Today was the penultimate 'stepping stone' and tomorrow I will finally 'break free' from the nuking chamber.  As I am heading south immediately I am 'done' there will be no real time post tomorrow (advance post already prepared!) and this corner of blogworld will be quiet for a few days.

I just wanted to mention J and Mrs J (I know one only by her first name and the other only by her formal name) who have shared much of the river traverse with me.  As it happens they both finish 4 working days behind me.  J is roughly my age - possibly a little younger - whilst Mrs J is a good bit older.  They have been such lovely travelling companions for this last phase, always laughing, always positive, always ready for a conversation.  As I left this morning Mrs J said 'so, it'll be a wee hug tomorrow then', to which I replied, 'absolutely!'

A few other people to mention in passing.  There's C from Oban, roughly a week ahead of me, who always looked so lovely in her co-ordinated scarves and outfits.  There's Mrs D who was having some palliative radiotherapy for secondaries to a very rare form of brain cancer.  There is Mrs C who today, for the first time 'dared to bare' her regrowing hair (and looked pretty funky it must be said!).  There's the lady who gets treated early on the days she has to catch the ferry home (suggesting today was her final 'zap').  There's the RC lady who overlapped with me by just a few days as I began.

It has been an interesting experience, and I am fortunate to have had almost no side effects... yes, I've re-named myself Robyn, yes I have a perfect square of exit burning on my back and yes, I had some nausea in the early stages, but my energy levels have stayed up throughout (one tired evening and one tired morning) and I feel well.

As I perch on my stepping stone, with the river bank tantalisingly close, it is strange to think that this time tomorrow it will all be over and I will be officially moving in to the phase of 'living beyond breast cancer'.