Luckily mum had been quick in finding the lump and going to the doctor and after treatment she tried to live life as normal. It can’t be easy for anyone diagnosed as cancer can, and often does, re appear. The anguish it seems never leaves you. Mum, however, got to live another fifteen years before she, once again, realised something was wrong and found she had endometrial cancer. She bravely faced the operation to remove the tumour and the treatment afterwards and once again tried to get on with what she loved so much – life.

Unfortunately just as she was given the all clear (so far) from the treatments for the endometrial cancer she was told the totally devastating news that the breast cancer was back.

This time it was a mastectomy she had to endure, but being told that no further treatment would be needed gave mum such a lift she was once again raring to get on with her life.

Being told not long after that the lump in her neck was cancerous seemed too much for anyone to bear, but mum went quiet for a while then continued to live in hope that she could get over yet another cancer.  She was well read and became hopeful when told she was being given Herceptin, what we all hoped would be, indeed, a wonder drug.

Mums cancer spread to her lymphatic system and she died peacefully at 1.20 p.m. on Sunday March 7^th 2010.

I had promised to raise £1,000 when I became a Breakthrough Challenger but it was  some years later when I was due to celebrate turning 50 that I decided to do a Loony Dook and raise the money for Breakthrough doing that.  The original Langtoun Loony Dook came about because mum was weak from treatments and couldn’t get over to South Queensferry so I decided to celebrate turning 50 in the town of my birth and to finally raise the £1,000. As it turned out mum asked me to give Maggies the cash as they were helping her at the time.

That was it; I’d celebrated and raised money, but hadn’t fulfilled my promise to Breakthrough so I set about organising another dook for 2008. By the time New Year’s Day 2008 arrived it had been decided that this time the monies would be gifted to Rachel House (CHAS).

2009 Dook would definitely be for Breakthrough because I was getting too old for all this jumping about in freezing waters!

At noon on January 1^st 2009 we all ran into the Baltic Forth Estuary and through the kindness of all our sponsors raised enough to put three names onto the 4^th Challenger Wall in London.

Enough was enough I thought, but once again the Loony Express took off and the 2010 dook was organised with sponsorship monies going to The Macmillan Cancer Charity. We raised just under £5000 a magnificent amount!

Anyone who knew our mum talks about how cheerful she remained throughout, always ready to brighten up someone’s day with her beautiful smile.

The 2011 Langtoun Loony Dook will be in tribute to, and in memory of Anne Mercer McPhail Belton the inspiration behind the formation of The Langtoun Loonies.

Please do give generously to Breakthrough Breast Cancer and together we will reach out and hope that we can save more lives as soon as possible to prevent others suffering the loss of any more cherished and wonderful people.

 

Anne and Karen

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