckily though my face is back to ‘normal’ now.

Anyway, last week was very quiet, and it’s been the same this week. On Tuesday I went to Pure in Whitstable high street which is a lovely salon, and I had a facial and back massage. Evelyn got me a voucher for Pure for my birthday in February, so I thought it was time I used it. The back massage was lovely at the time and really helped my back, but now it really aches, so I think it must have moved the muscles and things around! The facial was lovely too, and luckily it didn’t bring me out in spots afterwards!

On Thursday morning my friend and guide communicator, Nikki, came over because we are organising a big fundraising event, which I’ve mentioned later on in my diary, and in the afternoon I went to Infusion in Herne Bay to have my eyebrows waxed and some of my hair extensions put back in. In the last few weeks about six have fallen out, then on Tuesday seven fell out within three minutes. They were all from the one area on my head, and whereas the other extensions just fell out, these ones still had my hair attached to the top! Luckily I don’t think I have a bald patch, and the extensions have all been put back in now.

I have two very important things to talk about in this diary entry. First of all, ‘Shunburn’, which is a campaign that the Teenage Cancer Trust are running this summer to raise awareness about staying safe in the sun, so I thought I would help spread the word too. Please visit www.teenagecancertrust.org/shunburn to read all about it, but one thing I’ll just point out is that sunburn causes skin cancer, so make sure you slap on the factor 30 this summer!

And secondly, I haven’t mentioned Post Pals for a while, so I thought I would again. They’ve sadly just lost their fourth pal this year, and three of those to cancer. Please, if you have a spare five minutes, visit www.postpals.co.uk and write to a poorly child and make them smile. It really does make a difference. I’m no longer a Pal, and I really miss it! But Post Pals is doing a brilliant job for all the other poorly kids on the site, so please take a minute to visit it.

And one more thing, I have a question to ask everyone, and I’d like to know your opinions/ideas please. The event Nikki and I are thinking of organising is a ball to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and I was wondering how many of you would be willing to come along? I don’t have a date for it yet as I wanted to see the response first before I organise any more. The hall I’m booking which is in Canterbury can hold 350 people, so I want to make sure I can get as near to that number of people as possible. The night will include a raffle and an auction, a band, a well known celebrity (hopefully!) and other things which I will keep a secret at the moment. If anyone is interested in coming, or can offer any help, then please email me. I’ll be looking for auction and raffle prizes soon too, so if you can help with that as well, then please email. I’ve sent a message out to my fan club on Facebook, and the response so far has been good, so I thought I’d see what you guys think, so please let me know. Thanks!

If you haven’t already noticed, I have a new link on my website called ‘Nicole’s Fund’. It’s next to the Demelza link so please check it out! That will explain what the above ball will be raising money for. Also, check out my Justgiving page at the top of my diary to see the total raised already for my new target!

Love Nicole xxx