Day 29 - 20th June 2013 - my mummy

  I'd like to introduce you to Pam, my lovely Mum. Mum had cancer 11 years ago, and this is her story. We wanted to show that cancer doesn't have to be a death sentence , that you CAN beat it, but it is important to have Cancer Research so that it can be detected early and have to correct treatment  administered.....

Oh I do like a nice cuppa tea!

                                                   The word is cancer. 

            I have written it like that because we are bigger than cancer.   

Actually I am quite large for my 5ft. height but that’s because I eat so many cakes and chocolate and chocolate and chocolate! (dont take any notice, she's tiny :)

                                  Anyway back to the subject in hand. 

 I was given the news of my breast cancer in October 2002 and was in hospital for a mastectomy at the end of November 2002.  I could have had a reconstruction at the same time (yippee!) but declined as it was traumatic enough having major surgery on one side of me without having to contend with having bits cut off from elsewhere and being stuck back on the front. I was told that it was the ‘best sort of cancer to have’ (yippee again!), it made me feel so ‘special’ (not!).

I valued the support of my family who were all there for me, as were some most unexpected friends, one of whom came to see me in hospital but hadn’t been shopping and she had routed in her car and found a can of coke and a crumpled up kit-kat which she proudly presented to me.  I really appreciated the gesture!  I felt sorry for my family as I had told them that I would be okay, but they didn’t seem to be reassured and I actually felt guilty that I had put them through it.

In my hey day

To cut a long story short, I duly recovered. The cancer had not spread so I was spared chemotherapy, etc.  I spent the next few months feeling guilty that I had got away so lightly and also slightly peeved that I couldn’t take up my friend’s offer of her bobble hat to wear if I lost my hair.  I often forget to put in my prosthesis (false booby for those that don’t know) and hubby (that’s Debbie’s Daddy) has a stock of kitchen roll in the car so I can stuff away until both sides look the same.  I had to give up swimming as I was afraid my booby would extract itself and go swanning off without me and without it I would be likely (thus being side heavy) to wobble over and possibly drown! 

                              I jest because it was a coping strategy. 

 We all have our own way of dealing with the crap we are dealt with and I have the utmost respect for everyone who has to suffer this. It may all seem macabre but laughing is a good medicine.  

they can't take me anywhere!

Something that helped me enormously was two things that hubby (that’s Debbie’s Daddy) promised me when I was better.  A craft room and a trip to the NEC for a craft fair.  I’ve had both.  The one thing I would say is 

                                              NEVER GIVE UP! 

 Anyway, I want to do my bit without building up a sweat.  My passion is papercraft and I will give a box of greetings cards to Debbie and if you buy one or two, the money will go to Cancer Research.

                  ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!!