End of year recovery trip to Strasbourg and Colmar France for the famous Christmas Markets >>
Read MoreMy first Mammogram Post Breast Cancer
So today I had my first Mammogram post breast cancer diagnosis. I wasn’t actually expecting this appointment because I had been told so many different things by different people. I had been told it won’t be until next year by the doctor and then others told me it would be around this time. SO when I got a call out of the blue to come in it took me by surprise >>
Read MoreTamoxifen: I just Can't
I was on these drugs for less than 6 weeks and the side effects were horrific. I don’t think my ability to handle them is great mentally/emotionally after what I’ve been through for one as I think my body has had enough but 6 weeks this reaction—how is 5 years sustainable with this? >>
Read MoreHappy Things: Paris
Celebration trip to Disneyland and Paris for finishing treatment for breast cancer >>
Read MoreA Year Since Diagnosis: Gratitude + Big Lessons
A year ago today, I was told the news that I had Stage 2, grade 3 IDC Breast Cancer. Part of me was so confident I didn’t have it, I didn’t have James come with me to the appointment because why would I if it wasn’t anything serious? I think looking back in my gut I knew what it was and so did James the minute I found the lump just before a trip to Paris in August >>
Read MoreNature + the Arts: My biggest Healers
Nature and Art have been my biggest healers in recovery from breast cancer. A selection of photos from the last few months>>
Read MoreTamoxifen - Week 1
I feel guilty and bad (which seems to happen to me a lot in this cancer journey) because I feel like its only 5 mg I should be able to handle this. I feel bad because I know what a lot of Stage 4 cancer people would give to have even this option for themselves. I also feel SCARED that if I don’t push through and just put up with this poo that it will increase my risk of this coming back and I do not want that one bit >>
Read MoreHaircut 2 + patience with regrowth
This last week I went back to Guys Hospital for my 2nd haircut with the charity Cancer Hair Care. I had the same lady as before which was nice to chat about my progress and overall recovery and my hair and feelings surrounding it >>
Read MorePhysio- The Personal Trainer Editions
I had my first personal training session with her last week (we will be meeting every other week) and she checked how many times I could sit down and get up in a chair in a timed space, my blood oxygen levels and my grip strength. We then did some balance exercises, some leg presses and arm, shoulder and back weights. I pushed myself HARD but not too hard. Was sore the next day but managed to get out for a run the following day so not too bad. Grateful for my overall recovery rate being pretty good so that I can snap back quickly >>
Read MoreNutrition Support after Cancer
Implementing change in nutrition is and will be hard for me. To be honest James and I weren’t eating THAT bad before compared to most people but implementing the change we have done has taken ages. Food is such an emotionally intertwined complex subject especially for myself whose had such a difficult relationship with food. So thus the need for someone to help and hoping that it will help me get my weight down finally after struggling with this my entire life >>
Read MoreTamoxifen + Upcoming Scans
So I had an oncologist appointment after a bit of a break. Its seemed ages since my last appointment. I met with one of the Junior Drs. If you remember there’s been a lot of hoopla of whether or not I can take the 5mg of Tamoxifen safely or not due to past clotting issues >>
Read MoreTransitioning out of Treatment Sucks
How I’ve felt transitioning out of treatment for Breast Cancer >>
Read MorePills: Decisions and Delays
So because my breast cancer is sensitive to hormones usually what happens after chemo, radiation and surgery is some sort of endocrine/hormone therapy as a final buffer to help prevent any hormones feeding into a new cancer which you don’t want. There’s no guarantee that this would happen if I took the pills or didn’t take the pills although there’s some evidence with benefit of taking them. No matter what I’ve done along this ‘cancer journey’ there’s no fool proof way of preventing this to come back 100% >>
Read MoreStrikes and Chronic Career Stress
I was sincerely hoping that I’d be able to jump back into full time SA work because of how keen I am for normalcy again after finishing treatment but there was a little thing that happened recently called Hollywood Strikes >>
Read MoreAfter Cancer Online Courses + Support
So I have been trying to get myself some support since finishing treatment: I started a 6 week online coaching programme through the charity Life after Cancer. I lasted about 3 weeks and had to pull out. Again I found it difficult to talk about cancer with others so close to finishing treatment >>
Read MoreHair: Regrowth, 3 months in
Can you believe tomorrow is 3 months since I finished my last chemotherapy? How time flies when you’re trying to recover from all of this >>
Read MoreHappy Things: Cornwall
Seaside Healing. A much needed chance to recover at Watergate Bay, Cornwall >>
Read MoreHair: Can't Touch This
So I suddenly had a booking for a couple of days on a TV show for Apple+ this week that I was not expecting at all. It was really nice because I saw several people who I knew which was fab and a couple of people like my gig last week who looked after me. It was also very much appreciated money to hep my independence, bank account and self esteem with my finances which have been quite impacted with this thing >>
Read MoreFrom Me to You: Happy Mail
Receiving hand written letters and gifts during cancer treatment from the charity From Me To You. The power of small acts of kindness >>
Read MoreFirst Gig in the Wig
Yesterday was a big day in my cancer journey. It was the first time since buying my wig that I actually wore it to work. Up to now I’ve been doing filming work with bandanas, hats, beanies only or have been provided with one by costume >>
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