Philip is recovering well

Sorry for the long delay in posting. We've been rather busy. I am writing this from Scotland, where I am press passing my book.

Philip is recovering well and was out for a walk when I called earlier today. They have taken out his 59 stitches and aside a bit of a weepy wound, all seems to be well.

Thanks for all your concern. Philip will be so touched when I tell him how many people have been asking after him.

All your loving...

We are so very grateful that Quentin has had two years without treatment. But our dear friend Philip (who first shuffled down the corridor mid-IL2, to encourage us with his story) has not been quite so lucky.

Philip's cancer returned a few months ago and, after a course of Sutent, he is due into hospital on Monday to have the offending tumour removed. It has attached itself to his aorta, so he has two surgeons working on him - one of whom is called Professor Brunette or something similar. (We have to explain here that Philip is a hairdresser, so that might just be his interpretation of the name).

His surgery is booked for Monday and will take 8 hours. Which beats anything that Quent has been through. As Philip said, "If you're still writing the blog, please tell everyone that I am much more ill than Quentin has ever been." If humour gets you through these things, he'll be fine.

I feel for Philip's lovely wife, Sue. It's not easy waiting around while the man you love is under the knife and eight hours of tenter hooks doesn't bear thinking about. Still, I am sure it's all small fry to the cardiothoracic surgeons who do heart transplants with their eyes shut these days. (Hopefully not literally).

All our thoughts will be with Philip and Sue on Monday and we'd like to ask you to send him some of the loving that got Quentin such great results.