Successful climb of Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales

  Hello everyone
Here I am at the summit of Greater Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales with my cousin Andrea. The photo below is of Andrea and her husband Simon....the three of us went off and climbed Whernside Sunday just gone.

                                             

I cannot tell you how much I am still buzzing from climbing this peak this weekend gone, the last time I climbed this was in June when we were tackling the Yorkshire 3 peaks as a sponsored challenge for WOC. I was very unwell on the way down and had to call it a day when I reached the bottom, the support vehicle had to take me back to the start/finish point where I spent the next 6 hours being sick. Although I know realistically I had done well to finish one of the peaks, especially since I'd only recently made the decision to stop taking my cancer prevention drug 3 years early because of all the serious complications I had been suffering from taking it. I had only also been back in the gym a matter of weeks. I had hoped in all honesty to complete two of the three....however it wasn't my time then.

So to be invited by my cousins to go back and have another crack at it was brilliant. Thank you Andi & Si for asking me! It was the best feeling in the world to complete Whernside and have no illness or adverse side effects on the day or the day after. It feels like another massive personal step to my own full recovery. I know we cannot live in hindsight, but sometimes I question why I gave the cancer prevention drugs two years and didn't stop them earlier. Well  no matter what happens in my future, I know I gave the drugs my best shot. But couldn't live with the lack of quality of life anymore.... like I said before, I am too young to be struggling to get myself out of bed and dressed.

Don't get me wrong, I am still on a nerve blocking pain killer, but now I'm off the cancer drug, my joint stiffness, muscle and bone pain is manageable and my flexibility and movement is very much improved and I feel totally validated in my decision to stop the Letrozole. Hell I can click my fingers to the beat of a song again!!

There are some more photos loaded in the gallery from the climb, and we were lucky to have some visibility at the summit. It was a cloudy overcast day with the odd blast off sun breaking through the clouds, it was a warm day though. When you climb Whernside, it is a long sweeping climb up, starting off by walking along the side of the Ribblehead Viaduct where the Settle to Carlisle steam train still passes. There are some steep parts to climb on route to the summit, which is 736m or 2414ft. When had some food and a drink at the summit. It started to drizzle has we set off on our descent down the other side of the peak, it didn't take long for it to start raining pretty heavy, which it more or less maintained the whole way down.....it in no way spoiled our climb and we were in fine fettle, laughing and joking all the way down. The rain soaked through my  waterproof jacket, we were all pretty drenched through to the skin by the time we got back to the car. The climb is actually  8.02 miles, but this is over very rough terrain and a fair old climb up and a very steep section on the descent which was made much more difficult with the rocks been slippy with the rain. We didn't rush and completed the walk in around 3.5-4.0 hours... I can't remember exactly.

We are going to go climb Pen-Y-Ghent in a few weeks time, I am really looking forward to this because I never made it that far in June. My plan is to climb all three peaks separately this year, and if I don;t get chance to tackle all three this year, I will definitely try next year. It was a challenge and I want to make up for failing this year.

I am planning on getting out walking a lot through the autumn and winter, cutting down on the gym and getting a mix of flat and hill walking in....I need to get out in the rough terrain to help build up my stamina and endurance more, because of the fatigue I'm fine until I hit empty, then it's hard to find anything in reserve, I want to change that by next year.....after all I hope to have a really busy year catching up on my challenges that I didn't complete or had to delay until 2013. So as well as completing the Yorkshire 3 peaks, I will be tackling Mt. Kilimanjaro and also as long as I can get places, the plan is to power walk the New York marathon for Walk the Walk uniting against breast cancer charity. It will be a great year with so much going on, I cannot wait to sink my teeth into it...and after my successful climb of Whernside, I have regained my equilibrium after my disappointments earlier in the year. I still feel like I'm improving almost daily still from the stopping of the Letrozole and Simvastatin....long may it continue!!

Until next time

Tracy  

Love your family and friends - for they love you!

Hello everyone

I hope you are all getting ready for the weekend no matter what the weather is going to be! We in the UK will be enjoying an extended weekend as it's a bank holiday.

I find it funny how things come about that show you how much you are loved and cherished, this always for whatever reason makes me feel very humble. It's not so much that I think I don't deserve it, but more that I can't understand what I've done or how I instill this feeling on others.

