Rosie's Race for Life

My lovely Mummy, Susan (that's Sue to you), was diagnosed with cancer on the 9th December 2016. The diagnosis came after she found a lump in her left breast, and had a month of tests, scans and biopsies. She went into her diagnosis and treatment with positivity and resilience. We had a lovely Christmas together, and had a treatment plan in place for January. The plan was six chemotherapy treatments each spaced three weeks apart, due to finish in mid May. There were a few hiccups along the way, for example some of her treatment dates had to be changed because of sickness, she needed blood transfusions to rebuild her strength, but she was determined, positive, and had faith, which was something that rubbed off on me. At the end of her treatment, she had surgery in June to remove the last of the tumour in her breast. It was a success, the surgeon did an amazing job and was able to remove 90% of the tumour! Then a course of radiotherapy to zap the remainder of it away. Mum went through all of this with a smile on her face, and she was getting stronger and more independent again. It was a really positive turn in her cancer journey. My brother and I made sure Mum could celebrate her birthday in August with close friends and family. Her radiotherapy finished in September and she got to "ring the bell" at the end of her treatment. Then the assurance that she wouldn't need to been seen by the oncology team until January 2018 was great news. It seemed she had done it! Through October, Mum had been suffering with really bad back pain. She had scans to find the source of the problem, and in November got the sad news that the cancer had spread through her spine and into her bones. It was now terminal. Mum decided to not have more treatment. She spent a short time in the MacMillan hospice, where the doctors and nurses helped her find ways to independently manage the pain she had. She came home in late November, had one last Christmas at home, and had regular visits from close friends and family members. My step Dad was so dedicated, supportive and caring for her. In the last couple of weeks of her life, Mum deteriorated rapidly, but tried her hardest to interact and communicate. Whenever my brother or I entered the room, her eyes lit up. If I told her I loved her, I could feel her smile through her embrace. Mum passed away on Saturday 3rd March at 3pm. She went with my brother, my step Dad, my Nan, and me in the room with her. It was peaceful and filled with love, much like Mum. Her funeral was on the 22nd March, and over 150 people attended. It was wonderful to see the amount of people who had a positive relationship with Mum and wanted to show their respect and love for my amazing Mum. Hope I can make you proud Mummy! I chose to take part in Race for Life to help raise money for Cancer Research UK so that others can benefit from their research, and to show my gratitude for such an amazing charity because without it, my Mum wouldn’t have had as much of a chance as she did. 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Every single penny of donation makes a difference to Cancer Research UK’s groundbreaking work. (Donating through this page is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with Cancer Research UK.) Thank you! Rosie