I've just listened to the Waiting Room on Radio 4 this afternoon. I found it really moving and poignant, but also so uplifting and positive. My mother was diagnosed with Cancer when I was 16 and died 4 years later. I found the diary so insightful and could completly relate to the desire to fit everything in before the end, I particularly remember my mum making sure that the house we lived in was sorted the summer before she died with brand new curtains! I think that my mum (Catherine) and Julia would have got on, because of their positive, practical attitude to cancer and as they were both from the north east (my mum grew up in Seaham). I'm so pleased that Julia wrote this diary of her journey, especially given her opening comments, wondering if anyone would be interested in reading it.

Best wishes to Julia's family and friends, I'm sure she's very missed but not forgotten and thank you to Julia for sharing your journey.

Fiona Streeter (nee Bilton)

Yesterday, while standing in my kitchen trying to tackle the ironing, I was lucky enough to hear The Waiting Room on Radio 4. It was one of the most wonderful things I have heard in ages - both extremely moving and life affirming at the same time. Over the last couple of years I have been recovering from severe anorexia. I am now physically well on the mend and making good progress mentally. Listening to the reasons why Julia wanted to live confirmed to me how lucky I was that I was able to make the choice to live. Life truly is the most wonderful gift. Julia's words have affected me in an amazingly positive way as I'm sure they have affected many thousands of others.

Susan

To the people who made such a wonderful and moving play from Julia Darling's blog. I don't know why I hadn't heard of her as a writer before now but I shall certainly seek out her work to read before I die myself which is predicted within the next couple of years as I have metastatic bowel cancer.

Julia's words echoed so much of what I feel at the moment & her poems How To Behave With The Ill and End made me cry. What a talented woman and how much more I hate cancer than I do already given it's robbed the world of such a valuable person.

I have my own blog Up Shit Creek And Still Paddling on which I have recommended the play, linked to your website and put up the poems I've just mentioned. Hope that's OK.

Elaine Connell

My idea of enjoyment and recreation when not working did not used to be programmes on cancer. And now my partner's world has been overtaken by this disease, do I really want to listen to a radio play about someone dying of cancer? Even though I know such programmes can be uplifting and helpful.

I've just listened to The Waiting Room and I am really glad I did. The author comes across so vibrant and full of the joys of life. It re-enforces the feeling that just because someone is ill, she is still the same person she always was. I love radio drama, and this is radio drama at its best - but you will end up crying!

Chris Ratcliffe