Hi and welcome to a page dedicated to my boobies and the journey we have been on.

In July 2020 during the global pandemic, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. Literally my boobs were trying to kill me. Within 25 days of my diagnosis, I started my first of 12 chemotherapy sessions. I was lucky enough to border two hospitals and I got to witness first-hand the care and support from both Royal Bolton and The Christie. It was tough anyway, but to do it virtually alone with no family or friends for support was harder - the most they could do was doorstep visit and send texts (and presents - I got lots of wonderful gifts!).

During the final legs of chemo, The Christie’s 'at home' unit started up again (it had closed due to covid) so I was able to use the mobile chemo van closer to home. So now I get to say I had car park chemo ;)

In December 2020 I had surgery, the technical term was a lumpectomy with full axillary node clearance as the pesky cancer had started to travel to my lymph nodes (this is when what carriers it round the rest of your body- lymph nodes are kind like that). Where my cancer was located and the type of surgery was double edged, I am fortunate that I don’t ‘need’ to have reconstruction, but the scars sit right in my arm pit which coupled with having no lymph nodes has meant the post-surgery recovery hasn’t been easy. Most days aren’t physically sunshine and roses.

Then I met Karen, some would describe her as the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and she sure as shit is. Karen is a breast cancer specialist, and she works at the Physiotherapy department at Salford Royal.

Karen has not only worked on my scars, but she has also worked on my soul and has done wonders for both. After I've run the half marathon I will be starting a ‘Karen appreciation’ society (I’m honestly not joking!).

As part of the physio, I have been fortunate enough to have the DOT treatment. DOT stands for ‘deep oscillation therapy’ and this has worked (and continues to work) wonders on my scars and allowing my body to find new ways to drain its lymphatic fluid as I no longer have the nodes that did that before.

Deep oscillation therapy is a unique, patented treatment method that enables Karen’s real life ‘sent from god’ hands to break down the scar tissue and allow my body to repair. Not only does this type of therapy improve the look and feel of the scar but it helps on the inside too. It’s special structure allows the therapist to create biologically effective oscillations in the treated tissue using electrostatic attraction and friction. There are many clinically proven physiological effects including reduction in pain and inflammation as well as optimizing lymphatic drainage (Thank you Karen for this detailed information).

Now to where you and the half marathon come in. I hit the jackpot with living in Salford, as not every borough has a DOT machine. Karen and her colleague Emma were lucky in securing funding to have one in the first place and not every borough has one. 

I am running the Manchester half marathon to raise as much as I can to help fund another DOT machine for Karen, Emma and the team at Salford, to continue to help change lives. The DOT machine not only helps people who have had cancer treatment, but it works on any scar, for male or female and I really believe this treatment should be available to everyone, no matter where you live. Now because my parents raised me to share, I am dragging my poor poor sister Helen along for the ride. She has been the second angel and I can’t imagine what seeing me poorly did to her but she kept me well fed, hydrated, sat with my whilst I was sick and lay in bed on days I couldn’t get up. I am, and always will be grateful to my big sister for being by my side throughout. 

The DOT machine will cost £3,225, so that’s my goal and I’ll continue running as long as I need to get there. I will be forever grateful for my postcode – it brought me not only the wonderful NHS that saved me, but to Salford Rehab, where I met Karen who helped pick up the pieces.

More information about the DOT can be found here: DEEP OSCILLATION® Personal Pro - PHYSIOMED

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