Sandra dated all of her poetry when she considered it to be finished, although she might return to change a word, or punctuation mark, here or there; sometimes she finished a piece months after she started it.
This chronology is intended to place her poetry into the context of what was happening in her life at the time. I have dated her poems with the dates actually used by Sandra, unless she made any comments which suggested another date would be more appropriate for full understanding.
2004 |
|
14 July |
Sandra's 60th birthday |
October |
Routine 3-yearly breast scan picks up anomalous areas in right breast. |
17 November |
Sandra (coincidentally) retires from work. |
7 December |
Inflammatory breast cancer diagnosed |
12 December |
Shadow |
2005 |
|
5 January |
Chemotherapy started |
20 January |
Crash |
13 February |
Prism |
24 March |
Warning, Forest |
6 April |
Itinery |
21 April |
Chemotherapy finished |
23 April |
Noise |
May/June |
Nightwatch |
24 June |
Mastectomy |
23 July |
Our silver anniversary |
24 July |
Arimidex started |
28 August |
Herceptin started |
11 September |
Exile |
27 September |
Radiotherapy started |
8 October |
Cyclops |
7 November |
Radiotherapy finished |
13 November |
Snake |
December |
Kidnap, Check-up |
14 December |
Guiser, Prisoner, Roc |
2006 |
|
8 January |
Crab |
13 March |
Told Herceptin & Arimidex not working, so both stopped. Must expect to have about 6 months left, but further chemotherapy might buy extra time. |
14 March |
Chemotherapy (Taxotere) started. |
22 March |
Thief |
10 April |
Destination |
19-23 April |
Visit to Innerleithan |
15 May |
Bluebells |
22 May |
Journey |
28 May |
Kidnap, Late Fruits (?) |
12 July |
Chemotherapy finished |
28 July |
Freefall |
1 August |
Final illness starts |
14 August |
Admitted to hospital |
19 August 8:22 pm |
Dies |
23 August |
Cremation service |
9 September |
Ashes scattered at Innerleithan |