While in Tamworth, Audrey and her big, gorgeous husband Mez, were my star boarders. I just loved having them around. We had a wonderful catch-up.

Not all that long after they returned to Nashville, I got an email from Audrey that no friend ever wants to receive, but as it turns out, Audrey is not your average cancer patient.

She’s astounded doctors with her healthy attitude and outlook on life and is defeating the demon that is raging inside her.

Audrey and Mez have packed up their home in Nashville and re-homed their flock of 12 chooks. They’re heading back to Stinson Beach, California, where the weather is much more agreeable and they have a lovely, close circle of friends.

Here is a message from Audrey to her friends about her condition and the journey she’s undertaking.

DEAR friends,

With some distance from the shock of diagnosis, the avalanche of information and advice, and some months into treatments, I feel able to articulate my year thus far. 

I can’t answer each individual enquiry so will do so here. As I’ve said before, I know there are many of you who have cared for me deeply for many years. I feel your love! 

It’s very draining to repeatedly share hard news. Self-preservation and energy conservation took priority in the early days of this big change in my life. 

I also feel that medical stuff is very private and not that interesting to anyone else. But some of you think otherwise. 

I appreciate that you won’t request more medical details or share any shock reactions with me, thanks. Only happy news and funny stories please! I’m more alive than I’ve ever been.

After returning to Nashville from an awesome trip to Oz in December and January, where I played great shows and spent time with family and old friends, I was diagnosed with not one, but two types of rare cancer.

I didn’t think, “Why me?”, I thought, “Wow me!”

The very day of receiving “the phone call” I knew I would find a silver lining. I felt there would be great lessons in the experience. 

I truly understand the term “the gift of cancer”. 

Of course it’s an emotional roller coaster, but you can only travel that ride for so long.

Oh music, my beautiful healer.

Oh Mez, my wonderful husband.

How we laugh and love and rise above. 

I’ve learnt that I’m not invincible after all, that everyone has their own unique story to tell, that not everyone dies of cancer, but everybody dies, and that we’re all connected. 

The deeper lesson is in learning to receive love. Ain’t it so much easier to give?! Boy, am I loved! An enormous tsunami of love from around the world has lifted me up and carried me through hard days. 

Again, thank you so much for reaching out, stepping up and accompanying me on my big journey. 

I don’t always want to talk about my health, so I really appreciate your undemanding gestures of support. 

I’ve discovered so many great healers. I’m a star in the oncology world where they discussed my case in various US states trying to figure the best way to deal with “one so young and healthy”. 

Fortunately I’m thus far spared surgery and radiation. Yervoy (which is not your regular chemo) is a very new immunology drug that works on bolstering the immune system to fight melanoma, (in my case it’s not sun-related). 

It’s only four treatments, a slow-acting drug with a wide range of side effects which can come on months after infusions are completed, and as I discovered, can be quite wretched.

Recently I had a dreadful toxic reaction to the drug. Ouch! My brain literally hurt. I hadn’t been in hospital since childhood.

Nurses, blessed nurses,

are Mother Nature’s heart

and hands on earth.

All the while, we’ve been selling off and packing up the big house we’ve lived in for seven years, and renovating it to prepare it for sale. 

I joke to Mez, “It’s so hard to enjoy having cancer with all this work to do!”

Calm friends provide peace and care while steroids course through me and opiates are on hand. Mez is my Atlas.

At present it feels like cancer takes a back seat to dealing with this nasty drug reaction. But in fact the tumours started shrinking before I started the Yervoy treatments, and continue to do so. Yippee!

I know that energy work has helped a lot – restorative yoga, meditation, acupuncture, Reiki, Breema, Qigong, hypnotherapy and Patrick San Francesco. 

I’ve done a lot of inner housework discarding negative emotions. Details matter so much less. Controlling the outcome matters so much less. 

I’m more open, honest and clear-sighted. It’s wonderful. I’m so grateful for this change in my life. 

It’s very clear that stress is very subtle and adversely affects the immune system. It starts with a gut feeling, a quiet energetic signal that we usually ignore, until we eventually become ill. The inner voice does not text, email or use Facebook. 

There is no going back,

back to normal,

back to the way things were.

There’s just here and now,

gratefully moving forward

into the great unknown.

Until this recent setback, I’ve actually been feeling fabulous, as I quit sugar, wheat, dairy and meat. 

I’m at my natural weight and loving it. My pants fall down, along with my boobs. I figured out what was eating at me, acknowledged it, addressed it and with gratitude said “adios”. Hard stuff, but great stuff. 

Thank you so much for your concern and loving friendship. I’m vulnerable and your love and positive thoughts are powerful healers. This is a wake up to life, a nudge towards the light. 

Love, Aud xx