Well my lovely bloglets,
I haven't done this properly in aaaaaages and feel that I have loads to say and nothing at the same time. My life has become uni, uni, running, running, running, and maybe see one person a week. Ok, so that's a slight exaggeration, but not by much actually.
I'm in week 7 or 8 of uni and think I have done more work than I did in 3 years at Edinburgh. My days are quite long when I'm in. 10-5.30ish or 6pm on a Tues with no lunch break as I have a tutorial over it and Wed is 9-6ish with a lunch break. I am also often in on a Monday afternoon, 2-5.30/6 and once a month on a Mon morning 9-11 so it's go, go, go.
I did until last week have two essays due in on the 12th Dec, 2 exams on the 13th and 1 exam on the 14th. They have now pushed back one essay deadline to the 19th Dec and the other essay is due on the 16th Jan, so thank fuck for that!! BUT, over Christmas I have to revise for an exam on the 9th Jan, and write up a self care report that I am starting on Monday as well as finish the essay I have started which had the deadline put back and write a patient document, so, there is a lot on. And this is only year 1!!
Having said that, it's all really interesting and I'm enjoying it, I've just had to put my social life on hold during the week. I have managed to keep up the running though, and I did 9 miles last week in 1hr 9min and this week I'm doing 10 miles, so I'm happy with my progress, especially as a couple of weeks ago I went home for reading week and was ill and ended up having 2 weeks of no running. I was really worried that I would have completely lost my fitness, but didn't. All that happened was that my leg muscles hurt like fuck for a couple of days, which was better than only being able to run 2 miles.
I have no new hospital results, my next check up is next week, so fingers crossed the Leukaemic rate is still as low if not lower!!
One exciting thing that happened last week is that I went up to the Jimmy Teens office as my most recent video blog was chosen as the 1000th video which was amazing and an honour. It was also Jimmy Teens 6th birthday. You can go and watch the film about the 6th birthday and my interview at www.jimmyteens.tv My most recent video is also up ( the 1000th film). I also got to see my buddies who work there as well as another buddy I met through TCT who is at uni in Sheffield at the moment, training to be a doctor. He asked me how my 'voo doo' degree is going.......
So on that note, I should go and make my juice for today as I couldn't arsed to make it this morning and opted for half an hour longer in bed, and have eaten 4 Sainsbury's triple chocolate cookies this afternoon and feel very, very, very sick, so hoping the juice will counter that. I should go and do some work as well I suppose....
So, with lots of love, laughter and smiles as always,
Me, XXX
Tuesday 22 November 2011
Monday 31 October 2011
A blog I was asked to do for another blog
Here is a blog I was asked to write for a charity who pay for therapies for ill people. Their website if you are interested is:
http://www.transmissionuk.org/ and here is what I wrote:
http://www.transmissionuk.org/ and here is what I wrote:
I am in my first year of four studying a complementary/alternative therapy called Naturopathy. I came to be a student (for the second time, at the age of 26) after my ‘quarter life crisis’ working in a job I hated and in an industry that I didn’t care about. Whilst working I did a lot of reflective thinking about what I would truly like to be doing regardless of salary and paying rent and bills etc; my answer was that I wanted to help people.
I have grown up with parents, especially a mother, who has been very aware of alternative health after my father had a heart bypass at 36 which lead her to question the health and diet of the family. As a small child I began to show signs of asthma and the GP wanted to put me on an inhaler, but instead I was taken to a homeopath, prescribed homeopathic powders and all the symptoms disappeared alongside the need for an inhaler. At the age of 22 I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia and my whole life changed. I went from a fairly heavy smoker and drinker to someone who did neither, cut out dairy, refined sugar and caffeine. This was all due to the hours my mother spent researching on-line, and speaking to various clinics both in the UK and The States to get my body as healthy as possible to fight the Leukaemia and hopefully avoid the bone marrow transplant that was the next step if my body didn’t start responding to the pill form of chemotherapy I was taking. I have always been a fairly holistic person, and the journey I’ve been on since January 2007 has made me realise how important it is.
I initially thought about studying nutrition, but thought that whilst nutrition is key, it cannot answer everything and was a bit limiting. Someone told me that the University of Westminster did fantastic alternative therapy courses which are also science degrees and it was on their website that I discovered Naturopathy and how this was what I had been searching for. I bit the bullet, applied, got in and got a second student loan.