My cousin Andrea txt me to ask if I wanted to go climb Whernside this coming weekend with her and her husband Simon. Her sister, my cousin Sue and her hubby Bill are going too. Simon, Andrea and Sue successfully completed the Yorkshire 3 Peak Challenge in June. Now anyone who has read my blog will know Whernside is one of the 3 Yorkshire Peaks from the endurance challenge I organised this June just gone. Whernside was the only peak I managed on my failed quest, the one I was so very poorly climbing back down from, and the one where I had to accept defeat on the day. I said I would go back to re-do it and hopefully prove I could easily do it without any ill effects.

So I of course jumped at the chance to go prove to myself I could do it and regain some confidence back. My wonderful cousins  Andrea and Simon have decided they  will be picking me up and will be driving, Simon said he isn't going to let me drive there and back, and they are going to leave a car at either end of Whernside just in case I do take poorly again, so I can be driven back to the Station Inn pub where we will start from. How amazing is that? that my family are willing to put some much thought and planning into their walk so I can go safely with them. Thank you so very much for thinking of me!

 I feel so very blessed with the people in my life, so very honoured to call these folks family and friends. So very grateful to them for recognising my need to push myself to achieve the challenges I set myself, no matter how hard they are. To encourage me along saying they'll be there with me instead of saying it's too much, and don't try. A smile and a gentle squeeze is all the encouragement I need, my determination can never be called into question, even if my body cannot always live up to the tasks I set it. I don't for one minute regret being so tough on myself .

As I sit on the cusp of my new life, this new chapter that is starting to open up.....I wait to see if I've been accepted for a placement at college on a part-time course, this is stage one of a completely new career direction for me. It's my second chance in live, and I'm planning on making it a life I truly feel rewarded for doing, it's not about the money, the position or the promotion. I've done all that, personally found it not worth it, too many hours, too much stress and not time or energy to enjoy all my hard work. This time, on my second chance, I want to really give something back, to feel rewarded not financially but emotionally by making someone else's life hopefully a little easier.

Social media gets quite a lot of bad press, always about the affairs that happen because of it, the cheating, whether it be in a real meet-up, or through intent alone...let's remember if it's through intent alone, you can guarantee it's only because geographically it's harder or impossible to meet up for real.

 These kind of stories are all we ever hear about, but lets remember the positive side to any social media network - the side that allows family and friends to easier and cheaply stay in touch across the globe. To all the innocent cyber friendships that are made and maintained and in some cases end up stronger than our real life friendships! These are the wonderful things that social media networks like Facebook can give us. And don't forget the chance to reconnect with people from our past, old friends we lost touch with over the years, friendships from childhood where one family moved away and the letters eventually ceased to be posted. And for many millions of us, a chance to catch up with old school chums!! I love the positive side of something like Facebook, and remember the "bad" people out there who use this medium to start flirting, having illicit affairs etc will always find a way, if not here then somewhere else. A cheater is always a cheater wherever they and whatever they do. Don't allow those few to taint the wonderful gift of social media for the masses.

I myself in recent months have had the enormous pleasure of re-connecting with some old school chums, some I had gone to school with from the age of four, others from the age of nine....all lost in the busyness of life from the age of thirteen....new schools brought on meeting and gaining new friends - and in that time of confusion and uncertainty....old comfortable friendships were lost along the way....no-one to blame, just real life taking over in the whirlwind of settling into new schools.

I went to meet one of my old school chums Maggie this Sunday gone, what a great time we had....it was really nice as we had no awkward stunted conversations, the years just fell away, we were all relaxed, I met her husband Pete and one of her sons Daniel, they were great and very easy to get on with. We chatted about school and about what had being going on in our lives over the last three decades, it all just blended and was a really relaxing day. Maggie summed it up really well, she said anyone watching us, our conversation and our body language would never believe it had been 30 years since we had last being in each others company. So through social media, I have gotten back a very good friend of mine, and I will be eternally grateful to it. I looked forward to our next meet up and more catching up.

Everyday life is very difficult for many people all of the time for many various reasons, from things like, health, financially,physically, emotionally and in many cases a mixture of all of them. So with this in mind, I know I am very lucky indeed to have family and friends who want to spend time with me, not because it's an obligation, but genuine want, but I spare a thought for those who aren't as blessed as me, for those who are lonely and feel unloved,those struggling everyday with constraints on their lives, and  this is why I want to give back, to show those less fortunate that someone does care enough to want to improve their lives by showing an interest in them, to try and ease some of their difficulties, I can't do that financially, but I can do that emotionally, and I do try.

