February Events confirmed

Hello everyone

A very quick update to inform you all February's events are confirmed!

Hope to see you all at Sue's house on Sat 18th Feb has she hosts a tea/coffee morning ! Thank you Sue Giggly Geek for opening your home in the name of War on Cancer :)...you can pop in between 11.00-14.00 buy a brew and a bun..we have nicknamed this event the "Bunfight at the Yorkshire Corral"..

so if you are passing, it will be great if you can support and pop in and wet your whistle...I promise to try and make the tea not as strong as mine....unless you want it to put hairs on your chest ;)

Sat February 25th 10.00am onwards we are hosting a charity car wash at the Sun Inn Cottingley ( brave little souls aren't we??? )we will be there making your cars clean and gleam for only £3.00!! what a bargain to wash away the winter dirt! if of course you want to donate more....we will not say no! want us to clean your car while you enjoy something to eat ? we are the people to help you out!

We hope to see many clean cars driving off with satisfied customers over the day and would love if you can come drive through and support us!

Now I'm off to make some posters for my loyal supporters to put in their cars advertising the car wash, posters to put about to advertise round and about. Please help spread the word and tell your friends and families....Sat Feb 25th....charity car wash! Thank you Mike at the Sun for allowing us to use the car park for our endeavour!

Until next time

Tracy

The events planner is in place!

Hello and Happy Friday everyone!

I should be able to confirm details and entry fee costs for the sponsored Yorkshire 3 peak challenge early next week! This challenge is going to be tough, but giving a a total feeling of accomplishment after you have walked through some beautiful and very scenic Yorkshire dales!

In the events tab there is a 12 month event planner overview. Month by month the events are in place...dates, venues and times are to be confirmed for some....but check it out and see which events you fancy!

I hope to see you at one of the events!

I ask if you believe in the cause, please support me by sharing the blog and asking friends to do the same. Lets make War on Cancer a household name :)

On the personal front, I saw the consultant over my bladder/ pelvic problem...the med's haven't quite done what was expected. I will carry on with them, but try taking at a different time to see if there is any improvement and I will be going for a scan shortly. It's all step by step, which I won't deny is frustrating, but hopefully I will get there in the end. I will see him again in a couple of months.

Until next week.

Tracy

Cracking on with setting up sponsored Yorkshire 3 peak challenge 2012

Yes on with setting up what I hope will be the first of WOC's annual sponsored Yorkshire 3 peak challenge! I know there are many endurance events out there that we can all take part in, by doing an endurance event, you certainly feel like you've accomplished something special....I know I did last year when I did the Walk the Walk London Moonwalk with my fellow team mates. The commitment starts straight away with all the training, but every ache, pain, sore and blister is more than worth it as you cross the finish line. Not only have you completed something epic, but you have raised awareness and money for a wonderful cause!

I think it is only right that as a Yorkshire lass we showcase some of what Yorkshire has to offer! If you're going to do an endurance event, why not do it in a wonderfully scenic part of the world! The Yorkshire Dales are very special. So not only is it around 25 miles, but we climb up Yorkshires three largest peaks, Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. It will be a very special accomplishment for those of us who take part and complete it...very worthy of a pint at the end is my thinking!

Details will follow shortly for those interested, there will be an entry fee for the event, this can either be paid online here on the blog or posted to me. Sponsor forms can either be posted to those who don't have access to a printer or e-mailed...whichever is best for you. I hope to see all of you there ready to kick the three peaks in the butt lol :)

This is a sure fire way of making me push on with my training, regardless of joint, bone or muscle pain....this is why painkillers were invented!....It will put me hopefully in good stead for Mt.Kilimanjaro this September. Nothing's a better motivator to getting back in or staying in shape than an endurance event. There is nothing surer than the fact I will give it my best, I don't plan on being beaten...not by the three peaks or Mt.Kilimanjaro in the Autumn.

I will post the details as soon as and then pester everyone, you know me...nothing if not persistent hee hee!

