blogs

Facing the Storm-10

Keep calm and eat cake Mum’s 85th Birthday fell on the day after I was discharged from hospital and two days before Christmas Day. Despite having to hide the surgery drains in the deep p ........

Facing the Storm-9

Mum & Dad When I went through breast cancer in 2012-2013 I had the love and support of my parents. How much had changed in 5 years. My wonderful Dad had passed away in 2016 and altho ........

Facing the Storm-8

Countdown to Christmas The girls had just broken up from school and it was a wonderful feeling of being together at home just 3 days ahead of Christmas. Beautiful flowers arrived. Beauti ........

Facing the Storm-7

'Twas the week before Christmas ‘Twas the week before Christmas …and I was admitted into hospital to have a double mastectomy; in fact my second double mastectomy. But this time without any ........

Facing the Storm-6

The Waiting Game Lulu had persuaded me into doing Christmas shopping so early this year. Having done it all in November she’d also wrapped everything! I’d never before been so organised ahea ........

Facing the Storm-5

Five years on As soon as we knew the inescapable journey that lay ahead, we sat with the girls and brought them into the loop. It was five years on from my first encounter with breast cance ........

Facing the Storm-4

Deep rooted shock The following week we learnt that the tumor was 19mm, and Grade 3 - the same as my previous episode, and in the same place. Although the breast tissue had been removed in ........

Facing the Storm-3

I have concerns Anxious to put our minds at rest we set about arranging a check-up as soon as possible. During the ultrasound scan I sensed that things were not right. Ironic really that ........

November 2017 Stood shivering with my friend on the side line of the netball court (whilst our daughters battled the elements to play netball) and debating for the zillionth time why netball i ........

Facing the Storm-1

In November 2017 I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. Despite having had a double mastectomy, it was back; same grade, same place. Once again I relied on my diary regularly ........

HOW DO YOU TALK TO SOMEONE WHO’S FACING CANCER?

Having had breast cancer twice within a space of six years, you may imagine I’d be quite good at talking to others who are facing a cancer diagnosis. In truth, it’s the hardest thing.After all, we a ........

TEN YEARS ON FROM BREAST CANCER

They say that time is a great healer, and I’d agree that time has given me the space and distance to evolve new perspectives on my illness. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, my ........

FINDING POSITIVITY – THROUGH ROUTINE

Striving to find something ‘positive’ when navigating the many mood swings through cancer, is a recurring theme that threads throughout my book ‘See the Colour in the Clouds’.It’s hard to stay posit ........

THE VOICE OF ART

I have always found Art such a powerful medium to release my feelings.As infants, it’s instinctive to play with paints – and make a wonderful mess. We don’t judge the artwork, we just enjoy the mom ........

ON KEEPING A DIARY

I started a diary when my daughters were young to record the funny things they did, and said, pretty much every day.When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I instinctively turned to my diary again ........