Until next time
Tracy

Charity car wash date to be announced shortly

Hello everyone

I will be announcing shortly the date for our charity car wash ( hopefully it won't have to be cancelled because of illness this time! ) We have some dates been banded around my volunteers trying to secure one when there are a few of us available to attend. The bigger posters are great, and hopefully will help us catch the eyes of passing motorists. We will be holding the car wash at our usual venue The Sun Inn at Cottingley, where the landlord Mike generously allows us to not only camp out in his carpark for the day...but donates the water to out cause....big thank you as always to you Mike :)

We may not have experienced the best of weather again this summer, it has been miserable, wet and grey for a very large part of it, but it hasn't stopped us getting out and enjoying ourselves. I guess this is why when the sun does make an appearance, we all charge out to soak up some natural Vitamin D!! ....I hope on these days, you have been sensible and have used sun lotion!

It's so strange how cancer and it's treatments affect everyone so differently. This is why they try to design the treatment package around the individual as much as possible. Then each and everyone of us will go through the invasive treatments and be effected so very differently. Some people will go through the invasive treatments and any follow up prevention drugs with little to no problems whatsoever. Others will have mild reactions and some more severe.

When asked about the chemo, I say I feel like I was taken out of my body while poison was poured into it to  save my life, and when I've been put back in...I don't quite fit in right anymore.....somethings not quite right. That's the best description I can come up with for it.

I describe myself as one of those who have been effected quite a bit. Not so much from the invasive treatments...but from big issues from the follow up prevention drugs. My current health issues are a cascade from the invasive treatments or from the follow up prevention drugs ( which I decided to stop 3 years early ). When starting the second of my chosen chemo's, this threw me into a chemical induced premature menopause - I haven't come out of this since and it now seem unlikely that I will..this has it's own issues attached to it. This also brought on Osteoporosis and a life time of medications to take. This silent disease affects my life in what I can or cannot longer participate in, having to be careful what sports you take up and what adrenalin challenges you can try....no more chances to parachute again or do a bungee jump etc. This I find quite hard, I've always liked the idea of trying things a little different. I still don't really know or understand that much about it, and suppose I need to find out more, to understand what is a fair risk and what is not, so not to put myself in too much danger of broken bones etc. High cholesterol brought on by the last cancer prevention drug I was on...which as well as stopping the cancer drug, I stopped the cholesterol tablet too....told my GP I want to control it through diet, in theory, I should be okay anyway as I have stopped the cancer drug so my cholesterol should drop back down. I will have a follow up blood test done in a couple of months to check on my progress with that one.

They say your immune system recovers - I haven't found that so much myself, I seem to be quite susceptible to bugs and virus's going around, this is why sometimes you feel like it it's one step forward, two steps back, the important thing for me is to just keep getting back up again and getting back into the groove. It took me a long time to accept I'm never going to be the fit lass who played hockey in the Yorkshire leagues, the lass who could play kick around for hours on end, and any number of other sports. Accepting I have new limitations was difficult, but now I'm there I find I can still self challenge and I am feeling more comfortable in my body and mind. I still set myself the hardest of challenges, to drive myself forward as much as I can....my family think I push myself too hard at times, and in fairness I probably do - but it's what I do, it is who I am, it's what gets me up and at them! We all need something to motivate ourselves, and we all find our motivation in different ways...as long as we find our own and get out there pushing to be the best we can, it doesn't matter where it comes from.  

I have not been out walking and exercising in a week now, I am just starting to come around from a severe water infection and a kidney infection, it has been a tough one, but the antibiotics are kicking in now thankfully. I actually see my bladder specialist today for a follow up from my procedures I had done under general about 4 weeks ago. So it will be interesting to see what his opinion of this is. I'm hoping it is just an unlucky blip and not part of something else. I started with problems with my bladder almost 2 years ago....and would really love for it to be sorted now.

When I had my procedures done, it was to take up to a couple of weeks to settle down and then we could see how successful everything had gone, straight after my consultant was happy that this was the case. About 2 weeks after the procedures, I have started having problems when passing water....without getting too graphic, I am experiencing pressure/flow problems again. As to whether this latest severe infection is actually connected to this, only the consultant will know....it could be a blip as I've said, or it could be that my bladder is not emptying properly and the infection has been caused by the "reservoir" of urine that doesn't empty. I sincerely hope this is not the case as I do not want to carry on suffering infection after infection....they are really rather debilitating and painful to say the least. So fingers crossed everything will be okay now.