We are having our first event planning mtg Thursday coming...so more details should be following for the next few months fundraising events!

If anyone knows of a friends shop etc that would be willing to stock and sell the glow in the dark silicone bands on behalf of War on Cancer, I would be grateful if you e-mailed me.The e-mail link is in the challenges tab.

Until next time

Tracy x

First event/fundraising meeting of the New Year coming up.

Hello everyone on this chilly Yorkshire Saturday!

I hope everyone is getting back into the swing of things after the holidays?!! I always find this is the hardest one to recover from, I think it's a mixture of things really...it's about the only holiday where most of your family and friends are off at the same time, we know the rest of the year people take different holidays. Those of you on monthly salaries have the nightmare of a really long month....I always hated this one, it felt like forever before you got paid again and many people feel the strain as we overspent on gifts and overindulged on many things ourselves. We all tend to overdo it with the partying and celebrating too!

Even I, who is most definitely more sedate these days....well on the alcohol front anyway lol! I like most drank too much and too often....I'm not really supposed to drink that much on the medications I'm on...but hey, it's the first year I've been up to it properly since before my diagnosis.

I went out and celebrated bringing in the New Year with loved ones ( family and friends ), missed the ones who couldn't be there with me ( you know who you are ) and had a really great time! the last time I had drinks and celebrated New Year properly was 2008...so yes a little while ago! I am happy to report that I didn't have a hangover the next day but was beyond tired as Jackie and I drank the early hours away....I went to bed at 05.10am....see life in the old bird yet hee hee! I will say my liver and kidneys did in fact not share the same thoughts as me about the alcoholic celebrations and made their presence known for a few days after ( bah humbug body... sheesh....give me a break here! )

We have still yet to agree a date for the regular team of loyal War on Cancer fundraising volunteers to get together...but I will grind them down lol!

However...here's the big one, Dave hero and I will be meeting this coming Thursday to discuss and get the ball rolling on the Yorkshire 3 peak sponsored challenge! I know there is going to be a lot of work sorting this out, but I am determined to do my best. There is a fair amount of interest in this which is fantastic news....my cousin Aaron wants the go ahead asap so he can sort out flights home from Germany so he can take part! thank you Aaron for making this a truly European event! and thank you for caring enough about the cause to travel over for it!

There are many reasons for wanting this to be a success...I hope it is a smashing success and that it becomes an annual event, it will raise awareness and money for War on Cancer's cause, will help people get a little bit fitter as they will need to train for this endurance event. Exercise is fantastic for the body and mind, helps prevent Osteoporosis and other illnesses and for those of us who have already been diagnosed with it, it helps prevent further bone density loss....an all round winner.

If this event is going to take place, I will be seeking some publicity for it with our local paper, radio etc. The plan is to get War on Cancer out there this year and have people taking about it, supporting it and encouraging others to do the same. It is a big year not only for War on Cancer, but myself too...the 3 peak challenge will be great for our training for Mt. Kilimanjaro in the Autumn of this year.

I will update the blog after Thursday with any information I have or information about my next steps to setting it up.

I have got myself back into the gym...very happy about it. I don't see the Rheumatologist until early March ( too far away not to train at all ), so I decided I would dose up on pain meds and see how I get on in the gym....I'm not going to push too hard and set myself back, but I need to get back at it...Giggly Sue and I went last Sat, did 35 mins in the gym....very happy with that and then called it a day. I wasn't too bad the day after,I could on pain killers just about cope with the pain in my bones and joints....a success in my book! I am doing to behave and carry on as long as the pain doesn't get too much.

So until next time

Tracy

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed bringing in the New Year whatever decided to do :) I wish everyone a prosperous, happy and very healthy 2012!

