Doctor, have we caught it early?” my mother asked. “I can tell you now that we haven’t caught it early. It’s big… You look like you’re going to faint.” I assured him that I would do no such thing, but then everything went a bit blurry. There was a 4cm tumour in my colon. I’d just seen it myself on a big screen during a colonoscopy.

This was in February and I was 38. I’d had a few weeks of tummy cramps and then a worrying stool test. Going into the colonoscopy I remember thinking, “This may be the last few minutes when I don’t officially have cancer.” So I wasn’t surprised when they found it; dread had done its job. The shock was worse for my husband, parents and brothers. In fact, my mother came out in hives.

It would, I think, presage ill if cancer had brought me wisdom, new purpose or — worst of all — peace. The lessons I have learnt are overwhelmingly practical.