Big up the sisterhood

As promised, here is yet another amazing survivor story from another amazing woman. Today we hear about Leesha Duce's battle with breast cancer......

 Leesha Duce –My Breast Cancer Story

 

In February 2008, when I was forty,  I discovered a lump the size of a hard boiled egg in my left breast as I got out of the shower. I contacted my GP immediately and was sent for tests straight away. The Breast Cancer Care Unit at Gloucester Hospital were brilliant and within ten days I’d had a mammogram and a core biopsy, a further ten days later I had my results. At the end of March 2008, I was told that I had a grade 3 tumour DCIS and was sent into hospital for the doctors to do a wide local excision and for them to take lymph nodes to test. That first time around they told me that they couldn’t get a wide enough margin in the tissue and so I went into hospital again so that they could repeat the surgery. Again the doctors couldn’t get a clear reading, but by this time I’d decided a mastectomy was the way forward and so in May I went in to have the necessary surgery. Chemo then followed at the end of June and later Radiotherapy in September. In December I started on a years course of Herceptin. During the second stage of treatment I started to lose my beautiful thick hair – I used to sit in front of the telly playing with it to see how much would fall out! In the end I decided to shave it off. I think my girls were more upset than I was to be honest. I was just glad that I had a nice shaped head!

I’m a pretty stoic person, what will be will be and as long as I could talk about things to my family I was okay emotionally. I think my family found it harder than me because it was their job not to let on how worried they were. My husband might even say that I froze him out and forgot to talk to him about how he felt. I remember him getting drunk one night and telling me that he was afraid I might die, to which I got mad and shouted back at him – didn’t he think that I was worried about that too?

 

I focused very much on my two teenagers and my horses throughout – obviously I couldn’t ride much, but grooming the animals was so therapeutic. We also brought a puppy, which kept me entertained and was an absolute godsend to my daughters.

 

From very early on in my illness, I decided that if I was going to have cancer it was going to be with a small c and not a big one! It wasn’t going to take all of my life and energy. My friends say that I’m strong, but I know the real reason I fought the way I did – I’m just bloody stubborn!

 I will now be on Tamoxifen for the next five years. I don’t look back though, as far as I’m concerned I’m cancer free. Of course there are times when I’m reminded how I’ve been affected by it all, but that’s only natural. The first time was in 2010 when I took my daughters to visit my sister in Canada and had to declare it all on my travel insurance, to which I was quoted nearly £800! The second time was when I went into my local M and S only to be told that they no longer did mastectomy bras. I lost it with the sales assistant and burst into tears. I picked myself up though and found an amazing on line retailer.

I’ve promised myself faithfully that I will live my life to the full. I took on a Women V Cancer Cycle challenge and I’ve decided that I won’t put up with any crap in any relationship – I think that’s frightened my husband! My family keep asking if I’m okay and when I say ‘yes’ I genuinely mean it. Life’s too short to worry. I keep an eye on things and go to my check ups every year and in the meantime I live.

 

Useful links

 

http://www.actionforcharity.co.uk (Women V Cancer Challenges)

www.breastcancercare.org.uk

Big up the sisterhood

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Young and Wasted blog will be sharing some  real life stories from women who have suffered with breast cancer, in an attempt to urge women young and old to check themselves regularly. Today Jenny White tells her story about her own personal battle.

 

“I was two months short of forty five years old when I discovered that I had breast cancer. I been moving lots of rubbish into a skip in our garden and when I went to shower I noticed a discharge on my bra. I checked my breasts and found nothing else out of the ordinary, but I knew that the discharge was not normal for me. Typically it was 6pm on a Friday night and so I spent the whole weekend worrying about what I had found before I managed to see a doctor on the Monday morning. The lady that I saw was absolutely lovely, but she couldn’t find anything abnormal either, although when I suggested that I might have knocked my breast causing infection and asked for antibiotics, she told me that in all conscience she couldn’t just let me walk away without first referring me to a ‘One Stop’ clinic at my local hospital to get checked out. They guaranteed to see patients within two weeks.

I received my appointment within ten days of seeing the doctor and underwent a mammogram followed by an ultrasound and a guided biopsy under ultrasound. The mammogram had shown up a small black mass and this was what they took at the biopsy. All of this was relatively painless, although there was a certain loss of dignity to it all.