War on Cancer wishes you all the best for 2012. This year is going to be hard for many people, the financial constraints on people is going to be so very difficult, I know here in the UK that unemployment is at 17 year high, the government are making severe cuts on spending and in areas that were already vulnerable before the financial crisis. Many services for the most needy are going to be closed because the government are withdrawing funding...but are going to spend millions on "trouble families"....this minority of people who live breaking the law that most of us abide by....so they are going to research and offer to improve their lives ,they will use any means they can to sort them out.....give the families on a plate what everyone else has to work really hard for. But people who live within the law that have the same social, emotional and economic problems...will as always be left to suffer and struggle on their own. Makes you question who are the fools in the UK these days???!

Cameron and his coalition government push his policy of family values down our throats at every opportunity....but they disgracefully rip apart families with all the new cuts and policies they bring in...which I might add were definitely not mentioned in the election campaign! The vulnerable, ill and most needy of our society are been left behind to struggle and it is support groups that are trying to hold it all together. Billions has be pledged abroad whether it's to help prop up European countries that have been allowed to over borrow against their GDP or other plights that have been pledged to. I for one normally wouldn't have issues to helping the less fortunate abroad....however in these very hard times it is hard to not rebel when our own are suffering and the government are putting even more pressure on us. It is a very bitter pill to swallow.....we were all brought up on the saying "charity begins at home". Here we are a rich nation who has thousands of homeless living on the streets, people been refused life-saving medicines because of cost. Someone needs to explain to me how this can be right?

We have thousands of registered charities where people are doing everything they can to raise , awareness and money to help people who need treatments, for research and to make peoples last days as comfortable as possible, to offer counselling and support to family members....the inroads to increased survival has been achieved by hardworking charities. It is sad it has to be this way...but this is life.

War on Cancer will be driving hard to reach it's set target for this years two chosen charities....Walk the Walk and Clic Sargent...I know this is going to be hard but know we will get there! War on Cancer is very lucky to have a great loyal little band of people who also believe in the cause. I will forever be thankful to you all! We are all about people involved fundraising....we want to have fun and loads of memories about the events we do to raise money....I want always for everyone to say...that was great fun...when's the next one?....if this happens War on Cancer has won :)

We will be having our first event meeting this month. I will post up when and what we have agreed to set up as soon as.

I wish to thank especially everyone who posts my blog on FB and Twitter, I know it takes on a second to do but not everyone does...I am still working on WOC page on FB and hope to load more photos from previous events this week.

I look forward to 2012 and what it can bring on a fundraising,awareness and personal level with great anticipation....I hope you will all see fit to join me and WOC on our continued journey!

So once more I thank you all for the support, hope you continue to be interested in what I've got to say, join in the events that you take a fancy too....keep posting and sharing the Blog, FB page and Twitter to help spread the positive message of what we are all about, help WOC make new friends, look at the photo gallery and check out the shop when it's back up and running.

Until next time I wish you a very Happy 2012

Tracy x

War on Cancer- First annual party night :)

War on Cancer's first annual party was a huge success! I'm not even talking about the money side here, I'm talking about all the new friends that were made on the night, the amazing amount of cancer awareness that was made...people asking questions, not afraid to mention "The big C", openly talking about the still taboo subject of cancer....this alone made the night worthwhile and I believe a major success! Thank you all for attending, lending your support to my cause and expressing interest in future events.....I couldn't ask for more than that :)

Thank you to each and everyone of you who bought raffle tickets and a massive congratulations to the winners!

Everyone enjoyed the night I think lol!.... we had fun and lots of it! A massive thank you to the DJ who donated his fee to WoC and for also donating a bottle of malt Whiskey to the raffle we ran on the night. We had three prizes that we sold tickets for on the night, first prize was a luxury food hamper, second prize was a beautiful fruit hamper which was donated by Giggly Sue and third prize was the bottle of malt Whiskey donated by the Dj.

The grand prize raffle was drawn, Peter W from Dantex Graphics won the First Prize of the 32" LCD TV, Second Prize was won by Carol Metcalfe from Home Care division of Bradford Metropolitan Council and Third Prize went to Lindsay Sessions from Drury Pms Ltd.