Naturopathy embodies treating the whole body, mind and spirit naturally to encourage it to get back into homeostasis and the natural healthy balance it should be in. It is so important not to separate these three components when treating someone as they are all aspects of human being.
Whilst only in my 5th week of study of year one, I have already learnt about castor oil packs, skin brushing, tongue cleaning and enemas. I have to do a report about treating myself (something physical and psychological) in a Naturopathic way so I can experience first-hand what we will be using to treat others and learn how it is to be on the ‘other side of the desk’ as it were. In the next four years I will be taught many more therapies including massage and body work, hydrotherapy and nutrition. We are not simply taught the tools of the trade, but also about self-care and how to be a good practitioner with a lot of reflective work. I am also very lucky to be studying at Westminster as there is a clinic attached – the Polyclinic – so from the word go, I will be observing real sessions with clients and practitioners.
I am only at the beginning of what will be a long journey, both literally in that it is four years, but also long in how much I will grow and learn as a person. By the end of my degree I will be a fully qualified Naturopath with a Master of Science degree and ready to set up my own private clinic where I will be able to treat those that have been unable to get the answers through the standard allopathic route. Often, GPs do not have enough time. I will not be limited to 5 minutes, but will have between an hour and an hour and a half per session per client. I will be looking after all aspects of the person, not just the physical, as I know from first-hand experience how the emotional can impact the physical. I will be able to teach people how to look after themselves without the dependence of pharmaceutical drugs which, whilst helping one thing, may be causing damage to another. I will be able to empower people with their health and bodies to make them stronger and put them back into homeostasis which is where every healthy, balanced body and mind wants to be.
When qualified I also want to go on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at UCH and offer the patients a massage if they want it, as I know how soothing it can be both for the body, mind and soul whilst going through treatment and being in potentially very scary place both with health and emotionally. (This charity is very close to my heart as I was not lucky enough to be treated on one of their ward initially and really could have used the support and medical staff that they offer).
Most importantly I suppose, I am training to become a Naturopath because I feel that it is my calling – cheesy though that sounds. I feel that I have learnt so much through my experience of a cancer diagnosis and I have so much to pass on. I want to be able to help and with the training I am receiving at Westminster, I am in the best place to learn and be taught by both great teachers and practitioners. I will also learn more about myself and be able to continue to heal myself and know that I have the tools to take on whatever the future has to hold.
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Really quickly.....amazing news!!
Well my bloglets,
It would appear that buggering off travelling suits me as my Leukaemic rate has dropped to........drum roll please.....
0.015%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm nearly there!!!!
More soon when I'm a bit less hectic with Uni. Will probably be when I go home for 10 days for reading week on the 4th Nov.
Lots of love, laughter, smiles as always.
XXX
It would appear that buggering off travelling suits me as my Leukaemic rate has dropped to........drum roll please.....
0.015%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm nearly there!!!!
More soon when I'm a bit less hectic with Uni. Will probably be when I go home for 10 days for reading week on the 4th Nov.
Lots of love, laughter, smiles as always.
XXX
Thursday 6 October 2011
Macmillan and TCT
Well my little bloglets,
I've been quite busy the last couple of weeks with TCT (no surprises there) and Macmillan. I was asked by Macmillan if I would go to the launch of the Worlds Largest Coffee Morning at the M&S at the Westfield in West London, rather than the new one in East London and to tell Alesha Dixon (their celeb for it) how Macmillan had helped me when they paid for the storage of my eggs when I didn't have the money for it.
There was a guy there who had been filmed as well for the Thank You film thing I did for them, so was nice to see him again. It was different to a TCT event because the Alesha Dixon, (who was very lovely) only spoke to us for about 10 seconds before going off for photos etc. With TCT the celebs always spend much longer talking to the cancer kids, so was a bit surprised by that. She did however make time for a couple of pics with us, so have put one below. I also spent more time talking about TCT than Macmillan.....woops....
So back to TCT, I spoke at Soc Gen, hang on, this seems a bit familiar, let me just go and check that I haven't already mentioned this....well I've had a quick look and can't find my last post with words in it rather than photos, so sorry if I'm repeating myself.
Societe Generale staff did a night walk of 20 miles through London (which I would have done too was I not going out the following night and therefore needed to sleep) and raised shite loads of money. So thank you to them! They were also an amazing crowd to speak to as they found most of what I said HILARIOUS!! Because I am hilarious, but often people are too scared to laugh, but not this lot. So I am very grateful to them, and left on an absolute high. The office also has an amazing view of the Tower of London and I was taken up to the 8th (I think) floor to see the view from there and you could see so much. Shard, Razor, London Eye etc! So if any of you ever go to their office, see if you can go up to the 8th floor to look at the view when it's dark. I think I did that a couple of weeks ago.
