Birthday Treats

Lots of Birthday treats today & yesterday!!

Banana Pancakes for breakfast.....

2 very special deliveries of flowers, afternoon tea with Dave & Andrea, lots of amazing presents, cards, texts, emails, calls and a fabulous birthday cake.... I was truly spoiled!!

Thank You SO much to everyone for your incredible thoughtfulness, generosity and best wishes today :)

Amazing Flowers & Birthday balloon from Heather, Tommy, Lauren, Isabel & Leah

Stunning Sunflowers & Roses from Ann & Alan

Marilyn's delicious homemade Carrot Cake!

Birthday meal

Lovely Surprise!!

I got a lovely surprise yesterday afternoon when a fabulous bouquet of flowers turned up at the door from my Aunt & Uncle in Northern Ireland.  Thank you SO much to Leslie, Grace, Eric, Karen & families :)  What stunning flowers!!

I'm continuing to improve day by day and each day my leg seems to feel slightly stronger.  Today when I woke up my foot felt less numb so I've been able to walk a little bit easier and with less of a limp.  Hoping that this progress continues and I can soon walk without a stick.

I had a visit from the local Occupational Therapist today and she gave me a new stick and looked at other aids I might need around the home (hopefully just a short term thing!).  She's also going to refer me to the Physio team in Swindon to have ongoing treatment at their centre.

August 30th

Yesterday was a very special day! I called into the office in Cork to see everyone there as I hadn't been in since January - and the welcome I received just completely blew me away!! Blew both of us away actually (as everyone insisted that Dave came into work aswell)! They had organised the most impresive Tea Party I have ever seen! Fine bone china, scones, cakes, cucumber sandwiches, flowers.....and most importantly a very special afternoon with my friends :)

I was so overwhelmed I just burst into tears when I saw it and the whole afternoon touched both of us so much! What an incredible bunch of people at RCI!! My boss came over from Kettering especially and had also planned a video conference with the team in Kettering, although it didn't work out....probably just as well as I was so overcome already!! It was so good to spend time with everyone and catch up (although there's never enough time to see everyone properly).

Thank you all SO much! Especially Thank You to Mafer and Nellie for the incredible effort you put into organising this. Thank You to Paul and Ciara for arranging the afternoon and for all your continued support to Dave and myself. And Thank You to everyone who came along. We can't tell you how much yesterday meant to both of us :)

June 12th

Sharon back on duty tonight at last after quite a frightening few days :(

Thankfully I don't remember that much of what went on but I am so sorry for everyone else who had to go through it. It's been so amazing to have so much support and we're so thankful that Ashley & Nicky were with us on Thursday night. The hospital staff in Swindon were fantastic and the staff at the Cromwell in London were on the phone to Dave in the evenings, weekend and anytime we needed them. Thank You so much to Ashley, Nicky, Marilyn, Andrea and especially Dave who has been a huge support and hasn't left my side since then :)

I'm feeling much better now but it has knocked my confidence a little and, although I am on two types of medication now, I still wonder if it will happen again. They are planning to reduce the steroids a lot more slowly this time to make sure the swelling has gone down.

The chemotherapy went well yesterday and I haven't had an side effects so far, which is really good news. They say it may hit in the first few days or about 7 days later but it shouldn't be as severe as the last chemo I went through.

Thank you SO much to everyone who has been sending blog messages, texts, emails, calling and praying for us....we are so encouraged by all your love and support and apologies that we haven't got to reply to everyone yet.

Thank you SO much to Munster Christian Camps who sent a fabulous fruit hamper today - it was SO thoughtful of you and we truly appreciate all your prayers :)

April 15th

Apologies I have been so poor at updating my blog over the past few months. We so appreciate everyone's concern for us and know what a good mechanism this is to let everyone know, in our own words what is going on. I haven't felt up to keeping this up to date but promise to continue to let you know how we are and what's going on in our lives.

I have published my blogs for the last few months now so that anyone who wants to can read through them and see what has been going on.

Thank you SO much to everyone who cares so much for us and takes the time to read this & for all the support you give us in so many ways.