 I waited a week for the results. I felt utterly numb and quite frankly, I’d basically planned my funeral as I knew deep down inside that it had to be cancer.

 When the results did finally come back, the consultant that I saw was very clinical. His people skills weren’t the best and he didn’t even look me in the eye as he said; “Mrs White, it seems you have breast cancer.” My first reaction was to get up and wash my hands in the sink in his room – totally bizarre!

 Following my diagnosis I had two operations. The first was to remove the tumour/mass and a node that was a bit higher up to see if that was cancerous too. The results that returned ten days later revealed that they hadn’t taken enough away and so they had to operate again. The doctors also suggested I had all my lymph nodes removed, which they then did four weeks later. After another four weeks I started chemotherapy for eighteen weeks. I then underwent twenty sessions of radiotherapy.

As my tumour tested positive to a certain protein that attaches itself and helps to feed the cancer, I now have three weekly infusions of Herceptin to combat it and I will be on Tamoxifen for the next five years to stop production of Oestrogen, as this again feeds the tumour.

I have four beautiful daughters – the oldest is only 21 and they were incredibly upset and scared, particularly as I’d only lost my dad to cancer five months before I was diagnosed, but they were so wonderfully supportive. None of them even cried because they felt that they needed to be strong for me.

Having cancer is all consuming and you don’t realise how much the little things matter until you get it. I lost my hair which was one of the worst parts because in turn I lost confidence. I didn’t want to look in the mirror anymore. It was even worse when I lost my eyebrows – I just looked naked. I wore hats because I didn’t like wigs, but it was devastating.  I found that I didn’t want to attend charity support sessions, I already worked as a nurse for Macmillan caring for the terminally ill, but during the hard times I didn’t feel like going out to the mixers. I did get an Ipad though, which I found useful. I could watch films and read books on-line. My husband booked me some nice nights away and I scheduled some relaxing duvet days.

Things are looking up now. I’m on number 15 out of 18 Herceptin, which I’m due to finish at Christmas and I’m proud that I’ve come through it. Throughout treatment I put on weight, which again knocked my confidence and so I started cycling, signing up for The Women V Cancer challenge 2013 in Cuba. I want to give back, raise funds and show everyone, including myself, that I’ve moved on. It’s 400km so an incredibly tough undertaking and my energy levels aren’t at their best, but the training is going well, slowly but surely. I even wrote a blog about my cancer journey and have just published a book to help my fundraising attempts called ‘ From Chemo to Cuba.’

I’ve learnt so much about myself. I had the strength to beat cancer and I realised that I owed it to my wonderful friends and family to fight to stay alive longer. I’ve gotten over the loss of dignity now too – I’ll whip my bra off nowadays as I approach the hospital doors!!

 It sounds a cliché, but breast cancer really helped me appreciate my life and forced me to strive for the most out of it.

 I hope that my story helps to raise awareness. My cancer wasn’t run of the mill in that I didn’t find a lump. If you notice any changes, I urge you to see your doctor straight away. "

To purchase a copy of Jenny’s book or to sponsor her for the Cuba challenge please visit www.justgiving.com/Jenny-white1.

Big up the sisterhood

I would like to point my readers in the direction of the following blog http://sandhysown.blogspot.co.uk/. If anyone ever deserved a place in 'Big up the Sisterhood,' it's this amazing lady.

Big up the sisterhood

Her Majesty The Queen



We can hardly have a Big Up The Sisterhood feature without mentioning The Queen after this Jubilee weekend. Celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year HRH has provided a figurehead for national identity and pride throughout her reign, as well as attracting more than 30 million tourists to the UK each year, (Earning the country an estimated £14.2 billion per annum).

The Queen and The Royal Family work tirelessly for charity, with The Princes Trust helping to improve the lives of young people in England and if nothing else Her Majesty is the ultimate in Girl Power, proving that women can quite literally rule the world!

Here's to a long and happy reign. God Save the Queen!

Big up the sisterhood

As Britain's Got Talent comes to a close, it seems only fair to celebrate its two female stars. Both celebrities in their own right, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden truly deserve the Sisterhood crown, each weathering their own personal storms throughout their careers. Alesha rode out a very public marriage breakdown with style and class, before staying firmly put on Dancing on Ice following the sacking of Arlene Philips. Although criticised for her lack of dancing knowledge, Alesha became a popular judge, showing that if you want something bad enough you should always stand your ground.

