Bon voyage.

Wow. It’s been one of those ridiculous years again hasn’t it. A whole load of awesomeness with a side order of bollocks. So, as I type away on the morning of my flight to Australia, you could say I am pretty bloody excited. Don’t gawp, it is possible to go to Australia when one is housing kancer cell tag-alongs. In fact, this trip has been booked some time ago but I have been too scared, no petrified, to mention it for fear of kancer listening. Because clearly it has ears. And it if got wind of me spending big bucks on flights to go to my friends wedding on the other side of the world surely it’d find a way to scupper it all. Because, that’s what it does you see. Just when you dare to think that you’re doing quite well and cancer wasn’t wrecking your party quite so much - more the drunken friend slumped in the corner than the guy who is setting his farts on fire and vomming everywhere, if you get me. But then BAM, you get that smackdown. And that has certainly happened this year. But I’m pleased to say I am getting on that flight and I am going to spend 3 blissful weeks NOT thinking about cancer or in fact anything boob related (she types with crossed fingers).

So I leave you then with a round up of some of my highlights this year. Yes, I know some stuff is missing but these events truly shaped my 2011. It really has been a turbulent and challenging one. I have had to make some big grown up decisions, dealt with some, hmm let’s say “challenging” individuals, gritted my teeth through a couple of rediagnoses, experienced pain like no other, and been that kancer kid for another 365 days. But to polish the pooness we also have the fact that we’ve done wonderful things with CoppaFeel! - a flavoursome tonic. What I’ve learned most of all is that CoppaFeel! was never set up to help me “deal” with kancer. It was born out of a need to right wrongs. And I want the world to know this. Quite truthfully, if I was doing this for me I’d find something that doesn’t involve me spending Christmas Day finishing off emails. Of course it licks a few wounds, but this is all for YOU, not me. Just a lil FYI.

So, here goes:

1. The year started with a melt down. I didn't realise how little I'd considered my psychological state until I couldn't stop crying for 3 days. Thankfully, the Breast Cancer Haven came to the rescue. I am all good in the kancer hood now kids.

2. Thailand with the boy. I rediscovered my inner travel bug but realised that I have the power to control said bug because for the first time EVER I was excited to come home because I had an awesome charity to run.

3. Talks for the Inner Flame gang. Inspiring young people is awesome.

4. Meeting Patrick the Optimist and spending time with Sarah Outen.

5. Hundred Hooters do a half.

6. Mo March in Verbier 

7. The very first human boob tube.

 8. Shiny new lovely patrons.

9. Friends, old and new.

10. New WEBSITE - bloody hard work.

11. Meeting Lisa Lynch

12. Discovering a few truths behind breast cancer and young people - our very own Research study.

13. FestFeel!

14. You lot! actually checking yourselves (best bit of my job).

15. Bikin' for Boobies.

16. Veritable hell.

17. FESTIVALS.

18. Kitty de la Beche.

19. Hello Boobs.

20. The CoppaFeel! Garden.

21. PR.

22. A new yet temporary home.

23. Uni Boob Teams - CARDIFF

24. Meeting the best people in the world!!

25. Amazing Women campaign with AOL/ MyDaily.

26. Perks of the job.....(David Gandy)

27. Winning Cosmo's Ultimate Campaigner Award.

28. Another trip to No. 10.

29. Winning Best Mag's Bravest Women Award - not for the award but for meeting absolutely jaw dropping incredible women.

30. Hello Boobs Mark 2.

31. Turning 26 with some of my favourite people.

32. Talking. About boobs.

33. The Boobettes! :D :D

34. Family.

35. Drugs. 

36. Food

37. Rock n' Roll. xxx

Well, don't know about you but I'm knackered. So I bid you a swift 'See ya later'. Thank you for continuing to read my ramblings ons xx

My favourite sign at hospital:

You might be wondering why they need such a big sign for two small words...

(Thanks Rob the Cow)

Medical "History"...

I don’t like, no in fact I loathe, to be all Debbie Downer one of my last blog posts of this year, but I need to share a little story/feelings with you all. This isn’t because I need to air my frustration; I have regained composure and clarity since said event (and punched a wall. And breathed deeply) But more to let it be known that people with cancer DO have a voice. And to use this voice in a blog/column (Daily Mirror 19th Dec). So there.