October 26th

What an amazing day!!!

I can't believe I'm saying this but I've just walked down a catwalk!! The Women on their Way team at RCI have arranged an amazing fashion show at work in aid of Action Breast Cancer. I was extremely privileged to be asked to be patron and to talk at the end of the evening. I didn't sign up for modelling but didn't have a lot of choice :)

The whole evening just blew me away - the amount of work that the girls work all put into arranging it and the incredible support they received on the night. It was extremely professional and well organised and all the big shops from Opera Lane in Cork were there - Next, New Look, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap , CCViyella......

It was such a fantastic night and amazing to see how so many people at work came together to pull off an incredible achievement! Well done to everyone involved!

On a personal note, thank you so much to Heather and the girls, Claire, Charis, Peta, Karen, Miriam & Claire for coming to support the event.

April 19th

Thank you so much to Ann (Avery) who called round yesterday with a beautiful bunch of daffodils from their allotment. They're all starting to bloom already, Ann, and as you can see they look amazing!!

Yesterday I drove again for the first time since surgery! I only took a short journey and although it was great to be behind the wheel again, I did feel stiff afterwards so I know I'm not ready to drive very far for quite a while :(

It was lovely to see Ann (Phelps) for lunch yesterday and have a proper catch up :) And this afternoon Nicky took me out to Cirencester for lunch and a walk around the shops...it's been really nice to get out and enjoy this amazing sunshine! Although all these lovely lunches & coffees are not so great for my waistline!!

April 7th

The weather has been beautiful the last two day so I have just been sitting in the garden, relaxing, reading & enjoying the sunshine :) We had our second BBQ of the year yesterday & didn't need scarves & gloves this time! It even reached 21 degrees today so it really feels like Summer is here early.

I have been less sore & stiff the last few days and I have more & more movement every day so it's really great to see progress.

Thank you SO much to everyone at Midleton Evangelical Church for the beautiful flower arrangement you sent yesterday - it was so kind of you. We so value all your support and prayers for us over the past few weeks & we hope to see you all soon.

April 5th - part 2!

Wow! What an amazing day! It is such a huge relief to hear that I don't need any further treatment :) The oncologist is happy that the tumour was isolated and has been fully removed and the scans have shown that it hasn't spread anywhere else, so there is no need for any more chemotherapy. I don't think it has fully sunk in yet but we are so grateful for this news and extremely relieved that we have overcome another huge hurdle!

Now I just need to concentrate on recovering from the surgery and gradually getting back to full health. I also saw the surgeon today and he was very happy with my progress. He removed some fluid from my back and was happy that the swelling is starting to settle down.

Thank you all for your amazing support - for the lovely comments you have left on the blog already today and for all the many supportive texts we both received during the day - it means so much to us :)

April 1st

Esther came to visit this afternoon & brought some fabulous cup cakes she made - they are delicious :) Thank you so much Esther - it was so good to see you!

I'm so looking forward to my husband coming home this evening :) Hopefully he'll be here in a couple of hours.... it seems like he's been away for ages but I'm very grateful to everyone who has come round to visit and to take me out for coffee - it's been really lovely and has definitely helped to pass the time more quickly.

Thank you to Nicky who took me out for a Starbucks yesterday :) And thank you to Marilyn & Andrea who have been looking after me and making sure I'm not doing too much!

Healthwise, I've been doing ok but a bit more stiff & sore than I have been, possibly because the numbness us disappearing after the surgery & I'm feeling it a little bit more.

March 30th

Yesterday I went to the GP and had my dressings removed - the nurse was really happy with me & said the wounds were healing beautifully! All the stitches are dissolve-able so I don't need to have them removed and only have a light covering on them at the moment. I see the surgeon and the oncologist next Tuesday in London so will have another full check up then.

Betty & Maurice took us out for a lovely lunch afterwards and it was really lovely to spend time with them. I also had a visit from Faith - thank you so much for coming to see me Faith & for the gorgeous roses :)

Mary came round today and took me out for coffee & a great chat so I have been very spoilt the last couple of days! Thank you :)

After all that activity, I have been resting up by reading & sitting in bed watching chick flicks that Sue loaned me....I need to watch them all before Dave gets home from Morocco (not sure chick flicks are his thing!).

