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My Hysterectomy Broke Me
This isn’t the kind of post I’m used to writing. Despite trying to be honest about my experience I’ve always tried to find the positive in it too. Even in terms of having cancer itself I’ve been thankful it has given my girls a chance to really know their grandparents, that I have become more fearless in my pursuits and such. But, if I have come to learn anything in life, it is that the right path is oftentimes the harder one to walk and this completely rings true of that. This path, having cancer, is the hardest path I have ever walked and its beginning was particularly traumatic for…
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But It’ll Never Happen to Me
Today is a crazy day for me! My story is in three national papers currently. Little old me, thanks to this blog and my post of my pills that went utterly viral and is still being posted on to this day. I want to thank everyone who shared that post because it led to the lovely Hannah Smith finding me and going through my blog, Hannah heard my story from the beginning and was keen to help me get my story out there, and for that I am so thankful. So, thank you Hannah – if you are reading this – you are really a heroine to me. Thank you…
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I am Ferocious
Last night, a character on a TV show I’ve been loving said they didn’t want to sit in the chemo chair and be weak. I couldn’t help it, this totally caught my attention. Seven cycles in the chemo chair taught me many things, but it also taught me that it takes more than just guts to sit in that chair.
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An Unexpected Update
We got an unexpected call from my oncology team, Friday evening to give us some news that niether of us were expecting. My scan had shown many small blood clots in my pelvis and lungs, and I needed to begin treatment, fast.
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The Final Cycle Update
Here it is, the final update for primary chemotherapy that really began in early July 2018 and finished on the 4th of January 2019. Before it began I knew it would be hard but it turns out nothing prepares you for chemo. We barely began and had to stop for me to have a colostomy. From then on we rolled with the punches. Stent changes and virus’ cost me good weeks and the pain from flares was like nothing I had ever known.
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Stay Cervix Savvy
It’s great to see so many people posting about smear testing and how important it is, but having been diagnosed in between smears, I want to remind you all to stay cervix savvy always.
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Chemotherapy Cycle Five Update
Well, there is quite a bit to update you on! A while back I was offered a bed in the local Sue Ryder hospice after a particularly trying flare period in one of my chemo cycles but I turned it down. It simply didn’t feel right at the time to leave home, my family, my beautiful daughters. I promised I would keep it in mind. Cycle number five came and followed the usual system of my flare beginning at day seven and while lasting a day longer than usual it passed as expected, but on Friday of the second week of chemo came an unexpected addition to the cycle, leading me to…
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One Year On
A year ago today I first heard the word “Cancer” from a Doctors mouth. She had examined me, told me she was “not happy” with what she found and after I had gotten dressed, informed me that it was highly likely that I had Cervical cancer. Since then my world has been a blur. Some days I can’t even remember how old I am, or what happened when because since then we have been on the medical treadmill that is fighting cancer. In that time I have learned two things:
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Chemo Round 4 update
Well! Hello there! It has been a while, hasn’t it? It’s been a particularly challenging cycle and it has sadly kept me from doing what I love most – writing.
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Newbury Cancer Care Trust
This is a little charity that is very local to me. They provide help to local cancer patients like myself. Anything from transport to and from the hospital, financial grants to help with anything that might be troubling you and two major feats of theirs include Rainbow Rooms and The Rosemary Appeal.