It's coming up to around the 5 month mark since I stopped taking the Letrozole ( cancer prevention drug) and I still feel I am improving!. The joint pain and stiffness is so much more manageable now, I know I'm still on a painkiller for this problem, but before when I was still on the Letrozole and the painkiller,I could hardly manage the pain of the stiff and swollen joints. I am a lot freer in my movements these days. The muscle/bone pains are also very much improved. As well as many other issues I was having, and I don't for one second regret stopping the drug and know full well the risks I have taken by doing this. I will say again, it is quality of life that is important. The balance has to be right for you as an individual, no-one but you can say if yours is okay for you. I had the lengthy, lively debates with the medical world when I told them I was done with the prevention drugs, but in fairness they did eventually come around and agreed with me about the quality of life.

Here's a re-cap of the last few years of my life, I never once have thought why me, what did I do to deserve this....life sometimes throws you a curved ball....it's not the curve of the ball you have to worry about - it's how you swing your bat at it!

 - Severe ankle injury, out of action for 5 months. Major issues with previous employer of 23 yrs ( new top management set on) - took them to tribunal, father passed away, discovery and confirmation of cancer,surgery, chemo and radiation treatment for cancer, bout of pneumonia and a collapsed lung cutting chemo short, other health issues cascaded from cancer treatments, relationship breakdown after 14years and currently selling and breaking up the home.

So here I am, just on the cusp of a completely new start, a new chapter in my life, I am giddy for what my new life can be....where the world is laid out waiting for me to grasp the parts I want. And what I want is really quite simple.....I want to live my life to the full, spend time with loving family & friends.... ones who want to spend time  with me, lose the ones who don't or try to bring me down....tackle things on my bucket list, add things to my bucket list. Live life with open curiosity for things around me, stop and take in my surroundings, and most importantly, give back to others  - give hope to those who are struggling to find it themselves right now, show through positivity what can be...I will to live my life with no regrets!

I have promised myself, when I finally get back my body shape.....My reward will be that saying in a tattoo... Live with no regrets.....

Here's to a bright new future, clear the dead wood, the negativity from your lives - if you live to be 100, life is still too short, don't waste time on things or people who bring you nothing but stress and unhappiness....make positive changes in your lives and enjoy,enjoy.enjoy!!

Until next time
Tracy

Post Olympic blues? - go out and exercise!

Hello everyone
I've been playing around with various photo editing programme's, here's a modified photo of the Morning Glory in my back garden, love the colour arrangement very much, must say the plant is really thriving this year, by far the best showing this year..I've taken this off my instagram account - if you want to follow - I'm jellygould67. Hope this brightens your day!

Well how are we all feeling now the Olympics is over? It seems strange not switching on the TV and seeing hours of wonderful sport. I am very heartened to hear how many people who do not normally follow sport, got into London 2012. Hopefully this amazingly successful games will inspire a whole generation worldwide to take up and keep up a sport. As I have been out power walking on the beautiful Leeds Liverpool Canal it has been truly wonderful to see so many people out and about, from the elderly to families, all out doing some exercise while thoroughly enjoying themselves.

I know I am really fortunate to be able to do my walking along side the canal, it really is a great place to walk. This photo is the 5 rise locks at Bingley in West Yorkshire, opened in 1774 and is grade listed I. It is an engineering feat and unique, it is in actual fact a 5 rise staircase, the back of one lock opens directly into the next.These locks rise 60 ft in height, with a 30 ft 3 rise just a little lower down the valley. As part of my 6 mile walk, I always climb up the side of the 3 and 5 rise...this definitely gets the heart pumping :) We infact did all our London Moonwalk 2011 training on the canal, it got us ready to power walk the 26.2 miles that night!

 In these times where globally we are all under immense pressure financially, finding things to do with the family that isn't going to break the bank is hard. Everyday things and product prices have rocketed and many people are struggling to be able to have even the basics. So getting out walking and or cycling is something we can all afford to do. Exercise is really good for us, we know it help keep our bones strong, helps ward off illnesses, and has been proven to actively prevent certain cancers. Walking is attainable by the majority, regardless of our own limitations and will certainly improve, not just the body, but will help with our minds.