March 25th

I've had a lovely day of visitors today. Nicky took me out for coffee this morning which was a really nice treat :) It was so warm & sunny, we even sat outside in the sunshine - it was like a Summer's day and it felt so good to be out in the fresh air for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Kate came to visit at lunchtime and brought some beautiful flowers. Thank you so much Kate - it was really good to see you :)

Ruth also came to see me and is was great to see her and hear about all the support, prayers and best wishes from the people at the BIAC. We are so indebted to you all. Thank you so much Ruth - I really appreciate you coming round in the middle of such a busy day & getting ready for the weekend & thank you for the lovely fruit :)

I'm feeling tired this evening but apart from that feeling really well. Planning on relaxing for the rest of the evening and catching up on some more reading.

March 22nd

Today I have been really spoilt!

Thank you SO much to everyone at RCI who sent the beautiful flowers this morning :)

It was so thoughtful of you and really brightened my day & it's really nice to know people at work are thinking of me when I'm not there.

And then there was another knock at the door and a delivery of fabulous roses from Ashley and Nicky. Thank you so much!

Marilyn is a full time flower arranger now, looking after all the flowers for me. And they are all placed in the sitting room so that I can see them while I'm lying on the sofa reading or watching tv .... and eating the delicious Thornton's chocolates that Andy & Carla sent me - thank you :)

What a lazy lifestyle I'm leading!! I did manage to drag myself off the sofa for a short walk with Andrea this afternoon though :)

I really am overwhelmed by how generous and thoughtful everyone is and have had cards and messages from so many people it's very humbling. Thank you!

March 18th

Thank You so much Nathan, Abi & Jonothan for the fabulous balloons you sent today :) It was such a lovely surprise when they popped out of the box and I saw your names on the balloon!! You are all very special and I will think of you everytime I look at the balloons.... I'm trying to hide the mini eggs from "Big" Dave though in case he eats them all :)

Thank you too to Charis for the beautiful flowers you sent yesterday, Heather for the orchid & Dave for the lilies and to everyone who has sent cards. When the consultant came in today he said it looks like I've moved in!!

Thankfully he had some very good news for us. The tumour was completely removed during surgery, he also removed some of the chest muscle to test and that was clear & the lab tests showed there was nothing else of concern in any of the tissue. It's such a huge relief that it's definitely all gone this time round! This is a big hurdle to be over and whilst we still face the decision of the oncologist on whether any further treatment is required, we will enjoy today's news!

I'm hoping to go home tomorrow morning once they remove the remaining 2 drains and change my dressings. I have been behaving myself and taking things easy today but it's been good to get up and have a shower and walk around a bit, especially after being confined to one room for a week.

March 17th

Happy St Patrick's Day! It's Sharon here - finally able to take over blog writing responsibilities from my husband :)

The last few days have been tough - especially Sunday but I thank God that all seems to be behind us now and day by day I feel I'm slowly improving & getting my strength back.

It's been a really good day today and I've had much more energy - I even had a bath, a walk around the corridors and a hairwash in the hospital's 'salon'! The nurses here have been amazing and have done everything from pampering to entertaining to looking after me in the most incredible way.

Dave has been amazing as always and has been by my side non stop for the past 6 days and it was so good to have Heather here too - especially with everything that happened on Sunday & Monday. Thank you all for your messages of love and support - they have been such an encouragement to both of us over the last few days.

The consultant will be in tomorrow with the results from the surgery and will hopefully let me go home on Saturday. Right now I know I'm in the right place and am being looked after by the most amazing, caring people.

July 25th

We made it!! Yesterday Andrea & I did the 5km Race for Life - jogging a little and walking most of it. We finished in 39 minutes & were pretty exhausted afterwards! But it was a great experience and the atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was dressed in pink and there were some great outfits - pink wigs, bunny ears, bright pink ballet skirts and even the dogs were dressed in pink!!