After all the prizes were bought we raised a total of £211.00! wow and thank you very much ! Have the party was a really nice way to finish our fundraising efforts for 2011. Please keep an eye out as War on Cancer will be back out organizing events so people can come join in the fun and help raise money alog the way. We will be holding our next meeting mid January and more information and details will follow :)

We have raised £1563.00 from four events we have held! this is going really well and I am really happy with our progress.

Check out the upcoming events page....I have updated it with some of the idea's we have come up with at the moment.

In the gallery, I am also going to load some photos from the shopping night...check out Louise's gorgeous cup-cakes!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

We will be looking at getting the shop back up and running over the Christmas period, don't worry I will let you know when it is lol!!

Until next time

Tracy

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

We have SOLDOUT on our first annual fundraising party night! Thank you to everyone who has bought a ticket...we are going to have a blast people!!. I am really proud to announce that demand outstripped supply....this is fantastic for future events!

We will be having a great fun night of fun and laughter.....folks I will apologize now for when I get on the dance floor to do my dance moves....it's not clever, it's not pretty and it's probably not all that safe...but hey I enjoy myself lol!!! Some of the food is going to be made and donated by Jeannie, Gillian,Caroline and Giggly Sue...thank you girls...I really appreciate it :) Tickets will be on sale on the night for a luxury food hamper and the grand prize draw for the 32" LCD TV,Dab radio and bottle of Champagne. Good luck to everyone who has bought a ticket :) And our very own Hero Dave who has volunteered to be waxed for donations....so come on folks be very generous for his pain!!

Everyday when I get up I think about the support I have from all of you who take time out of your lives to read my blog, share it on FB and retweet it out to help spread a positive message and raise awareness. Help organize events, turn up and join in the events, help sell the bands, raffle tickets....talk about War on Cancer with family,friends and colleagues,and last but certainly not least help raise awareness....and I feel so happy, proud and overwhelmed!

Thank you one and all....you will never understand how much it means to me, you all help me to achieve my dreams of helping others who have gone through, are going through or will go through cancer in the future. I as you know went through the invasive treatments and fully appreciate and understand how important the support of all the staff is, when having chemo...the staff in HODU become your family and the bonds you make with fellow patients and staff are strong. Even now when I go for a check up at the hospital... I love to go see all the wonderful nurses in HODU. I love that I can give something back and will continue to do my utmost in the future.

I have had on a personal level a year of ups and downs! It started off with all our training ( 5 months) for our Walk the Walk London Moonwalk...we Team L'Oreal ( Jeannie, Sue, Helen, Caroline and myself ) had a fantastic time, it's really hard to put into words how amazing a time we had. It's unbelievable to look out over what can only be described as a sea of pink as 15,000 people walk 26.2 miles all in the name of breast cancer! it was great to see so many guys doing it in their bras too! unlike Race for Life which is a women only event( which I don't agree with...guys get breast cancer too!) it's also the fact they can do it in support of a loved one. It was worth all the training.

About 10 miles in I became very unwell with various things, I had felt light headed and nearly passed out a couple of times I had a pounding headache, pains in my neck,lower back and pelvic pains. I was bloating up and I had had problems with my ankle supports ( I had to take them off ), I knew this was going to cause me problems with my right ankle....since I ruptured it back in 06 I have had occasional issues, but knew it was going to be painful with walking the 26.2 miles, hell it was painful even with the support on during the training. I have to say London like all big cities is not a good place when you are wanting to be sick there are not many tree's to be found!

When we got to the 22 mile marker I was most definitely running on pure determination and my stubbornness! every mile from there I had to stop about 4 times to try and ease the pain in my back, I was really fatigued and had the mother of all blisters on my foot too! But even though I was in all honesty in a right state, I knew no matter what I was going to complete the Moonwalk...it was afterall the first challenge I had set myself while still having my chemo. I would seriously have crawled over the finish line if needed!

It was overwhelming to cross the line holding hands with Jeannie and Sue..yep we had done it! This was a massive high...even though I had been so unwell for the majority, I was over the moon at completing my first personal challenge.....the fact my partner and friends wanted to do it with me made it all the better! It's a memory I will always cherish.

