Hi! My name is Louise and I’m a 30-something with a rare cancer. I’m blogging (louisewisson.com) in order to help myself and my loved ones through cancer. 

I hope my blog will help others with cancer too. I hope it will help raise awareness and funds for cancer research. My bucket list target is raising £10K+ for cancer charities.

My cancer journey

I got diagnosed with Primary Peritoneal Cancer, a rare form of cancer, in December 2012.

Primary peritoneal cancer (PPC) starts in the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the membrane that lines the inside of the abdomen, clinging to and covering all the organs in the abdomen – for example the intestines, the liver and the stomach. 

PPC and epithelial ovarian cancer (the most common type of ovarian cancer) behave very similarly, and are treated in the same way. These are also the same cells that appear in some breast cancers. 

Most women don't have any symptoms for a long time and when symptoms do occur they are difficult to diagnose. Therefore, 75% of  PPC and ovarian cancers aren't detected until Stage 3 or 4 out of 4. Unfortunately, at that late stage there is a 70% chance of dying.

Mine was Stage 4.

Thanks to my overall good health, great fitness levels, relatively young age, good diet, positive mental attitude, and support of my family, friends, colleagues and my amazing medical team, I beat cancer in April 2013. One day and one step at a time. Unfortunately, my cancer came back in December 2013, so I’m now fighting on all fronts to beat it again. 

I found out after I got cancer that I have a faulty BRCA1 gene (like Angelina Jolie). Although I couldn't stop getting Primary Peritoneal cancer, I might be able to avoid getting breast cancer. 

If it weren't for the research that the likes of Breast Cancer Now (formerly Breakthrough Breast Cancer), Cancer Research UK, The Eve Appeal do, I wouldn't have had the chemotherapy and other drugs that have helped me beat cancer and which will help me beat it again. 

So, please give generously and help me meet my bucket list target of raising £100K+ for cancer charities. See our team fundraising page here: 

Why raise money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer?

So many amazing women I know I have been affected by breast cancer: two of my dear friends, my aunt, my friend's mum, and one of my bootcamp buddies...not name but a few. Luckily nowadays, a lot of women live long healthy lives after having breast cancer. Thanks to the research done by charities like Breast Cancer Now. 

Tragically, some don't survive. I lost my grandmother (Elvie) and a very dear friend to breast cancer. I want to help more people beat cancer and survive.

The worst thing with cancer is that once it sets in it can spread. So even if you start off having cancer in your breast it can spread to your lymph nodes, your spine, your liver, your bones, your brain and elsewhere. That's what happened to my friend. 

If it weren't for amazing charities like Breast Cancer Now we wouldn't have the specialist knowledge to help beat all these different types of cancers. 

I was inspired by Amanda Jones and her tireless work and fundraising for Breakthrough Breast Cancer (renamed 'Breast Cancer Now' on the 15th June 2015) following the death of her daughter Becs at the tender age of 32. You are both inspirations!

Since starting the fundraising for Breakthrough Breast Cancer I've discovered that I have a faulty BRCA1 gene. Thanks to research done by Breakthrough there is a new pioneering targeted cancer treatment available called PARP-inhibitors. They only work for people who have BRCA gene faults, like mine. After me last round of chemo, I've now been offered the first PARP-inhibitor drug commercially available in the U.K. I'm hoping it can help me feel better very soon.

So please give whatever you can afford to support them, or share this page to help spread the word. 

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