There were over 1600 women running / jogging / walking and each had their own story or reason for joining in. Everyone wrote their reason on the back of their T-shirts and it was very touching to read them as we walked along.

Thank you SO much to everyone who sponsored us - so far Andrea & I have raised just over £300 between us. There's still time to donate if you would like to:

Thank you to Andrea for coming with me and for raising all that sponsorship & thank you to our cheerleaders and photographer - Dave & Marilyn:)

Feeling a bit stiff today :(

July 20th

On Sunday we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. What a year!! Getting married, moving country, moving job, moving house (twice) and going through breast cancer. Certainly not what we expected from our first year of marriage but it's fantastic to out this side of it and to be fully recovered. We had lots of reasons to celebrate this weekend & had a lovely time away in Hampshire & down on the South coast :)

Thank you so much to everyone for your cards and texts and to Ashley & Nicky and Tommy & Heather & girls for the beautiful flowers :) We have been SO spoiled by everyone's thoughtfulness throughout this year - THANK YOU!

Health-wise, I'm feeling well but I'm still really tired - I can sleep for 8 or 9 hours and still wake up tired, which is really not like me!

July 13th

It's been over a week since treatment finished and it's still not sinking in that it's all over!! I've been feeling really tired over the last week - maybe the effects of radiotherapy or maybe the last 8 months catching up on me! My skin has started peeling but apart from that I've been doing really well.

hank you to Claire for the fabulous Congratulations balloons you sent on Saturday - they brought a huge smile to our faces :) It was lovely to see Howard & Esther this afternoon....thank you for the coffee & fabulous cake :) And thank you to everyone for your best wishes, texts, emails & blog comments. We so appreciate them all!

Day Two Hundred & Nineteen (The FINAL day)!

FINISHED!!!

Exactly 8 months to the day since I was given the news that I had breast cancer, my treatment is finished!!

Today has been a really good day!! Marilyn & Andrea came with me to Oxford for my final radiotherapy session. I saw the doctor & she was very happy with me - she said that my skin will continue to react for the next 7 to 10 days but after that it should start to improve. She will see me in August to check on my progress & make sure everything has settled down but says she expects everything to be fine. Then my next check up is with the surgeon in November!

We stopped off at Ann & Alan's on the way home from Oxford, sat in the garden enjoying the afternoon sunshine & had a fabulous cream tea :) Thank you Ann & Alan!! And Thank you to Marilyn & Andrea for coming with me & for the beautiful flowers. All that's missing today is having Dave here to celebrate with - he has been such an amazing support over the last 8 months and has been there beside me every single step of the way. It's just a pity he's not here for the final step but is working hard in Morocco :(

I really can't describe how I feel right now - elated, relieved, ecstatic that it's all over and most of all thankful : )

Thankful that the outcome has been so good, that every single part of my treatment has gone the best we could have hoped for, that I had the most amazing team of people caring for me all the way through and especially thankful for the overwhelming support we have had from friends & family over the last 8 months.

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you doesn't begin to express the gratitude that we feel but we just want to say a heartfelt Thank You to each and every one of you for sharing this journey with us. Thank you for reading this blog, for your love & concern, for your calls, texts, emails, cards, flowers, gifts, visits and especially for your prayers, without which we wouldn't have got through the last few months. I realise more than ever through this experience that every day we have is a gift from God & I thank Him for the way that this has all turned out & for His love, comfort & healing day by day. I have also learnt so much about friendship and am totally overwhelmed by the incredible love, kindness, thoughtfulness & generosity of our friends and family.

But this is not the end....I will keep updating the blog to let you know how we are and what we're doing over the next few days, weeks & months. In the meanwhile, all I can say is...

HURRAY!!

Day One Hundred & Seventy Five

We've had a great few days, making the most of this fabulous sunshine....sitting in the sun, reading, having BBQs - it feels like Summer is here at last :) We spent the day on the south coast yesterday & the beaches were crowded!

Healthwise, it's 3 weeks since my surgery & I've been feeling really well. My arm is still a little stiff & sore at times, especially when I stretch it so I don't have full movement yet but it's getting better all the time.