I won't say how old she is or she'll have my plums on a skewer. Here she is pre-diagnosis...
 |
| The beautiful Jeannette |
I thought today might be an opportune time to remind everyone, and myself for that matter, why we're all doing this.
Jeannette was originally diagnosed with breast cancer. In her first consultation with a surgeon she was told that it was not the most aggressive form of cancer and that they could shrink the lump first with chemotherapy and then perform a lumpectomy.
Then, in the second consultation, we were told that it's more aggressive than they first thought and that they were going to perform a single mastectomy followed by six sessions of chemo.
Oh, and by the way, we've found a shadow on one of your lungs.
The mastectomy was duly performed and was considered successful.
Then we were told that the shadow in her lung was cancerous.
It had spread through her lymph nodes and was incurable.
Treatable, but incurable.
So as things stand right now Jeannette is facing a lifetime of never being given the all-clear from this disease, of constant monitoring and treatment.
But then, who knows what medical science is capable of.
Once upon a time, smallpox, cholera and polio were all diseases which caused havoc across generations, but now they have all been more all less wiped off the face the face of the earth. So when it comes to cancer, who knows what medical science will be capable of in five or ten years time.
And that right there is why we're doing this.
So that in five or ten years time people like Jeannette won't have to sit in an office in tears with their hands being held by their loved ones while a doctor tells them they can't be cured.
That's what needs to be made a thing of the past.
They did it with smallpox, cholera and polio, and they can do it again.
But without money there will be no research, no breakthroughs.
Since then of course, our good friend and colleague Julie, having already beaten breast cancer some years ago, has been diagnosed with something so rare you need a masters degree just to spell it!
So until the day there is a cure, people like Deb, Bethan, Ange, Sharon, Nigel, Marc, Jason, Sian and me, not to mention Karen and Dean will continue to run, jump, shave our heads and generally make fools of ourselves.
Anything just to keep the money coming in.
So happy birthday Jeannette, and here's to many more!
No comments:
Post a Comment