Mad dog woman of Shackleford

I immediately thought the worst. Dr B wasn't too worried but what would he know - he's only a cardiologist! Three days later and the soft lump on fur baby's chest had turned hard and a dark colour. I knew it would mean surgery. The vet made a differential diagnosis based on age of the dog (3yo), location of the lump, and when we first noticed it. She, like me, thought it could be a mast cell tumour, which is common in Boxers, or an atypical histiocytoma. We agreed that the best treatment would be a wide margin excision of the lump and send it for histological examination. I signed the consent form, wondering what she would find.

Zozi recovered well from the anaesthetic but wasn't too happy about having to wear a T-shirt over her wound dressing. She kept it on overnight then the shirt and the dressing came off and who were we to argue with her?

One week on and the wound is healing fine, although there was rather a large exudate (oozing from the wound) yesterday which took a long time to clean up. She was rather upset by it and took to her bed for the rest of the afternoon, but is quite perky today.

We have just found out that the lump was a histiocytoma, a benign skin tumour made up of immune cells (nasty thing) and that no further treatment is required.

Dr B is taking the stitches out tomorrow and I do hope that there won't be a terrible scar. She is such a pretty dog, and especially precious because of her heart condition. I have been giving her extra cuddles this week.

We are very grateful to the lovely Jane Anderton and all the staff at Rivendell Vets in Farncombe for the care and attention in looking after Zozi, and we are so relieved that the lump wasn't anything sinister.

My grown-up swimming gadget

I do like tech, but not everywhere and not all the time. So I was surprised to find that I really wanted a waterproof iPod for swimming. I swim - a lot. And I don't read as much as I would like, so why not combine the two? I love multi-tasking.

There are so many fabulous books to download. I use iTunes because it is so easy to do, but other sources are available. I 'read' non-fiction, mainly travel and South East Asia is a favourite destination. I have just finished 'Nine Lives: in search of the sacred in modern India' by William Dalrymple. It took almost 13 hours of swimming to complete - around 40 km!

I really look forward to my swim treat and not having to count laps as I go. I let myself get lost in the stories, the characters and the voice in my head.

My new book is 'Shadow of the Silk Road' by Colin Thubron - an easy 17 hours of swimming. I can't wait to get started.

New year, new me?

Meditation in Maui, Lesley Beeton 2012

There is no new me. Just me.

I was asked recently about my New Year resolution. For the last 5 years I have started a new mantra for meditation and this has worked well. Saying and seeing my mantra has helped me overcome a few very stressful years, and although I will still meditate I don't need a specific mantra this year.

I just need me.

And breathe. Om .........

We are your Junior Doctors: 6 minutes to save the NHS

Thank you for watching this short video.

Twenty years ago, my husband was a junior doctor in the NHS. He worked hard and was trained well. He specialised as a cardiologist and today he is a consultant.

Medicine is not an easy career path to follow. Sick patients and their families depend on caring, skilled doctors, nurses and support staff. We have missed Christmasses, Birthdays, funerals, weddings in order that my husband provides a service to his patients. This is the right and proper thing to do.

Now, as the NHS faces a crisis in staffing and funding, my husband will stand on the front line, in support of his junior colleagues.

You can show your support too, by sharing this video and by signing the petition.

Thank you.

What to expect when someone important to you is dying

Since becoming an advocate fro Dying Matters, I have had many conversations with strangers about death and dying. It isn't as morbid as it sounds. A good death can be a very uplifting event. In our family, Mom's death, although expected, changed our lives forever. Thankfully, we had good advice and great support and it made a very difficult day more bearable, to know that Mom had passed away peacefully in her own bed, at home, with no intervention. It is this simple act of kindness from a stranger, helping us through that day, that makes me want to share with other families.

I had a conversation with a professional acquaintance today. After our business was concluded we chatted for a while over coffee, and she told me that her mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer and her mother in law died recently, suddenly, from a brain haemorrhage. These two seemingly unconnected events have rocked her family and called into question whether it is better to die suddenly or to have time to plan for death.