Amanda's career has often waivered and she has  suffered bad press in the past on more than one occasion, but through sheer determination she has turned her life around and now regins supreme Queen of the TV Talent Show. The bravery she demonstrated when returning to work after the loss of her baby several months into her pregnancy last year, simply showed what she was made of. Her courage offered many  women in her position support to start to move on with their lives once again.

Let's hope that these lovely ladies will be back again next year in the hunt for the top British talent.

Big up the sisterhood

 

I love Fern Cotton, idolise her, adore her and so she is today's entry into Big Up The Sisterhood. Kick starting her career way back when she was a mere nipper, she has worked her way up to becoming one of the most powerful women in television and yet I reckon that she'd probably make a pretty awesome gal pal. As a bonafide fashionista, Fern has admitted that she very often lets her friends go wild in her extensive wardrobe, she's always up for a laugh and knows how to poke fun at herself. She's versatile, able to interview royalty in one breath and tackle Keith Lemon in another and she loves baking!

As a role model for women everywhere, she has demonstrated what courage, determination and a sense of humour can get you. She's not typically a beautiful woman, but her confidence and style make her sexy and intelligent - something most of us aspire to be. Not only that but her willingness to get involved in as many charitable events as possible makes her a winner for me. It was Fern that inspired me to travel out to South Africa in 2007 and work for a hospice caring for children with HIV and it was Fern that again gave me the courage and determination to get on my bike for Women V Cancer this year and pedal 250 miles across Kenya to raise funds for three amazing causes.

Big up the sisterhood

Cheryl Cole

Following the launch of Cole's new single Call My Name, I thought it appropriate to include her in 'Big up the sisterhood'. Since she burst into our lives in 2002 as part of Popstars: The Rivals, the nation has been hooked on the girl who was later described as 'our sweetheart.'

It's fair to say that Chez hasn't had it easy, from the attack on a toilet attendant way back when, to her high profile break up with serial cheat Trashley Cole and that unjust sacking from US X-Factor, she's had to deal with some pretty tough press coverage and yet every time this girl manages to come back out on top....usually looking bloomin fabulous!

Not only that, but this busy lady has even found time throughout her hectic career to do her bit for charity, climbing Kilimanjaro in 2009 for Comic Relief and launching the Cheryl Cole foundation in aid of disadvantaged youth's, in partnership with The Princes Trust.

One can also bet that she's about the only woman in the world ever to make Simon Cowell grovel!

Yep it's fair to say that Cheryl deserves her place in Big up the sisterhood, not one to suffer fools gladly, she's undeniably a role model for all women out there, proving that you can have brains and beauty and that there are times in life that we will all take a knock, but it's about learning from it, picking yourself up and getting back out there even more fabulous than the last time!

For more information about The Cheryl Cole Foundation, visit www.princes-trust.org.uk

Big up the sisterhood

 Today's candidate for Big up the sisterhood is none other than Frankie from The Saturdays. Apart from the fact that she exudes glamour and gorgeousness (which we're all just totally jel of!), this brave popet has recently opened up in the press about her battle with depression - the reason why she was admitted into rehab last year.

Admitting that she felt ugly and worthless, Frankie Sandford confessed that she worried for a long time that people would sneer at her and ask her what she had to be depressed about.

Instead she has in fact lifted the lid on an illness which plights the lives of an estimated 300 people for every 1000 in Britain every year. She has demonstrated to her followers young and old, that there is no shame in reaching out for help and admitting that you have got a problem and she has shown that ultimately, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Although the road to recovery can be long and painful, you can still get to your destination with help, encouragement and support.

It must have taken a great deal of guts to talk about her problems as candidly as she has done. Mental health is still a subject that we find ourselves whispering about, but problems can affect anyone of any age, sex or race and the more we talk about them, the easier it will become to diagnose and deal with them.

For more information about symptoms and help available visit:

http://www.mind.org.uk/

or

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/

Don't suffer alone.

Big up the sisterhood

Thea Green - Founder of Nails Inc

I love nothing more than a good nail polish and so my next candidate for Big Up The Sisterhood can do no wrong in my eyes.

