Timing, they say, is everything. There's never really a good time though to get diagnosed with Leukaemia but the timing of my diagnosis seemed, at first, to come at the worst of times.

Some years ago, due to the misdiagnosis of a condition, my wife had to undergo a fair amount of surgery. Surgery that has severely impacted our ability to have children. Surgery that has meant for the last few years we have been having ongoing fertility treatment in an attempt to start a family.

This year, after the emotional roller coaster of subsequent IVF failures, we finally had some success. And the result of that success continues to grow.

The news of my Leukaemia came the day before we had our 20 week scan. The pensive excitement of the week shattered in a single phone call. At the time of the scan, the word Leukaemia hanging in my mind with no details as to the type or prognosis, I was at my lowest ebb. The results of the scan were all good but I was not sure, at that point, if I would be around for everything else that was to follow. Birth; school; graduation?

Now that things are clearer, the diagnosis confirmed, and the prognosis reasonably good, excitement about the impending birth has returned. But even before the birth she, yes we think its a girl, is having a massive impact on my life.

Since this whole thing began I have not slept well. I struggle to get to sleep and then once I am there my nights are filled with surreal dreams and plagued by cold sweats, the latter being one of the symptoms of my condition. I often find myself getting up at 3am, towelling myself down whilst, half asleep, apologising profusely to my wife for once again turning my side of the bed into a swimming pool. After nights like this I find myself shattered come the following afternoon and in spite of this tiredness the cycle continues.

Relief from this cycle is now coming from my daughter (or son, you can never be 100% sure). Unborn though she is I obtain a serene calmness by slowly drifting of to sleep, hand resting on her mum's tummy, feeling her kick and wriggle. Nights where there is most activity as I doze off are those when I sleep the best. Often without dreaming or sweating.

I am sure that the sleep deprivation will return once she's 'out' but until then I feel I already owe her a debt of gratitude for helping me through this trying period.

She (or he) is the greatest distraction from this turmoil and her timing is perfect.