This week I spoke in front of about 800 people at the Hammersmith Apollo, so it was very cool to be able to stand on that stage and talk. They are a new corporate sponsor partner thing for TCT. I didn't get any laughs from them though.... I spoke in the morning and went back in the evening to do a bit of bucketing/selling raffle tickets and came up with a GENIUS way to sell them.
me-hello, would you like to buy a raffle ticket?
-ummmmm.......
me-did you enjoy my talk this morning?
-oh! It was you on the stage?
me-yes
-oh right, yes of course I'll buy some
me - walk away saying mwah ha ha ha ha under my breath!
So uni is going well, but I'll tell you this now, it's fucking full on hit the ground sprinting no breaking us in easily. Because of this I've been stressed and not sleeping properly so have been really exhausted. Couple that with my day being 10-5.30 no lunch break on a Tues and 9-6 on and Wed with an hour for lunch = exhausted me and nearly breaking down in tears in my last lecture yesterday. So I was allowed to leave early, had nearly 12 hours sleep last night and feel very sprightly today! Having said that, am now feeling a bit tired, so am going to think about ending this and going to bed.
Oh, so my running for TCT in the London Marathon 2012 had a spanner put in the works as the person who said I had a place has left and did not pass that vital bit of info on. I do however, think I have managed to secure myself a place so that's all good. Don't really want to start ranting about TCT....
So on that note, I think it's off to bed time for me.
Lots of love, laughter and smiles,
XXX
I've been quite busy the last couple of weeks with TCT (no surprises there) and Macmillan. I was asked by Macmillan if I would go to the launch of the Worlds Largest Coffee Morning at the M&S at the Westfield in West London, rather than the new one in East London and to tell Alesha Dixon (their celeb for it) how Macmillan had helped me when they paid for the storage of my eggs when I didn't have the money for it.
There was a guy there who had been filmed as well for the Thank You film thing I did for them, so was nice to see him again. It was different to a TCT event because the Alesha Dixon, (who was very lovely) only spoke to us for about 10 seconds before going off for photos etc. With TCT the celebs always spend much longer talking to the cancer kids, so was a bit surprised by that. She did however make time for a couple of pics with us, so have put one below. I also spent more time talking about TCT than Macmillan.....woops....
So back to TCT, I spoke at Soc Gen, hang on, this seems a bit familiar, let me just go and check that I haven't already mentioned this....well I've had a quick look and can't find my last post with words in it rather than photos, so sorry if I'm repeating myself.
Societe Generale staff did a night walk of 20 miles through London (which I would have done too was I not going out the following night and therefore needed to sleep) and raised shite loads of money. So thank you to them! They were also an amazing crowd to speak to as they found most of what I said HILARIOUS!! Because I am hilarious, but often people are too scared to laugh, but not this lot. So I am very grateful to them, and left on an absolute high. The office also has an amazing view of the Tower of London and I was taken up to the 8th (I think) floor to see the view from there and you could see so much. Shard, Razor, London Eye etc! So if any of you ever go to their office, see if you can go up to the 8th floor to look at the view when it's dark. I think I did that a couple of weeks ago.
This week I spoke in front of about 800 people at the Hammersmith Apollo, so it was very cool to be able to stand on that stage and talk. They are a new corporate sponsor partner thing for TCT. I didn't get any laughs from them though.... I spoke in the morning and went back in the evening to do a bit of bucketing/selling raffle tickets and came up with a GENIUS way to sell them.
me-hello, would you like to buy a raffle ticket?
-ummmmm.......
me-did you enjoy my talk this morning?
-oh! It was you on the stage?
me-yes
-oh right, yes of course I'll buy some
me - walk away saying mwah ha ha ha ha under my breath!
So uni is going well, but I'll tell you this now, it's fucking full on hit the ground sprinting no breaking us in easily. Because of this I've been stressed and not sleeping properly so have been really exhausted. Couple that with my day being 10-5.30 no lunch break on a Tues and 9-6 on and Wed with an hour for lunch = exhausted me and nearly breaking down in tears in my last lecture yesterday. So I was allowed to leave early, had nearly 12 hours sleep last night and feel very sprightly today! Having said that, am now feeling a bit tired, so am going to think about ending this and going to bed.
