Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 31, 2015
There are so many unpleasant side effects that I have given them their own post. Absolutely nothing was fun about them but we heal and I can now look back at them with some humour as I don’t want to put you guys through another depressing post! But at the same time I want to be informative as it might help someone. Every individual is different and gets affected in different ways so it’s very personal. The side effects would always peak together when I was at my weakest 7-12 days after chemo. The week after chemo is like having the worst hangover in the world that never ends, with that depressing come down constantly but no good memories from the night before to go with it, and the thought of cancer on your mind. It’s no party. The week after that is the ‘low week’ where blood cells are reduced and then you start to recover overnight just in time for more chemo, hooray!Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 27, 2015
Unfortunately this section doesn’t involve any funny stories so be warned. I’ve tried to block most of it from my memory as it was such a crappy experience but thought it might be informative and hopefully help someone. I’m going to talk about the daily routine of hospital life while having chemo and a few of the things I encountered. I will cover the side effects in a later post.Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 23, 2015
So we were a week or two into January and my chemo was due to start at the beginning of February, I needed to square a few things away. Work have been amazing and nothing but supportive but there was some admin to do and lots of forms to fill out. I would be off work for the year because treatment was so intense. I started to prepare myself physically and mentally for the turmoil that was coming my way. I’ve always eaten extremely well but started to do research on what could help fight cancer. I would do anything that might help, and I mean anything!! I eat more turmeric than most Indian restaurants use a year, broccoli, cauliflower, green tea, tomatoes, leafy greens and as much other fruit and veg as possible. The majority of all this was in my diet anyway so I didn’t have to change it. My sister sent me some tea called Jamaican Guinea Hen Weed. It looks and sounds like something dodgy and tastes like muddy pond water, but I was chucking the stuff down me as it was supposed to have cancer fighting properties and even benefit the chemotherapy.Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 23, 2015
Olympic lifting has always been the bread and butter of my conditioning. At college I was lucky enough to have an ex England rugby prop and Olympic weightlifter coach me. We started off with wooden broom sticks instead of the much heavier barbell and naturally progressed. Always drilling technique, technique, technique. He was old school and it worked. Having scabby shins, red thighs and callused hands has always been the norm and proud signs of a lifter. Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 23, 2015
This is a bit boring but thought I would cover a bit about the type of cancer I was diagnosed with. Sarcomas are a rare type of cancer that develop in supporting tissue in the body and there are about 520 cases diagnosed each year in the UK. There are two types; Bone Sarcomas which develop in the bones and soft tissue around the bone, and then there are soft tissue sarcomas that can develop in fat, blood vessels or any other tissue that supports, protects or surrounds the organs. Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 23, 2015
Nothing prepares you for it. I always used to see the cancer research adverts (which now seem to haunt me) and think how unlucky those people are but it would never happen to me. Luckily I’m fit and healthy! I’ve always exercised, never done drugs, always been very anti-smoking and eaten an extremely clean and healthy diet with the exception of the odd boozy night out here and there. But, cancer doesn’t discriminate. Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 23, 2015
This will be about the year building up to diagnosis and my symptoms. I’m going to try and set the scene a little so bear with me! At the end of 2013 I decided to take a break from rugby and step down from the responsibilities of captaincy for the first time since I first learned how to run holding a ball……..just a week earlier. I lost my hunger for the game and needed a break. I have always played as many sports as possible although rugby took up the majority of my time and it has always been such a huge aspect of my life, my identity and my therapy! Its a religion. Continue Reading
Monthly Archives
October 2015
October 22, 2015
So eleven months ago I got dealt that life changing card no one should ever hear, you have cancer. A bone cancer called Ewings Sarcoma to be precise, that had started to spread to my lungs. Since then my life has taken a massive U-turn and it’s been a tough road of 14 rounds of chemo, 6 weeks of radiotherapy and a major operation to remove the primary tumour from my right shoulder. For a very long time I struggled with acceptance, frustration, anger and load of other emotions. My body had changed in so many ways I didn’t want to look in the mirror and see a person looking back at me I didn’t recognize, so writing a blog was the last thing I could bring myself to do. However it would have probably been very beneficial for me. Continue Reading
