Thursday 14 November 2019

The results are in....

First of all, I have been blown-away by the messages of support, not just yesterday but throughout the last five years. Today I was given the news that my cancer is in remission and I can get on with my life. The cocktail of regular medication and injections will stay as long as I can tolerate them and we’re not yet allowed to speak of the condition being cured but I am happy to have made it this far.
 
It will be impossible to thank every single person who helped me to get to this point, you know who you are and you know how much it means - from my amazing friend Pip who dashed over to the cancer centre with her babies so that she could attend the appointment with me, to Michelle, the radiologist who waited for my appointment to be over so that she could give me a hug and say goodbye. 
 
 
Now what?! In typical de Louvois fashion I am marking the occasion with a bang. I wanted to do something positive with this experience and to help other women who may be embarking on this journey themselves. I also want to do everything I can to ensure that our beautiful daughter never has to face this wretched disease. I can do this by raising cash and spreading the word so I am delighted to announce that I have secured a place in the 2020 London Marathon, running for Breast Cancer Now.
 
As many of you know, I fell in love with running during my treatment as I could do it at my own pace and it provided me with a daily challenge. I want to continue running, to push myself to get better and to raise vital funds for breast cancer research. If you would like to sponsor me, you can find my fundraising page here. There is no pressure at all, just continuing to read the blog and sharing it with women who are being ignored by their GP’s is enough for me, if this collection of ramblings saves at least one life then I am a happy girl.
 
 
 
So all in all, thanks for your support and apologies in advance for the sweaty next chapter.
 
#fightlikeagirl

Wednesday 13 November 2019

The Remission Scan

Well, here we are! I have been watching the flashing cursor for the last 20 minutes drawing a total blank. I’d forgotten just how much I loved writing this blog and, in turn, have forgotten how to write it. Here’s a recap for those of you who may be new to this hub of narcissism and also for those of you with a short memory. In true transformation-leadership style, I have created a timeline to support the narrative.

In a nutshell, I found a lump in September 2014, fought tooth and nail to be taken seriously, eventually got a diagnosis on new years eve and then jumped on the bandwagon of modern science; six operations, six months of chemo, 40 rounds of radiotherapy, six months of bisphosphonate infusions and hormone therapy, topped-off with a chemically induced menopause.



I am immensely happy with the reconstruction, it’s given me a new lease of life both in terms of confidence and the discovery of dormant cancer cells that the surgery uncovered. Once the shock of the recurrence receded, I was lucky enough to be offered state-of-the-art precision radiotherapy at Addenbrooke's hospital which blasted the little bastards whilst avoiding my heart and lungs.

This journey has been tough. When I look back at the blog I cringe at just how much I was trying to put on a brave face over the fear and the pain. It’s been tough on my marriage, my family, my friendships and on my career. We have all had to work really hard to keep this together but I’m confident that we will come through and we’ll be stronger for it.

 
 
So here we are, I've been having CT scans every six months to check on progress. Today's scan marks five years since diagnosis and, if clear, moves me into the remission category. Every scan is terrifying, they remind you just how complacent you have become with the second chance that you've been offered and just how much you desperately want to live. 

This moment felt like a fitting way to move this blog onto the next chapter and to offer a reminder for all of us to be grateful for the life that we have. Cancer is an expert at providing perspective. I’m sitting in a cafe with the familiar feeling of dread, psyching myself-up to walk over to the shiny-new specialist cancer centre in Newmarket, don the gown and get this done.

Promise to update with the results tomorrow - prayers of all denominations gratefully received.

Thank you x
#fightlikeagirl