 You will feel more energised and more able to tackle your day, by exercising, you will be helping to protect yourself from heart problems, strokes, high blood pressure, non - insulin dependent diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity - to name a few. You will find it will help with your moods and also help you cope with stresses more effectively. Add into this mix good food choices and you are onto a winner.

Fruit and vegetables - we should all be looking at eating a minimum of 5 a day. Fruit and veg are a great source of vitamins and minerals, and there is evidence that people who eat at least 5 a day are at a lower risk of developing heart disease, strokes and certain cancers - that in itself should be enough of an incentive to start eating better! - remember, we only get one body to see us through our life! You will be amazed how you can quickly eat more than the 5 a day minimum....a really nice salad with lots of green leaves ( spinach, wild rocket, watercress and your normal salad leaves ), the usual tomatoes, cucumber, celery etc....and you are actively helping your body to look after you. Go on try mixing a good diet with some exercise and see the benefits to your weight and health yourself. Remember, we can actively improve our health by doing this.....I guess the big question is - how much do you love yourself ??? I f you struggle to keep up your motivation - ask a family member or friend to do it with you, encourage each other.

So right now, while everyone is still feeling the buzz of London 2012 - lets seize the moment and get out there exercising. Set yourselves challenges, you can do it. While researchers drive forward to improve treatments for cancer sufferers on the way to eradicating cancer from our lives in future generations.....we owe it to ourselves and loved ones to keep ourselves as fit and healthy as we possibly can. Our time on earth is short even if you live to be 100 - lets not help our time be even shorter by not giving our bodies a fair crack at it.

Until next time
Tracy

Actively helping ourselves

Hello everyone

I have been very cheered as I've been out power walking with my dog at the amount of people out exercising. I'm very fortunate where I live to be able to go walking in beautiful surroundings like this picture shows. This is the famous Bingley five rise locks that were built in 1774, the locks rise a total of 60 feet over the five locks. A little further down the canal are the  three rise locks which cover 30 feet . These locks are situated on the Leeds/Liverpool canal, and where locks are commonplace along England's canals, the five rise is unique.

The wonderful Olympics will have encouraged folks outdoors and this is fantastic news, for the parents whose child/children have got caught up in the buzz, keep them exercising and give them a start in life built around a healthy lifestyle with a good mix of exercise. We only get one body and need to understand it is in our interests to look after it as much as possible.

The amount of people enjoying the canal towpath has been great, from the walkers, to families and the cyclists, although I do wish the cyclists would show a little more respect for other enjoying the canal. Many don't even have a bell to alert others that they are approaching, and in some cases far too fast. Molly my dog actually got clipped twice on Wednesday by cyclists. She now has a sore shoulder, but it could quite as easily have been a child that they clipped. They were going too fast to have stopped in time. So if you are reading this and like cycling on the canal as I do....please be better aware of others around you - it is afterall there for all of us to use!

I've been back in the gym this week after my recovery time from my day surgery the other week. I have been much encouraged with my breathing, it is definitely improved and makes me think I must have had a virus or something. So back to trying to get as fit as possible and build up my stamina. I have two challenges that didn't happen this year that I want to catch up on next year - so 2013.....a big year for me personally, I love challenging myself, it keeps me motivated to get out there pushing myself to get back to the old fitter me as much as possible. I fact I plan to be fitter than I was pre - cancer diagnosis!

It's 4.5 months since I decided to call it a day on taking my cancer prevention drug, and I have seen a massive improvement in myself physically. I am still improving and have no regrets to what I did. I understand the possibilities and risks from my decision, but can tell all of you, that for me personally ( and it is very much a personal decision ) it was the right thing to do. I have lost over 26lbs in this time, my joint stiffness is much improved, the muscle, joint and bone pains have reduced so much, I said I would like to live with no regrets and this is one of those moments. Life is for living, not existing, and that's what I'm doing.

Again I'll ask for those who still have Yorkshire 3 peak sponsor money to collect to let me know, I would really like to write a blog announcing how much we raised through everyone's fantastic efforts by the end of August, so please lets get it collected in and show everyone what a great effort we did.

I want to say RIP to a dear friend, Mags, who valiantly fought until the end, but was sadly taken from us very recently. A great lady, who will be missed by many.

Sending positive thoughts to my cousin's wife Jane who has just started her invasive treatments, and I know you will all send her positive vibes too. You are a fighter and I know you are going to keep fighting positively through your treatments - love to you and Stuart.

