Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!!

As many of you know and some will just be finding out reading this, 2014 did not start the way I expected it to and is not going to be the year I planned.

Just before New Years doing a regular check, I found a lump in my breast. As much as I tried to convince myself it wasn't anything, I knew it was. As soon as the new year started, I went to the doctor's to get it checked out. She said she didn't think it was anything to worry about but to be on the safe side arranged for me to go and have a mammogram. Boy am I glad she did.

What she thought was nothing, turned out to be something and a week after my first appointment I was suddenly being told I had breast cancer but it was caught early and treatable. The next few weeks were a blur of appointments, tests, waiting, more tests and then a lumpectomy on February 20th. During this time, I had a Macmillan nurse who was there to answer any questions and try and help but she was under pressure as she was the only one and the only other nurse was off on long term sickness.

I could have felt sorry for myself but I decided it was time to get tough and instead kick some cancer butt.

After surgery and another wait, I was told that they got all the cancer and that it hadn't spread to the lymph nodes ( huge relief)  but due to the type of cancer it was, the only treatment to try to ensure it doesn't come back and to get any rogue cells is chemo. The dreaded word and the one thing that I dreaded about this whole process. 4 and a half months of chemo followed by 3 weeks of radiotherapy. You hear all the side effects and have no idea how you will react. Although they say everyone gets some of the side effects, the hair loss is one that they have said is almost a certainty in my case due to the drugs I will be having. I know once that happens, I won't be able to hide anymore and people will treat me differently no matter how much they try not to.

I was then faced with a decision. I could wait for the drugs to do the job for me or I  could continue with the taking charge kicking cancer butt philosophy and deciding if the hair was going anyway to do it on my terms and raise some money in the process. I also felt that taking control would help everyone around me deal with it by seeing that I am dealing with it and then can just treat me the same as they always have. Pity is not allowed!! I am a fighter not a victim as I read somewhere recently!!! Obviously kicking butt won!!!

So I will be shaving my head at work on April 25th as that is just before my second chemo session. The time and location will be updated on here when determined.

I have been very lucky and have had a tremendous amount of support from my wonderful husband and  family in Canada,  fantastic friends and colleagues and of course my amazing  team at work who are family as well. I know a lot of people could benefit from the additional support of MacMillan Nurses and hopefully any money I raise will ensure they are there when they are needed.