SMS Dancercise 24 - Just Giving Page

Thanks for taking the time to visit our Just Giving Page. For a bit of context, I want to tell you a bit about my story. In 2011, at the age of 32, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in my bowel. My son was 6 years old. My GP had diagnosed me with IBS but I had to keep going back as my symptoms were not getting any better. I looked as though I was six months pregnant. Eventually I saw a specialist consultant and they did a colonoscopy to be sure, which led to a CT scan because the camera wouldn't go through. Within two days of the CT scan, I was in A&E. On the drive there, my GP called us and said that they had found something on the CT scan, that they thought it was lymphoma and approximately the size of a cricket ball. I was admitted to the hospital on the same day and within a week I was due to go into surgery, an operation where they removed a 4.5kg tumour, half of my large bowel, two thirds of my small bowel and several lymph nodes. When I woke up in intensive care, I also discovered that I had a stoma, which I had not been prepared for in any way. This was meant to be temporary and the plan was to reverse it six weeks later. However, unfortunately, when I went back in to have it reversed, they found more cancer, in my ovaries and in my pouch of douglas (I never knew I even had one of these before!). What followed over the next six months, was very scary. I was very, very ill. They couldn't do more surgery as that would have meant that the stoma would be permanent. I started chemotherapy and due to my fantastic friends and family and a superb Oncology team, I was granted funding for an additional drug called Avastin (Bevacuzimab). Without Avastin, I doubt very much that I would be here to tell the tale. I had to spend some time in St Marks Hospital in Harrow as my stoma was incredibly high output and it had left me very ill and jaundiced. I needed to go up there so that I could get funding to have nurses come in to me at home so that I could actually go home, otherwise I would have had to stay in hospital until my chemotherapy was finished. This was very hard as it meant not being able to see my little boy and other family members as regularly as when I was in hospital in Kent. Over the next 6 months, there were many other picc line infections, hospital stays, visits to A&E due to a reaction whilst having chemo and various other complications. But eventually in April 2012, I was told I was clear of cancer. Two months later, I had the stoma reversed and (at my request) a full hysterectomy, to avoid the potential for the cancer in my ovaries to return. My family has been plagued with cancer, not all connected or genetic. We lost my Dad in 2010 (aged 59), my brother in 2019 (aged 41) and my Uncle (aged 69) in 2023. So many of my friends have also lost loved ones to cancer and been impacted in a huge way. I want to celebrate my recovery and mark the fact that in April 2024, I will have been 12 years clear of cancer. Growing older is a privilege, one that is denied to many. During the Covid 19 lockdown, I lost a lot of weight and I discovered a love for dance as a form of exercise. This is where the idea has come from, to dance and move and raise some money, so that I can give a little something back. I'm not a great dancer, so I will be enlisting the help of some fabulous people, who know what they are doing, to keep us motivated and inspired and to keep us moving!! So the plan is to dance and move for 24 hours. Please sponsor us, or alternatively, come down and join us (for a donation, however small). You can come along for as much or as little as you like. I was very, very fortunate to have been so well loved and supported during my illness. It won't be easy, but I'm counting on you lot to encourage and support this crazy scheme!! Please donate today, all help is very gratefully appreciated!! Much love, Sarah xx