It took me over a month to recover from the Moonwalk but was definitely worth it....Team L'Oreal raised over £1000.00 doing this most worthy event.

The second challenge I had set myself was to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro for cancer...I decided 2012 was the year...I have said for every year I get the ok at my check ups at the breast clinic I will do a new challenge.

This is where War on Cancer was born. I decided if I was going to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro as my personal challenge...then I might as well try to raise money for cancer charities at the same time. I chose Walk the Walk breast cancer and Clic Sargent children's cancer charities this time.So up to the actual climb in 2012 I said we will do various fund raising events to raise money for these very worthy charities, have fun along the way and involve as many people as possible, it's not just about raising money but also awareness. My aim has always been to show that you can live a full and challenging life whilst surviving cancer...maybe you have to adjust some of your goals, but life is for living, not just surviving! A target of raising £10,000 has been set and I am confident we will make it!

On my health side it hasn't been the best of times in the last 18 months. I have had many problems with lower pelvic and back pains. When I had my 6 month check up at the breast clinic in March, it was agreed that I would change my cancer drug from Tamoxifen to Letrozole because of the side effects I had been suffering from for the last 13 months, I felt they were that bad it was affecting my quality of life and I really couldn't face another 4 years of it. I didn't know until I got an appointment through that I had to have a DEXA scan, this is a scan to measure your bone density, Letrozole causes amongst other problems Osteoporosis. So my logic behind this scan was that I would go have it done and that would give my doctors the base data to check against future scans to determine over the next few years if the Letrozole did indeed affect my bone density. A decent logic I thought!

My GP phoned me 3 weeks later to tell me to go in to see them. The results had come back and I had already got Osteoporosis! to say I was shocked is a massive understatement! I said to the doctor, are you sure the results are right? am I not too young to have Osteo?...yes I was not very informed about Osteoporosis at all...the only thing I knew was that it can cause your bones to break easily.....I really thought it was an illness that affected older people. I asked my doctor if it was just starting and she said no, it's full blown.

I had by the time we hit June had had 7 lots of antibiotics this year due to bladder infections, I had a laparoscopy in May as they couldn't say what was causing my pelvic and lower back pains.... the good news from the laparoscopy was that there were no signs of ovarian cancer :) This was great news but didn't solve the problems about my pelvic and back pains. I was referred to a consultant and was then sent for further tests.The tests confirmed I have a problem that has developed with my bladder so now on medication, I will see my consultant in January to see if medication levels need adjusting, he said he will try and keep the side effects to a minimum!

When I have just had my second check up of the year at the breast clinic we talked about the sore and stiff joints I have and a general bone ache the pain in my lower back never eases off these days, it bothers me whether I am sitting, standing or walking....he has contacted my GP to arrange a referral to a Rhuematologist, he doesn't think it's my cancer drug ( it's one of the side effects ) but needs checking out by a specialist. ( I really don't care who looks into it, I would love the pain in my back to go...even if it was just for a week or two! ). My GP ordered a load of blood tests which I had done last week, I go for the results on Wednesday and then await my referral.

But the great thing in between all of this is the fact we have held a few events and so far raised £1352.00! next year War on Cancer will be going all out to achieve that target. I have already started thinking about my challenge for 2013.....these things need plenty of planning! I know I want to do something in the USA.....

Thank you all for showing your support, I will be looking into whether to register War on Cancer as it's own charity early next year... I will keep you all informed.

War on Cancer I believe sums up who I am and what my life is about it is a great personal motivator as are the challenges I set myself. I hope you carry on enjoying the events we do, it is afterall about having lots of fun too!

Everyday I get up and smile, after been diagnosed with a life threatening illness I believe everyday is a bonus and I plan to make the most. I will try and knock things off my bucket list and will continue to raise money not just for research but to help make people feel as comfortable as possible whilst going through their treatments.

Thank you all for helping me realize my dream of doing this, you will never understand how much it means.

Until next time

Tracy x