It has been so long since I wrote my last blog, I suddenly had an urge to write one. I was inspired to write again after reading an article by Dr Liz O’Riorden, a breast surgeon who has had breast cancer diagnosed for the third time. She has written books and gives lectures about the effect of having breast cancer and she has written a list of things she wishes she had known from the start of her diagnosis. This got me thinking about what I wish I had been told when diagnosed with lobular breast cancer, hence this blog. Just to recap for people that don’t know, 5 years ago I found a hardened a ..read more

Exemestane is the devils drug I have decided. I am determined that it does not dictate or direct my life, which I succeed sometimes at achieving but other times it takes over and I feel like I am constantly moaning and make up my list of ailments. Unfortunately they are real, very debilitating and I am only now beginning to come to terms with the fact that I am not able to do and behave the way I did before cancer. I think I have mentioned this before that when you are diagnosed with cancer you have an abundance of support from medical professionals, family and friends as soon as treatment sto ..read more

I feel like this chapter of my life is coming to a close, I am in the final weeks of the Degree course I started a few months before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a break from the course whilst I was having treatment, a six month stint at work then I was back on the course. So I feel as if I have been writing essays forever, my mind always ticking over thinking about what else I can write about but this will all end, will I miss it, yes of course it has been an opportunity to learn more about the job I love and given me a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that make it work. I ..read more

Its been a few months since I have written a blog, this is due to the fact I am trying to complete my degree which will lead to me being a Community Specialist Practitioner. Today though I have been writing about the benefits of blogging for people who are experiencing social isolation usually due to illness but at the moment we are all feeling socially isolated so I thought I would write a short piece as I feel like I need a good old chat, please write back about a snippet of your day. We are all experiencing strange times at the moment and we are all obviously trying our best to avoid getti ..read more

Its has difficult few weeks for me and i was not going to write about it, until i was reading a blogger who has also got breast cancer who was writing about similar issues that she was having this made me realise that i have always been honest about how i am feeling in my blogging and this has always had a therapeutic effect for me so I am sorry but this week it is all about me. Anyone who has not gone through an illness is unaware of the struggles that a survivor goes through every single day.  I don’t feel that sympathy is needed but as more people are going to experience cancer in their li ..read more

Hello and Happy New Year My blogging has been non existent for the past four months as I started back at University to complete my degree that cancer so rudely interrupted! I have been so desperate to write a blog as I enjoy the whole process of it from planning, researching, writing and then getting peoples feedback. I have just completed a Public Health module and my subject was air pollution, this has opened my eyes even more to effects of the things that we use everyday in our homes and on our bodies as indoor air pollution is now being recognised as a threat to our health. This has made m ..read more

I have had such a busy couple of weeks, my son got married and I have returned to University! Matthew and Victoria’s wedding was fantastic, the service was held in a church in the centre of Cambridge which has married five generations of Victoria’s family. The service was followed by a reception at Victoria’s family home, we had pictures and canapes in the garden and we were lucky that the sun shone. The food was delicious and speeches were great and then everyone danced away the night. I danced for a good while but I have now damaged my knee and I am finding it difficult to walk, but it was ..read more

  “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them: that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~Lao Tzu  The song says “it ain’t  over ‘till it’s over” when you have breast cancer you soon discover that it’s not even over when it’s over! Breast cancer is a massive wake-up call, for a start it makes you think and look at what may have caused you to get breast cancer could it be diet, lifestyle or stress? On finishing the treatment for breast cancer, you soon begin to realize that there is no way you will ..read more

As a nurse I have always thought I understood the relationship and the importance that our mental health has on our physical health. Our mental and physical health are so closely linked yet so often they are treated separately, or our mental health is totally ignored by health professionals. During my treatment nobody spoke about or warned me how I might feel after my treatment had finished, they explained and warned me about a lot of the sideeffects i may face after all my treatment. Tablets that i am prescribed all state the effects they may have on my body. I am so appreciative of the amaz ..read more

These past few months I have had to face the hardest battle I have ever had to face in my life, I have felt that I was one step into the unknown and it was not going to be pretty. In fact, I had truly under estimated the side effects of chemotherapy, something I will never do again. Even though my chemo dose was reduced by 10% i was still very ill so was unable to write my blog as i could not string a sentence together. On a positive note, today was my final chemotherapy session, as I entered the unit I had mixed feelings, obviously I am beyond ecstatic as it is my final one,  but apprehensi ..read more