coming on nicely

Things are going well with the baby. I have just over 3 1/2 weeks till my due date now. Turns out I didn't have gestational diabetes after all (a mix up with the lucozade during the test) so I have been enjoying cake once more.

I have loved being pregnant. Bump is getting bigger, moving is getting harder but I love it. Cannot wait to meet baby now.

I have finished now and have started my maternity leave (I have already made 1 batch of cookies).


Final news is that the bump is now famous. It has been in The Yorkshire Evening Post, The York Press and The Wetherby News to publicise a Cancer Research UK fun run. As usual when talking to journalists, the final articles throw up many sentences that you didn't think you actually said.. but it is all in a good cause. I just have to get over the cringe factor.
Still, I still have some principles as after having been tracked down by a freelance journalist who had seen the article and wondered if I would like to take my story back to Pick-Me-Up or other similar magazines. I said no! If there is no cause behind it that needs publicising - I am not interested.

baby news

So all is developing nicely with the bump as the scientific evidence below shows ;-)




Sadly, as the hot ice-cream weather hit I was told I had Gestational Diabetes and to steer clear of cakes and sweets :-(
This now means that I will need a little more monitoring and scans at 28, 30, 34 and 38 weeks to check baby is not growing too big or the amniotic fluid isn't disappearing. I was a bit worried about baby last week because due to holidays I am not being seen by anyone medical to tell me exactly what all this means for another 2-3 weeks... therefore like anyone would I went on the Internet! I only went to websites I thought were reliable like the NHS or Diabetes UK, but obviously all potential problems are listed in one handy place.
However, if I am able to control my blood glucose through diet and exercise fingers crossed it should all go normally. I am going to have to do finger prick monitoring of my blood sugars and see a dietitian to plan my diet so that too much glucose doesn't get through to baby and make it a whopper. I guess it is unlikely that they will let me go over my due date so I expect in 3 months time from now I hope to have a lovely little baby and a big gorge on cake.

Double Whammy's

So my last 2 events have happened now in Bradford and York. These were double events so starting at 5 am (or 4 am for York!) and not finishing till 6pm. Although I loved them I am glad they are over now. I couldn't have done another with growing bump.

For Bradford the day started lovely and I was able to do all the set up without rain and the whole of the first event in a T-shirt. However, that didn't last. The heavens opened and the afternoon event was wet wet wet.



I was Start/Finish manager again and think I have this role down well now. It's still quite involved making sure everything runs smoothly. The rain continued well into clear down but I had a lovely husband who came along to help me out and get bossed around to do all my bending and lifting ;-D

Then came my final event in York. This was the big one. A 10K in the morning and a 5K with 3500 women in the afternoon. This meant double the work on setting up (hence a 4am start) and I was given a different role - the top role; Course Manager. I was shadowing a CRUK event manager on this in the morning and then it was all mine to do in the afternoon. It was a bit better as I was able to sit down for some of it. But this was a really hard event for me - whether it was longer, further away and with a overnight stay the night before or because I am progressively getting more pregnant. After setting out the course and briefing all my marshalls, I generally sat in the control tent with a head set and radio and had to check the entire course and marshalls were clear before the start, OK the start, deal with any things that happened on the course including bottlenecks and crowd issues, dealing with a first aid incidents and getting paramedics and Ambulance on site, generally logging everything that happens during the whole event. It was tough and I had to make some quick decisions. Again my lovely husband came over and helped with cleardown... which was great because it was me that signed up for this and took this on but I probably would have done a lot more in the way of bending and lifting if he hadn't been there as my hands.

Generally I think I overdid it with the last one and am glad I don't have another and can put my feet up and have a lie in on Sunday mornings. However, I am sooooo glad I did the whole thing. Plus I got my pay packet through today :-)

Bump update

There is no Race For Life for me this weekend. Therefore I have focused on finally getting some maternity dresses/tunics.

Here is the latest bump photo just in.

Event no.2 Ilkley

Another successful event. I thoroughly loved it again. I loved arriving at 5am to an empty field and just getting stuck in to create the event site. After already having done one event I knew exactly what needed to get set up and could just get on with it.

This meant by 9am there was an short lull - time enough for me to find a seat and have a cuppa and bacon sarnie (looking slightly shell/wind shocked!!).



Then people all start arriving and I get the team in place while they join in with the warm up ready for our 10:30 start.



Things went off without a hitch. The start all happened to plan, it's all quite fast-paced and I think myself and another Event Assistant organized it to flow OK. There wasn't very long between the last walker going through and the first runner(s) returning so it was all stations manned for the finish funnels. We had one slight incident to deal with when a girl was a little ill in one of the finish funnels.... but the paramedics were there quickly and I radioed the incident in, while cordoning off that finish funnel and opening another emergency line so that the little pile of "illness" could be avoided. Yes I know that doesn't sound a big deal, but I was proud of my quick actions!!!!

