Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Today, October 13th, is 'Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day'.


Now, I know I've been offline for the past five weeks & I had started to write a blog post to update everyone on what I've been doing but, I can't let this day pass without making sure that you know what this is all about.


Especially since, after finally getting back online only yesterday (thanks for nothing 'Sky', you useless bunch of idiots), I've been catching up with other blogs &, one of the first posts that I read this morning was by Lisa Lynch. You can read the post in question here on her blog, Alright Tit by Lisa Lynch.
For those of you that haven't heard of Lisa, she's a Northern lass who writes an amazingly funny blog about her experience of breast cancer & is three years down the line from her initial diagnosis. She's also written a book about 'The Bullshit' (as she calls it) &, she was doing really well, getting on with her life & generally trying to put all of this cancer crap behind her......as we all do I suppose.


However, such is the shittiness of this fucking bastard of a disease that now - yes, you've guessed it - she's been diagnosed with Secondary Breast Cancer. It's in her bones now.
When I read her post, I felt like I'd been slapped in the face.


So, rather than writing joyfully about my return to Liverpool & telling you all about how fabulous everything is for me right now, instead, I have sat here this morning & cried my eyes out. Because it just brings home (once again), the fact that, just when I think I'm starting to get on with my life again & I stop thinking about breast cancer 24/7, something happens to remind me that it's just not that simple; so here, I'll refer you back to my previous post, The Fear which, just about sums up how it feels (for me anyway), quite a lot of the time.


My heart goes out to Lisa & her family. We've communicated a few times through email & Twitter & she's been supportive of my blog, I just find it really sad that after kicking cancers ass the first time round, she's now got to deal with this.
Anyway, she's one helluva girl & I'll continue to follow her brilliant blog. I find it quite ironic that today is 'Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day' & - before I've gotten round to doing anything else this morning - her post was the first thing I read. 


It just brings home what today is all about.


So, for all of you who may not be aware of what 'secondary breast cancer' is, I've taken the following from the Breast Cancer Care website: 

"Secondary breast cancer is when breast cancer cells spread to another part of the body, often the bones, lungs, liver & brain. It can't be cured, but it can be controlled, sometimes for a number of years.  Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness day is part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The day is dedicated to publicising the issues affecting people with secondary breast cancer.The day also focuses on campaigning for improvements in the treatment and care of the tens of thousands of people living with secondary breast cancer in the UK"

If you get a chance, please have a look at this on the Breast Cancer Care website. There's loads of information, help & support available for those that may be affected by this but the main aim - as always - is to raise awareness.


So, on that note, I'll leave you now but now that I'm back online, I'll be back soon.


Love Chez. xx