Dang! (re the body selling!)

Yeah, you're right - mum DID come through the other end after radio and is just as strong as ever (she had breast cancer in 1993, followed by a collapsed lung and pnuemonia due to the radio - ouch!).  And you're DEFINITELY right re my dad; one of my longest-known mates from school's dad's been through a full course of chemo and he's still terminal - no cure.  His is FAR worse than my dad's too - he's got some kind of nasty stomach cancer, so his guts balloon due to water retention, and he's in a LOT of pain - far more than my dad.  Life doesn't half know how to break it off and stick it in hey?