Nick and I, and my sisters lovely boys Oliver and William, and my amazing friend Roxane are running this years GNR to raise money for the Maggie's Centre in Newcastle.  This is because Maggie's have been one of the most important places for my sister throughout her battle with breast cancer, and beyond providing her and our family help and the most amazing support.  Sorry if the story as I saw it through my eyes is a little personal...

I had popped home (to Newcastle!) for the weekend and Vicky and I were out for a lovely dinner together when she first said to me about the lumps she'd found - a doctor had told her they were nothing to worry about, but she was still a little worried, we talked and she agreed that she most probably needed another opinion.  

When she went back to the doctors, she was immediately referred to hospital for checks.  She had only told me, she didn't want any one else worrying and she didn't want me to go with her.  It was the day before Christmas Eve 2014 and I got a text from her when her appointment was finished - she knew then it was cancer from the reaction of the doctors and nurses, but she had to wait a week for the results, getting these just before NYE, she was right.  She didn't want to tell anyone, she didn't want to ruin Christmas. She had to, she needed our love and support.  

It is the only time our family have had sad tears at the Christmas table despite really trying to have fun.

From talking to Vicky I knew she felt scared, she had some amazing friends who provided real love and support to her, but I know there were times she still felt alone, especially in the early moments, I felt far away and really unable to help, calls and cards were the only way I could show her my love.

Luckily for Vicky she found Maggie's in Newcastle early on, and I was so glad, because the battle was going to be draining.  Maggie's and the other people she met there gave her the love, care and attention, and most importantly the ultimate thing she needed, a total understanding of what she was going through.  

So the first thing was the mastectomy and lymph node clearance as the cancer cells had spread - a pretty tough thing for any woman to go through, but then due to complications during recovery her chemotherapy was delayed, she found this so stressful, desperate for the thing that would rid her body of these cancer cells.  Anyone who knows anyone who has had cancer will know how tough chemo is, and when she got there finally it was equally devastating, sickness, tiredness, sores, no immune system, hair loss... and 2 boys to be a mummy to at home, 6 sessions and she was through... radiotherapy was a doddle after that regardless of how knackering, it didn't have a patch on chemo!

Maggie's was amazing throughout, support in the emotional side of cancer, the understanding of what your mind is doing to make you think of the worst, even when you're trying to be positive, the stress, the enormity of the mountain you feel you need to climb.  Yoga, mindfulness, general counselling, people to ask advice about the medical side of what was happening but without being in hospital, just a place to be and feel how you felt surrounded by people who understood, at least that's how Maggie's was to Vicky when we talked and she described what she was going through.  They provided a place the boys could be with their mum too, so very important for her as well as them.

The support continued beyond the immediate cancer treatment, when most breathe a sigh of relief at the 'battle being over' but in reality the battle to rebuild you is just beginning, not just in body but in mind too. It took Vicky over 6 months to be ready to start the process for reconstructive surgery, that's how long her body took to recover from the cancer treatment, and probably how long it took for her to be ready to face this next challenge, she was desperately trying to 'keep going' and still Maggie's was there.  She needed support through the procedures that readied her for reconstruction, and past the actual major surgery as still things just kept going wrong for her.

Now she is finally 2 months past her last major surgery, yes it really has taken that long, and she still has a number of minor surgeries to go. 5 major surgeries in just over a year.  And I know just how important a part of her life Maggie's has been over this time, as well as the friends she has met there, friends I imagine are gong to be part of her life for a long time to come.  And they keep supporting in dealing with side effects of the ongoing treatment to stop the cancer coming back, treatments that last at least 5 years, longer for some...

People who know me know I like a run, but a short one, and certainly NOT a half marathon!  But this is our way of saying thank you to Maggie's for all they have done, and enable them to provide more amazing support to others who are facing the same battles, and worse, than my lovely sister has faced.  Luckily for me Nick is supporting me too and running with me, and William and Oliver (Vicky's boys) are running the junior GNR on Saturday 9th and helping me reach this target for Maggie's.  Please donate to this amazing charity if you can - and for my South West friends, they are planning a centre in Taunton!

Thank you for reading, love (a slightly scared) Caroline and Nick, Roxane, Oliver and William

P.S. Training starts tomorrow! :-)

P.P.S I will be trying to hold on to Roxane's coat tails as she flies off into the distance!!! :-D