You all know that 2021 was my toughest year when I was told that I had rapidly spreading Throat Cancer and went through pioneering treatment at The Christie to come out of the other side of treatment very positively.  

Finishing treatment for cancer doesn't mean you're ok and neither does the 'all clear';  it's the start of the rest of your new life where you have to learn quickly to manage side effects, changes in appearance and for me in addition learning how to eat again which was tough and still is. Imagine having your throat and mouth burned 33 times... that's how brutal radiotherapy of any type is and I'm thankful that it worked alongside the chemotherapy I went through at the same time; the after-effects become insignificant. 

In October 2021 I was told that I was 'almost' clear following my first PET scan after treatment, due to swelling whilst others who I'd had the joy to meet who had the same treatment as me got more concrete, positive news.  I was elated that it wasn't bad news for me, but a few days later I hit the floor. Everything had been so certain until now and those who know me very well will attest to my planning and outcomes way of life! I needed to hear it had all been worth it because, as I thought, after doing everything I was told to do and not do (1st time ever I know....)it has to have worked but I didn't get that final news until January 2022.

Days later I found another lump following jaw pain under my ear. It was a whopper. Now I know cancer lumps don't hurt usually as they didn't on my neck when it all started, this one did and I freaked out as you can imagine. Whether it hurt or not I was sure it had all come back. I went immediately to see my specialist nurse at Leighton Hospital (Margaret, an amazing lady.... something about that name if you know my family!) and it was lymphoedema, so a build up of fluid as my lymph nodes don't quite work as well as they had done before treatment.  What a relief, but after 90 minutes of me crying and not making much sense at all I then realised  that I wasn't coping well and what had happened to me finally hit home. Margaret referred me to St Lukes and that's 'how we met'.

I was taken under the care of the lymphoedema team at St Lukes and Carol reassured me, helped me to manually drain the fluid, understood how painful it was and also met with me as an outpatient over the coming months.  I wasn't in a great place at all, 'surely it should all be getting better' was all I could say.  I reflected constantly back to my Mum and Dad dying of cancer, brutally in both cases and all I could see was me going through the same in the future. The day I rang the doorbell at St Lukes I cried and thought 'this will be somebody coming to see me at some point in the future'. 

St Lukes provided therapy sessions, time with a specialist nurse and to this day still give me acupuncture to help relieve my mouth dryness which hinders my being able to eat 'normally' and even speak sometimes (some say the latter is a blessing!). They also gave Matt six sessions as well to help him as what I was going through also affected him and looking back at his year he went through his own very tough times, not just about me.  Outside of this I had a lot of counselling and a year later from the start of my treatment, all of this together brought me back to being me. I couldn't have done this without St Lukes and those amazing people who are part of the hospice.

A little about St Lukes...

Did you now that St Lukes only receive 15% of the money they need directly and the remaining 85% is through fundraising? It costs nearly £10,000 a day to provide the services from the 10 bed inpatient unit to the  complimentary services, some of which I've benefitted from at the Day Hospice. When 1 in 2 people will be affected by cancer the support for St Lukes is even more critical. Without their charity shops, events and people like me wanting to do something then maybe others may not get the care when they need it the most like I did.

Whilst my parents were both at a different hospice  and it was a very sad time for us you feel immediately what a comforting place it is at such a tough time. Many people think of a hospice as a sad place and people do spend their final days there, but so many more people don't and my experience is it's a place which is brimming with patience, listening, care and full of smiles which believe me you need. 

Trek Sahara Challenge, October 2023 and how you can help me...

So, about the challenge now you know why I'm doing this and why it's so critical to support St Lukes. Trekking the Sahara isn't 'my type of fun' as anyone who knows me will tell you.  50KM in scorching heat, with no running water, no showers or toilets for 3 days and a tent!  Really? However, I'm up for it and I can't wait to get training with all of the other people who are taking part in this, getting to know other people and their stories and to be out there fundraising over the next year to hit and smash my target.

When I was so poorly. so many people, asked what they could do for me and back then I had my clinical team and a small support group of people which was what I needed at that time.  You can help me now.

Please donate whatever you can, support me through any fundraising events I do myself to get to my target (and beyond) and where you can, raise funds for my trek from events you may be running and need a worthy cause!  You will give somebody, like me, the support that brought me back to being myself.

Thank you!

PS:  Remember I'm self-funding my place so everything raised goes to St Lukes. Don't forget to Gift Aid if you are a UK tax payer!