Brought up just outside Liverpool and now living in London, Thea Green was married with three children under seven when she had her multi-millionaire idea way back in 1999. Whilst on a business trip in the US, the young entrepreneur realised that, while women in the US could 'pop' into a salon to get their nails done in their lunch break, women in the UK didn't have this luxury. Manicures were lengthy services for ladies that didn't have anywhere else to be. Busy moms and career women, it seemed, had to miss out on a bit of pampering because of their hectic lifestyles and yet they were the women that perhaps needed a bit of 'me time' the most.

After researching into why no-one had set up a fly by mani salon in the UK and coming up with nothing, Thea took a huge gamble and quit her job to tackle the market herself. Working hard to get investors involved, she finally managed to get together around £20,000 and finally opened her first Nails Inc store in London's West End.

The response was overwhelming and now the business turns over something in the region of £13 million a year, while us busy ladies can enjoy the convenience of gorgeous nails in no time.

Thea is the perfect example of how women can multi-task  and, in the words of Beyonce, "bare the children then get back to business." She's proved that risk can pay off and that sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and dive in to unlock your full potential.

Big up the sisterhood

When I decided that I was going to include a section in my blog called 'Big up the sisterhood,' I knew instantly that there was one woman that I really wanted to shout out about; a modern day icon and role model to us all - the beautiful Katie Piper.

After surviving a rape and acid attack in 2008 carried out by an accomplice of a  man that she had dated briefly but barely knew, Katie suffered horrific facial burns which left her with severe disfigurement.

Over the last few years not only has she undergone extensive reconstructive surgery, but this remarkable woman has rebuilt her life and gone on to help other burn victims.

 A quote from her website http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/meet-katie/ explains how in the early days, Katie struggled to come to terms with what had happened to her

"  Prior to the attack, Katie was a model and budding TV presenter with a hectic social life and a glowing future in the public eye. The attack ruined Katie from the inside out. Like many, she believed her life was over now that she was a ‘burns victim."

 But it wasn't long before she pulled herself together and fought back." [She] began researching support for burns survivors and she was introduced to other effective non-surgical treatments such as laser, camouflage make-up, and medical tattooing".

In 2009, Katie shared her story on Channel 4's "My Beautiful Face," and has gone on to develop the phenomenal Katie Piper Foundation, which offers everything from image workshops to advice and access to hair treatments and cosmetic tattooing.

One cannot begin to imagine how devastated Katie Piper must have been after the attack, but she has shown the world what it is to be a fighter. Undoubtedly she must have had some extremely dark days, but instead of letting them destroy her, she has used them to empathise with those who have suffered as she has and has worked hard to allow others the opportunity to obtain the same remarkable treatment as she received in France after her attack.

If ever there was a woman that deserved a spot in Big up the Sisterhood, Katie Piper is that woman.
Find more information at
http://www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk/

Big up the sisterhood

After a strange dream I had last night in which I won a competition to meet Beyonce in a laundry room (yeah I have no idea what that was about either!), I decided that I had perhaps found my first candidate for Big Up The Sisterhood (my new feature in which we celebrate our fellow gals instead of bitching about them) and what a fantastic woman to start with.

Many acts have come and gone claiming to be ambassadors of Girl Power, but Beyonce is perhaps the only one who truly deserves that glowing title.

Aside from delivering some of the most recognised booty shakers in the world - remember Single Ladies, Countdown, Crazy in Love, Love on Top?!! .....the list goes on - staring in some cinematic corkers and creating a perfume line,  Beyonce has also spearheaded numerous charity campaigns, including The Move Your Body For Obesity Campaign alongside Lady Michelle Obama, which aims to target childhood obesity.

As the perfect role model for women everywhere, the singer has also shown what it is to work hard to get to where you want to be. Admitting herself that she is a workaholic, Beyonce has slaved from a young age to get her voice heard. She has avoided the usual sex, drugs and rock and roll scandals that catapult many young women into the press and has simply let her music do the talking. Along with the rest of her band - Destiny's Child - she has always demonstrated the importance of 'sisterhood,' even denying herself an acceptance speech to bring Taylor Swift into the spotlight again after 'Kanye West Gate" at the VMA'S.

Proving that with a bit of hard work and dedication you can truly have it all, Beyonce has even managed to take the time to settle down to start a family with hubby Jay Z.

No truer words were spoken than those of Lady Gaga when in a recent tribute to the star she simply said "Beyonce is not just living the dream, she is the dream."