On Monday 3 March Patti had a second MRI scan, and on Thursday 6 March a consultation with her neuro-oncology consultant, Dr Geoff Sharpe. I was with her. Dr Sharpe's Registrar was there, as was Janet the specialist nurse who has been helping us deal with medication issues.

Dr Sharpe showed us images of Patti's brain: the scan taken before her radiotherapy treatment, and the scan taken six weeks later, just three days before our consultation. The tumour is still there, and is about the same size — perhaps a millimetre wider — but an important change can be seen quite clearly. Before, the image was cloudy grey; now it is almost black and more clearly defined. Before, the image had a thick whiteness surrounding the tumour; now the covering is still there, but much thinner — rather like a thundercloud with a silver lining. What does that mean? Well, we were told it means two things: first, that the radiotherapy has been as effective as it possibly could have been; and second, that the tumour is dying from the inside: its substance now is perhaps more the consistency of mushy toothpaste. Dr Sharpe even mentioned the possibility of a surgical procedure to suck out the toothpaste! But that won't be considered yet. We have to wait for three months to see how the tumour develops. Then, in early June, Patti will have another scan and another consultation.

Meanwhile, our task is to reduce the steroid dosage carefully. In a healthy body, the adrenal glands produce cortisol and other steroids at the rate of about 2mg a day. Patti's artificial steroid intake is now down to 2mg a day. So we have reached equilibrium: her pills are providing almost exactly what her body needs to function normally — and so the adrenal glands have not had to produce steroids since Christmas. The adrenals must now be startled into generating their own natural steroids. Will they do that? We don't know yet. So over the next few weeks we have to reduce the dosage gradually whilst carefully monitoring the effect on Patti's general health.

As soon as we reached home home after the session with Dr Sharpe, we set up a skype call to Anna and her family: shrieks of delight came from the Kendal end as they saw Patti on the screen and heard her news. Then we went out to celebrate at the New Forest restaurant Terravina. Dan and Caroline came too, so there were four of us. We chose Champagne from Philipponnat at Mareuil-sur-Ay, a village we know well, and the tasting menu with specially chosen sequence of wines from France, Spain, Australia and Portugal. Dan and Caroline stayed sober so they could drive home, but Patti and I ended up pretty well blotto — a great family celebration lasting four hours; we were the last to leave the restaurant.

What else have we been doing?

Well, Patti needs to rebuild her thigh muscles and strengthen her lower body; so she has been to see Janina, the physiotherapist at Oakhaven Hospice, and will go again. Patti has also joined my the weekly exercise class for people with Parkinson's Disease. To her surprise she immediately enjoyed being with the group and is determined to go again.

We have have engaged Anja Lancaster as our cleaner. Patti now has a gardener, too: Jonathan Williams, who is knowledgeable and already becoming a friend. So house and garden should both be tidy and colourful into the summer. Here is Jonathan at work:

We spent a week in the Lake District during February to celebrate the sixth birthday of Naomi, our younger granddaughter. Naomi had a lovely day unwrapping our birthday present: a proper sewing machine! Whilst in the Lakes we stayed in Windermere, in the house of mountain guide Chris Ensoll and his wife Anne, whilst they were away in France. We broke both our journeys at The Manor, Weston-on-the-Green going up to Kendal and again coming back home to Hythe.

On 25 February we went to the funeral for my cousin June's husband Colin, who had so much enjoyed meeting the girls at the beginning of the month. That was at the Matara Centre. On the way home there was a full rainbow my sister Rosie took a picture through the car window — and later Caroline produced a commemorative card with calming words for Patti

Patti has been out and about. Here are some pictures — of Patti out with Dan, in the Lake district, in Wales with Anna and Caroline, and making marmalade with Dan at home.

That's enough for now. I expect to produce another bulletin in June. Enjoy the spring!