Lucy and Rubys Race for Life

Here is my story... One year ago I was due my routine smear test. Life got in the way (work, family, etc). I started having abnormal symptoms around ten months ago, again I still put off seeing a doctor. Around seven months ago I finally booked in for my smear test and my GP referred me to a Gynaecologist. Over the next few weeks I had blood tests, biopsies and numerous appointments, my smear test came back as 'abnormal'. No other explanation, just abnormal. From this I received an appointment for a colposcopy where a cross section of my cervix was analysed in detail, cut away and sent for tests. Fast forward three weeks to the first week of December, my results from this came back as stage 1 cervical cancer. I fell apart inside, I was numb. Christmas was approaching, I pulled myself together and celebrated with my nearest and dearest, however thoughts of dread, anger and fear swilled my mind. January came and I was booked in for x-rays and an MRI scan. Soon after I had surgery to remove a portion of my cervix under General anaesthetic. Then a three week wait for my results which indicated all cancer cells had been removed. I am awaiting a follow up and further smear test to ensure this. New year, new me. I will now have them every 6 months for 2 years then yearly for 5 years. I was lucky this was caught but there is currently a 20 year low on women having their routine smear tests, a thought which terrifies me for other women. I am running race for life, pretty muddy 5k this year because without the research this charity brings, I might not have been lucky. My daughter, Ruby is also running pretty muddy kids 5k, she's too young to run with me (she's 9) however I will be running along side her 5k to cheer her on, I will then run my 5k on the course, 10k in total! Currently I am by far not the fittest, I'm not the healthiest but new year, new me, I meant it. With the help of my daughter, my fiancé Jamie and my loving family and friends I am determined to make a difference. Please donate what you can and if you can't then please encourage and push your sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters, nieces, nans, girlfriends, wives, fiancés, granddaughters and any other female influence in your life to keep up with routine smear tests, to recognise the symptoms and to act. Prevention is better than cure x