This past week has passed in a blur. A very happy blur though.
Firstly I was so excited to receive my copy of The Bowel Cancer Recovery Tool Kit book by Sarah Russell. I pre ordered it a while back.
As far as I know it’s the first of its kind and it’s much needed.
Don’t get me wrong I’m incredibly happy and beyond grateful for the medical care I received, but there is a huge gaping hole in after care.
Yes, I was screened regularly for 7 years after my recovery for cancer, and that’s brilliant.
But what about the other broken bits that they don’t or are unable to help with?
Surviving cancer is the ultimate goal for any cancer patient, but survival usually comes at a cost with a high amount of collateral damage.
For example my son was 13 when he was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer six months before I was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. He had a completely unrelated cancer to mine. We just got unlucky with two strikes of lightening I guess…but my God we got lucky that we both survived.
He was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. A very rare cancer in children in the western world.
He’s very lucky to still be here as he had the great misfortune of his cancer spreading to the glands in his neck from its source in the cavity behind his nose and throat.
He is one very lucky man! But as a survivor of cancer treatment he has some very significant collateral damaged, as weird as it may seem to you, having damaged parts is a positives, we’re here, we made it!
Radiotherapy destroyed his thyroid gland, significantly damaged his pituitary gland, he suffered hearing loss from the chemo and was told his chances of ever becoming a father were next to none.
It’s really difficult to explain all this damage to your 13 year old child, but there’s not much you can do.
You could just let cancer take its course but I’ve never in my life heard of anyone just lay down and give in.
Some people don’t like the word ‘fighting’ cancer but to be honest that’s what I’ve seen people do.
The treatment is harsh and yet we go back for more because being here means everything, that to me is fighting.
Collateral damage is the price we pay to stay alive.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t need help moving on from it. And that’s where this new book comes in.
I personally have a lot of damage, due to treatment and the surgery. But it’s ok, it’s not something to dwell on. It’s a positive, even if it’s not a good thing as such.
It’s mainly for newly diagnosed people, so if you know anyone unfortunate enough to have been recently diagnosed with bowel cancer (there’s a lot of it about! Way way too much) then this book is the ideal gift.
In fairness a newly diagnosed brain isn’t particularly thinking straight with all the noise and chaos going on inside but it’s a good book to have in the wings waiting anyway.
There are tips for getting through chemo and radiotherapy and other treatments.
There’s dietary advice from my fave dietician and food goddess Sophie Medlin (@sophiedietician) and most importantly of all in my opinion is exercise advice for post surgery and ostomy surgery.
After all these years (9 now) I still struggle to find the right level of exercise for my condition.
I’m not a fully fit, whole woman anymore, bits have been removed and new bits (stoma and hernia) have arrived.
It makes exercise very daunting and difficult.
I don’t want surgery on my hernia, I prefer to manage it by myself, but that does mean pussy footing around it and trying not to antagonise it at all costs.
It’s all been trial and error till now. It doesn’t like standing for prolonged periods, or sitting for prolonged periods, or running, or bending, or pilates or yoga (or anything that intensely goes through the core).
I often see it as this living breathing entity that I have to battle to keep happy. I often lose this, it can get very stroppy! Hahahahaha
This is Sophie’s contribution. I follow Sophie religiously on Insta. I had an appointment with her a few months back and her no nonsense advice has seen me lose some weight. Not masses but as I socialise an awful lot losing loads of weight just isn’t on the cards.
I really highly recommend this book. It’s a game changer, and no, I wasn’t paid to review it, I simply bought it from Amazon like everybody else.
I’m going to give the exercises in the book a go too.
I cycle when I can and I’m active with house work etc but I really would like to strengthen my core as it will assist with the damage done to the discs in my spine from radiotherapy.
This book is a must and they should give it out as part of your treatment pack.
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Last Thursday I had the great privilege of being asked to go into work and help with our Christmas event, I work for the Neptune Store in Colchester, I do their social media posts, so I work from home, but I love going in store to help out.
On Thursday I ran the raffle, raising money for Wooden Spoon, a rugby charity that raises money to fund projects for disabled and disadvantaged children in the U.K.
I love fund raising, I’m actually really quite good at it. Whenever I collect outside Tesco shaking my tins for Marie Curie I raise an absolute fortune. I love engaging with people and people love someone to listen to their story, especially with such an emotive subject like the care Marie Curie provide.
Thursday night we raised £400 and I thought that was a jolly good effort, especially in this day and age where people don’t carry cash as a rule (I know I never do, it’s a rarity if I do).
Dress from Oliver Bonas, Tights from Tesco, Boots from Russell & Bromley
This wonderful bunch are the kindest, most lovely people to work with. Bearing in mind I don’t work in store very often they always manage to make me feel like part of the team.
The reason I’m not in the same uniform as the others is because I asked my boss if she’d be ok with me wearing a dress instead. I had been having trouble with my hernia all week and the thought of wearing jeans was turning my stomach (like I said I have to live around my hernia).
Anyway I loved raising the money and chatting to the customers but foolishly got carried away with that to think about the impact of sitting at an angle all evening was going to have on my hernia.
I am an idiot I will agree. By the time we had finished for the evening my hernia was throbbing so badly I was unable to drive home straight away. I had to stand around and wait for the pain to dissipate. I thought I was going to be sick. How absolutely mortifying and embarrassing.
It would have gone back in quicker had I laid flat on my back and gently pushed it back in but the thought of doing that in my work place didn’t appeal to me funnily enough.
And worse still it was caused by my own stupidity. I would say I live and learn but I’m thinking that’s just wishful thinking at this point! Hahahahaha
Anyway, it was a great night. I got my hernia to sink in enough to lift my leg up to drive and went off merrily home. I really enjoyed it and lots of money was raised for a great cause.
And then we come to the weekend. Oh my goodness what absolute heaven.
My son and his girlfriend and their baby came to stay…yes, I said their baby. Sam was told that he wouldn’t be able to have children, at least not naturally, if at all.
But the universe, the Gods or God or what ever you choose to believe in works in mysterious ways.
Sam and Milly’s son was born in March. He came as a surprise to everyone, including them.
He is the most serendipitous surprise ever!! And proof should you need it that doctors don’t know everything.
Baby Zachary makes my day, week, month and year!
So a whole weekend of him is a much wanted gorgeousness overload.
It was wonderful to spend some much needed family time together. Having both my boys home, their gals and Zak. Heaven absolute heaven.
I am one very lucky granny. xx
And baby makes 3.
Milly, Sam and Zak.
This one! Where do I begin? The only reason I’m as happy and as content in my skin, despite every change my body has been through, is because this man has fiercely rooted for me. I am and will always be forever grateful. I never take finding a good one for granted.
Auntie Kaitlyn and Uncle Ben having fun with Zak.
Pepper refuses to be left out, and why indeed should she. She’s family too. Hahahahaha
I have to admit my living room is now toy free again and I’m somewhat bereft.
Can’t wait to see them again next month. xxx