12 years living with Metastatic breast cancer and working to spread awareness.I’ve been following this woman’s progress, because that’s what you do, you find someone who has lived for a long time,someone who has completely defied all the odds. She lived more than 3 times the average expectancy and considering she was diagnosed at 30, and young patients tend to have a much shorter survival time, she was amazing.But she died, aged 42, having spent what should have been the best years of her life,…Continue Reading “Rest in peace Stefanie LaRue”
My lovely friend died this weekend. We met 4 years ago at a cancer conference in Dublin. It was new to me I was scared and maybe a bit angry with the lack of information and awareness for people with stage 4. I stood up and said so, as we left two women shoved their phone numbers into my hand. It took me a while to find the courage to ring them but thankfully I did, Enda was one of them. Over the last 3…Continue Reading “Artist”
I spent last Easter in Kilkenny hospital pulling my hair out while doctors tried to decide what to do and where. It was the start of a rough year, things were touch and go for a while. I am just delighted and grateful to be here so well and with my loved ones this year. Have a good one folks Xxx
Do you want to watch the sun come up, anywhere and everywhere we can? Do you want to stay out all night dancing, round the shopping, cos a boogie wasn’t in the plan? Do you want to sit in quirky cafes watching people, wondering what’s their story, what’s she up to, who’s yer man. Do you want to root through flea markets, searching for that elusive treasure that’s worth a fortune, or a teapot for your Nan? Do you want to get lost in a…Continue Reading “If I had an online dating profile”
I’ve been here since Monday with chest pain and a possible clot. Most of the tests were fine but I have to stay now for a scan. I have to respond to these things but I feel like a complete hypochondriac as I lie here taking up a bed, especially considering all the media coverage of the hospital crisis at the min. In the early hours of this morning the lady beside me died, It was heart-breaking and humbling to hear her children (teenagers and…Continue Reading “Waste”
Today was emotional, I was a big soppy, happy eejet. I took myself to Tibidabo or the Magic Mountain as it is known. And magic it was, from the minute I stepped off the funicular I was a gonner. There it was again that wallop in the chest that floored me. The tears came fast and I didn’t bother trying to stop them. And again tonight as I stood in stunning Pl. Del Rei listening to a gorgeous choir singing, in floods again. Last year…Continue Reading “Magic Mountain”
4 years ago today I found out I had cancer.I didn’t cry straight away, I was expecting it. My poor sister came to the hospital with me, but I wouldn’t let her into the room. She found out when the consultants office door was left open after I was taken to have a ”little chat” with the nurse, she overheard the consultant call my GP. My lovely friend, a nurse at the hospital was expecting it to be a cyst. To this day she has…Continue Reading “4 years today”
As a woman with Stage IV breast cancer I hate Pink October. It makes me feel invisible, written off, like I’m expected to just shut up and die while the world goes pink mad and the terms Survivor and Survivorship are brandished everywhere.You have no idea how isolating this is, there seems to be no respect for the 600 plus women who die from Metastatic breast cancer every year or the thousands who live with it daily knowing sooner or later it will steal our…Continue Reading “Nothin Pretty about pink”
Yearly Deaths From Breast Cancer In Ireland 2005-20014 ( from the Central Statistics Office) 2005 – 696 2006 – 678 2007 – 614 2008 – 742 2009 – 665 2010 – 659 2011 – 697 2012 – 698 2013 – 718 2014 – 722 We are constantly being told that survivor rates for breast cancer are on the rise. This is only true in the sense that more women are being diagnosed, and diagnosed early enough to survive 5 YEARS. Those of us diagnosed with…Continue Reading “Survival rates on the rise???????”