Oh, so my running for TCT in the London Marathon 2012 had a spanner put in the works as the person who said I had a place has left and did not pass that vital bit of info on. I do however, think I have managed to secure myself a place so that's all good. Don't really want to start ranting about TCT....
So on that note, I think it's off to bed time for me.
Lots of love, laughter and smiles,
XXX
Friday 23 September 2011
Thursday 15 September 2011
A year already and photo's for Jack.
Well my lovely one's today is going to be I don't know, is self indulgent the right word? I don't think so, but somehow allowing myself to feel a bit down is a self indulgent thing to be doing.
I can't believe it, but it's been a year since my friend Jack died. It's funny that today is his anniversary because as I was making my juice yesterday he popped into my head. Was he someone trying to prepare me for today? I don't know. I also don't know why he death affected me so much, and continues to do so. Not in the same way as before, but it still hurts, and it's strange because I really didn't know him that well. It may have been because of our link of the TCT, or because he was so young compared to the other people who I have known and died in the past few years. Since my diagnosis I have know more people to die than in the rest of my life - or maybe it just seems that way. Maybe the diagnosis has made me more aware of life and how precious it is, and that not all of us are here for the same amount of time.
Today my true Marathon training began and I managed to run just under 4 miles in 34 minutes, and with the running comes thinking. Thinking about keeping running, the next song, the next hill, university, money worries and of course the reason I am running. Cancer. Those I have met, the things I have done and the hope that I can help. So before I head off to my Healing Journey (aka cancer course) meet tonight, I am going to put a few of the photographs from my travels of beauty and dedicate them to Jack. And the hope that everything will make sense one day.
I can't believe it, but it's been a year since my friend Jack died. It's funny that today is his anniversary because as I was making my juice yesterday he popped into my head. Was he someone trying to prepare me for today? I don't know. I also don't know why he death affected me so much, and continues to do so. Not in the same way as before, but it still hurts, and it's strange because I really didn't know him that well. It may have been because of our link of the TCT, or because he was so young compared to the other people who I have known and died in the past few years. Since my diagnosis I have know more people to die than in the rest of my life - or maybe it just seems that way. Maybe the diagnosis has made me more aware of life and how precious it is, and that not all of us are here for the same amount of time.
Today my true Marathon training began and I managed to run just under 4 miles in 34 minutes, and with the running comes thinking. Thinking about keeping running, the next song, the next hill, university, money worries and of course the reason I am running. Cancer. Those I have met, the things I have done and the hope that I can help. So before I head off to my Healing Journey (aka cancer course) meet tonight, I am going to put a few of the photographs from my travels of beauty and dedicate them to Jack. And the hope that everything will make sense one day.
Saturday 10 September 2011
Recent check up and a few pics
Well my little bloglets,
Had my first 3 month check up (woop woop) on Thursday and the Leukaemic rate it still the same....good but I'm a bit bored now, want it to stop plateauing and go down... and my platelets have dropped a little bit to 104, but overall it's fine, and my consultant is happy. Met her son which was funny - he has been doing some work experience, don't know if he wants to be a medic, or just needs to money after travelling in the hospital and was doing customer, or rather patient, satisfaction surveys. We had a bit of banter about my being a student. When I found out he was her son I told her I would have been much less complimentary and far ruder about both the clinic and her. She thought that was very funny!
So anyways, I've jut done another film for jimmyteens so thought I would put some pics up like I said I would, and have been meaning to do. Have only put a few of the places on this one as otherwise it will be a HUGE blog posting, and I'm about to go out, so will put more up in another one, probably tomorrow.
My cake:
Singapore:
Brisbane:
Had my first 3 month check up (woop woop) on Thursday and the Leukaemic rate it still the same....good but I'm a bit bored now, want it to stop plateauing and go down... and my platelets have dropped a little bit to 104, but overall it's fine, and my consultant is happy. Met her son which was funny - he has been doing some work experience, don't know if he wants to be a medic, or just needs to money after travelling in the hospital and was doing customer, or rather patient, satisfaction surveys. We had a bit of banter about my being a student. When I found out he was her son I told her I would have been much less complimentary and far ruder about both the clinic and her. She thought that was very funny!
So anyways, I've jut done another film for jimmyteens so thought I would put some pics up like I said I would, and have been meaning to do. Have only put a few of the places on this one as otherwise it will be a HUGE blog posting, and I'm about to go out, so will put more up in another one, probably tomorrow.
My cake:
Singapore:
Bali:
Brisbane:
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