Rather selfishly, I was very grateful for the few months my mother was given. We got to know each other again, and we made plans for the future, a future without Mom but with happiness. This was important for both of us.

I recall that several friends and family wanted to see Mom in her final days. As a family we asked them to keep their visits short and not to bring cakes. Mom didn't need much food, just a few sips of water and finally just sucking on a soft, wet toothbrush. People feel awkward around death and the dying and brought cakes regardless, because it made them feel better. We were grateful for their visits, but it wasn't helpful for Mom, especially when they left in floods of tears.

I do wonder how we would have felt if Mom had gone suddenly. It was, after all, medical intervention which saved her life, only to diagnose her with lung cancer within days of Christmas five years ago.

On the day Mom died, the community nurse pulled the sheet back and quietly pointed out the colour on Mom's foot. It was the first sign, she said, that the dying process had started. She spoke quietly, because hearing is the last sense to go and actually becomes quite acute before death. The tumours had taken Mom's sight, and her eyes were opaque, but she could hear us and feel our gentle touches. The nurse asked if we wanted Mom catheterised. We decided against it. She wasn't eating and only sucking on the toothbrush so we didn't feel there would be much need. A TENA pad would do.

Mom's foot was pale grey, with a very weak pulse. She couldn't speak, just a rasping gurgle came from her lips. My brother phoned from Australia and we held the phone to her ear while he said his goodbyes. Mom needed no pain relief that day - the pain receptors along with most other functions had already ceased their activity. Afterwards, I helped the nurse bathe Mom and change her into a lovely clean nightdress. I picked some flowers from the garden and placed them on her chest. Everything was very quiet. The oxygen machine had been turned off and we were lost in our own thoughts.

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This was our experience. If you would like to know more, a new guide has been published by the National Council for Palliative Care. 'What to expect when someone important to you is dying' is available from shop.dyingmatters.org and costs £2.50.

Beware, dognappers!

You cannot have failed to notice the flurry of news stories about dog thefts and attempted dog thefts in our area recently. The stories are heartbreaking and I'm sure all dog owners would be devastated if one of their precious furry friends were to be taken. What I can't fathom, is why this is happening? Money, breeding, sport?

I suppose one can understand puppy theft, after all puppies are a valuable commodity, easily saleable. But who would buy a mature dog out of the back of a car? There doesn't seem to be a preference for, or insider knowledge of, specialist pedigree stud dogs, although there is some evidence of the villains scoping out potential dogs in local parks and woods.

And is the market for dog fighting or blood sports such as hare coursing so great that pet dogs must be taken to satisfy a bloodlust?

Fortunately, the use of social media in alerting local people to dog thefts and people arousing suspicion has resulted in several happy-ever-after stories, of stolen dogs, too hot to handle, reunited with their owners. Don't be afraid to circulate the information quickly and as widely as possible.

The advice from the police is to have your dog microchipped and to keep the contact details up to date, to make sure your dog wears a collar with your contact details but NOT the name of the dog on the disc, and to take photographs of your dog which clearly show identifying markings.

As always, be vigilant on your dog walks, for your own personal safety and that of your pet pals. In the gloomy days and dark evenings, why not put a fluorescent coat or flashing light on your dog? Make sure of your dog's recall in public spaces, and if your precious one would happily follow someone with a juicy steak, keep him on a lead, or at least in your sight. It does mean that walks may sometimes be curtailed, but rather be safe than sorry.

Technology can help too. GPS trackers are becoming more common. An expensive option, I agree, but if your pedigree pooch cost upwards of £500, it might be well worth it.

At home, be cautious about who befriends your dog. That friendly workman might mention your dog to a friend of a friend, but he wouldn't be a friend of yours.

And finally, boarding kennels. Make sure you know who is taking care of your dog while you are away. Ask about security after hours, and check that 'visitors' cannot wander around unaccompanied.

Happy, safe dog walking!