So come on everyone, after we have been sat glued to the Olympics and all those amazing athletes who have performed beyond even their dreams with all the smashed Olympic, World and Personal bests in the biggest arena in the sporting calender. Let us all get out exercising, setting ourselves targets, motivated to besting our own personal bests whenever we can. Positively helping our bodies to fight off certain cancers, potential illnesses and help us to feel better about ourselves. Increase our energy levels and help our metabolisms kick in to burn off our energy, rather than store it as fat for another time. We can all do something to help ourselves to our own individual limitations. I hope you take up the challenge to help your body to help you!

Until next time

Tracy

Ignoring the non existent British summertime!

Hello everyone

Ignoring the non existent British summertime, I'm hoping the the London Olympics are inspiring everyone to address there fitness levels and get out there exercising! Hopefully young and old alike are looking into doing some for of exercise. You will definitely benefit from it. We in the UK have had a successful games in a wide variety of sports and hopefully this will get a generation of youngsters off the computers and game consoles and outside in the fresh air. Come on mum's & dad's encourage your kids out exercising!

There has been various reports issued this week on the cancer front. There's quite a bit of controversy at the moment surrounding what the experts are saying are overstated benefits from mammograms, and that they failed to inform women of the risks in their last public advertising campaign from the Komen cancer group.

Doctors believe the ads are misleading and giving false promises. There has been much controversy surrounding mammograms for many years, in recent years studies have shown that they have shown tumours that  may never cause harm, but treating them causes physical, emotional and financial implications. To be fair, women should be giving all available information, both the positive and negative, so they themselves can make a decision for themselves based on the most recent facts.

Further news out today says a new vaccine for kidney cancer is looking promising! Currently there are clinical trials taking place for a vaccine in the fight against kidney cancer. The vaccine is made up of synthetic tumour associated peptides ( pure science! ), unlike chemo, the vaccine works by triggering of the bodies own killer T-cells to attack the tumour. This active immunization against the cancer can be effective and prolong the life of the patient with less adverse effects from chemotherapy the study results show. So more groundbreaking work going on in the continuous fight against cancer.

Also today, the reports about chemotherapy undermining itself with rogue response in healthy cells. This in itself could explain why some people become resistant. For a significant number of patients it loses effectiveness with secondary cancers, US experts have said the chemotherapy causes a wound-healing cells around the tumour that help the cancer resist the treatment.

Around 90% of patients with a solid cancer - breast, lung, colon, prostrate, the cancers that spread ( metastatic disease ) develop resistance to the chemotherapy. Treatment is given in cycles of normally around a three or four week time period, this is to help the body cope with the toxicity and allow good cells to recover between treatments in order to not overwhelm the body, the downside to this is the possibility of the tumour cells recovering and developing a resistance. It was already known about that protein was involved in the development of cancers - but not in the resistance of treatment. Cancer treatments are evolving to be very specific, one of the next steps will be to find ways to target the resistance mechanisms to make chemotherapy more effective.
As it stands now, we have the available treatments that help us all have a better fighting chance, research is on-going and new avenues are being discovered all the time, we fight because it is right, and until the day a cure is found, we owe it to ourselves to keep fighting. Proactively help yourself, we only get one body to live in, keep it has fit and healthy as we possibly can. Help it to help you!

Until next time

Tracy

New blood cancer drug with the potential to save lives

Hello everyone

A short update, but ground breaking news potentially for blood cancer sufferers.

Before that - Happy Yorkshire Day! - I hope you all have a great day and manage to get some Yorkshire puddings today!

I've been reading about the new cancer drug breakthrough for blood cancer, researchers in Melbourne claim this new drug has the potential to save lives. This is fantastic news from the researchers...and what makes it even better is that it is only a matter of months away from human trials! The revolutionary new drugged could be used in patient trials before the end of the year.

This could be a major breakthrough for cancer sufferers of both Leukaemia and Lymphoma. This new drug scientists say will kill off the leukaemia and lymphoma cells by blocking their protein production. What the Melbourne researchers have shown is the cancers reliance on making new protein, and if you interfere with this process it effectively kills off the cancer cell, whilst not affecting a normal good cell. This would eliminate the need for chemotherapy and  thus spare the patient the serious side effects. The researchers say they have a new cancer drug and if tested successfully has the potential to save lives.

Lets keep our fingers crossed for successful trials and a major breakthrough in the treatment of blood cancers. Another positive step in the research towards eradicating cancer for future generations!

Like I say, short but sweet. Until next time

Tracy