So, to set the scene, I am really enjoying the wintery days at the moment, especially the sunny ones. Which is why Rich and I decided to spend our last free weekend in Cornwall with Maren. The last few weeks have been pretty stressful so my sister and I booked ourselves in for a lovely massage while the boyfriends take the new puppy to the beach for a walk. Gosh, sounds idyllic doesn’t it? Well, it was, until I met the woman who apparently invented massage therapy and clearly knew more about my cancer than I do - You can probably at this point tell where this story is headed, but stick with it - As per usual, we had to fill out a medical history form which, not surprisingly, took me a bit longer than it took Maren. We had had massages there before so I wasn’t concerned about them being at all reluctant to do the deed. And I was right, reluctancy wasn’t on the menu that day. Complete refusal was instead. Still, I handed back the form. 5 minutes later the seemingly nice lady crouched down beside me. “You’ve ticked the cancer box, can you explain?”. A baffled faced me tilted my head to try and understand what she meant by “explain” or whether this was suddenly an interview. “Yes, I have breast cancer” pointing to the bit where I had written, hastily, ‘breast cancer and secondaries on spine’. “Yes, so you still have cancer now?” She says which I followed with a “yup, lucky me”. “In that case your massage will not go ahead today” she announced. She should have just been sitting on a very high horse to give it even more impact. Wow. I shuddered.

I will spare you all the details. But what followed wasn’t pretty and involved this lovely lady explaining to me that massage therapy can increase the risk of the fatal cancer cells stealthily multiplying and spreading AND that it is really only used for people who’ve got a terminal illness and are basically screwed. Firstly, if she’d even considered to READ the piece of paper she would have noticed the cancer has already spread and therefore I am said poor sod who would actually appreciate treatments like massages to improve, dare I say it, my “quality of life”. And secondly, No research has proved this to be true. Anyway, I understand why cancer patients and therapist are prudent towards this matter, but her attitude was outrageous. Nobody has the right to tell me what I can and can not do, with or without some stupid policy.

I have worked so hard to convince the world it is possible to have cancer and still be “normal” but somehow she unstitched all my hard work with one fail swoop. Which might sound dramatic, but quite frankly, I’m allowed to be upset and annoyed at this person. She probably didn’t intentionally make me feel like I am different from the rest of the world. But thinking about it, if someone asked me if I was “disabled”, she wouldn’t be so quick to deny my treatment; she’d have to find a much nicer way of putting it. It’s not ok to oust people. It’s not ok to decide whether or not someone can have a massage and its not ok to patronise a 26 year old highly hormonal cancer veteran. Medical history my eye! I wish it was my history, but it’s not. Which is why it should be respected all the more. Ok rant over.

First Augmented Reality 3D Boobs!

Exciting times at Boob HQ. Two augmented reality 3D boob billboards have gone LIVE in London Town so far (Holborn and Euston). What better way to remind you to check your boobs than to play with a masssssssiiive pair on your phone. Ok that sounds weird. But it makes sense when you do it. And it's the first time this has been done thanks to a technology could blippar. 

So, firstly download the blippar app on your iphone or android.

Then point it at this:

 HOW COOL IS THAT!?

Thank you for the continued awesomeness that our creative agency archibald ingall stretton produce, and our media agency Arena.

------             Evening Standard 6th Dec 2011                     --------

My day off

It's rare to have a day of NO MEETINGS so I took the opportuniy to have a lie in - very rare these days. And then I thought I'd watch Life in a Day - something I've been meaning to do for so long. Which then inspired me to A. Take the rest of the day off and B. complete a little video I started months ago and never finished. It's so refreshing to stop for one day and do whatever the hell you want. My twin and I have decided to do this at least once a month to 'sharpen the saw', as she put it. But she's right, unless we take a break and spend a day for us, we'll be useless CoppaFeel! directors. So, I see it as a necessity to have spent today in my pj's, making this little piece of...of...well, I'm not sure, but I feel better for making it nonetheless. 

I am still here

It's been a helluva couple of weeks and I haven't found the time to sit down and fill you all in. My life continues to be a whirlwind, a rollercoaster and headfuckery of a ride but I'm still smiling. I will tell you all in more details this week, but for now, please know that I am well and that I am going to be having more radiotherapy soon. I have also started more hormone treatment (faslodex) to see if we can kick the little bugger to the curb before maybe trying chemotherapy. Blurgh.

But in the grand scheme of things, cancer and treatments is very very low on my agenda at the moment and for that I am extremely grateful.

Oh, and I turned 26 on Friday, so swivel on that one, kancer.

The Boobettes

So, we've been cooking up this little idea for ages and we can now finally unleash it to the world.

Drum Roll Please.

The Boobettes are a group of young women who, like me, have breast cancer or had breast cancer and want to share their story with the world. I have done many talks and presentations at schools, unis, offices and so on and it always has a powerful impact and usually leaves the audience thinking about their boobs - hoorah! So, we want to replicate that all over the country. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that if someone a little bit older than me had come to my sixth form and talked about her shitty breast cancer experience, I would have gone to the doctors waaaaay before I did. So, this is vital and could help us ensure late detection is stamped out. Ya hear me!?

So, are you happy to shout about your love-in with cancer? are you 18-30 years old? do you love CoppaFeel!? If so, you could be a potential Boobette!

So check out our website for the lowdown.

We can’t wait to hear from you. Let’s hear it for the Boobettes. *sings a made up theme tune*