Highlight was the gems you get to hear over the team radio's. The unexpected arrival of a horse decked in a pink tutu to run the course prompted a debate on whether horses were allowed!!!! it was only a miniature horse and allowed on the condition they "Pooped and Scooped" their way around the course.

The weather today was damp but no major rain until the packing up of course. And the best best thing - there was no sheep poo!

The bump goes to London

and was displayed on the big screen!

I warned it before hand that it might experience a few stress hormones floating around as I had to give a talk in the following 4000 seater auditorium with my face displayed on the big screen (that's not my face in the photo obviously). However, I think there must have been relaxing pregnancy hormones dominating because I wasn't all that worried... after all, what was the worst that could happen as I would be going off to have a baby in September.



The highlight of the trip for me was being offered a seat on the London underground. It's official - I am pregnant!

Skipton Race For Life

Hooooooray!!!!! My first Event went brrrrrrilliantly, I loved it.

Yes there was rain, yes there was sheep poo, yes I was tired... but happy.

So, here's how it all went.

4:20 am Alarm went off, jumped out of bed (despite having been so excited I hadn't got to sleep till around 2am - but then I have to get used to a lack of sleep don't I?). James fixed me a cuppa tea, a flask of coffee (which I wouldn't get chance to drink), sorted out my snack pack (flap jacks and bananas) and waved me off before going back to bed.

5am Arrived on site, which looked like this;




5:15 Set to setting up my Start and Finish area. Sticking in stakes and reams of pink tape to create my finish funnels which I filled with medals, goody bags and H2O. Setting up the barriers and branding signs and checking all essential equipment was in place (the megaphone and starter horn for example).



5:25 Decided there was just no getting away from it, I was going to get covered in sheep poo... and not just covered in it with the rain we were going to get, swimming in sheep poo is probably an apt description.

7am Set up done! giving time for a short breather, cup of tea and bacon butty before getting shown how to start the clock, use the radios etc. Got assigned my radio and headset - felt very important. Put on my Cancer Research UK waterproof and Orange Staff Vest and felt very silly (the S/M was just huge even on a preggers lady).




8am Briefed my volunteers on their roles for the day and the Wave start we were going to carry out. Basically Runners, joggers and walkers were split out and entered the start area in controlled order (led by my volunteers), walked in an importantly controlled way to the start line and then held there to wait the starter hooter - very important!
8:10am Briefed my finish funnel volunteers on the intricacies of handing out medals and goody bags.

10am Volunteers all in place, clock starter briefed and me nervously awaiting to see if my briefings had all worked and this would all work.



10:25 And everything begins, the participants split off, my flag bearers lead them where they need to go, we take them to the start line, Wait for it ladies, Wait for it, nearly there now!

10:30 5,4,3,2,1 HOOOTER and the runners are off....
10:31 5,4,3,2,1 HOOTER joggers off...
10:32 5,4,3,2,1 HOOTER walkers off.....

It worked!

10:33 Spotted James who had come to catch the all important photos of me looking wet and official.



10:45 Finish funnels - volunteers in place and here we go for the first person must be coming back soon.. but where is my finish line tape..... it's with the other Event Assistant (EA) and Event Manager (EM) at the top of the final sprint ... but then... is that the first runner!!! They are coming! Run EA and EM, Slow down First Runner, slow down.... and they all cross the finish line at about the same time! Hillarious.

10:50 and my job begins directing the participants into funnels, managing the flow and the volunteers working in the area.



12am the final walkers are coming back now, but we have run out of medals!!!! My first Panic (well second after the Finish Line tape incident), but wait, what is that box down there, Phew its Medals!

12:30-2pm It's a Go for clear down. Unraveling all my pink tape and stakes and packing all the stuff up - in order to avoid the heavy duty lifting I elect to do some litter picking, Gosh the weather was miserable!

2:30 Arrived home to disinfect myself of sheep poo on the doorstep. A cup of tea and a hot bath and a cottage pie cooked by James for tea. Perfect. Bed by 8:30!

So if you want to know the effects of being a EA for a day - I think these two Before and After photo's sum it up quite nicely;


(p.s I do have a second decent waterproof and a bag all under that CRUK waterproof which is why I look so inflated - baby hasn't grown that much in one day)

Phew, I am exhausted just typing all that.

Let's do it all again on Sunday in Ilkely.

Ready, Steady, Go!

It's Cancer Research UK's Race for Life event series beginning and I am to be a part of it, quite a big part actually :-)

I have secured a position as an Event Assistant (1000 applicants nationwide and 5 posts up for grabs in the North so I am a bit chuffed at that). This means I will be right-hand-man to the Event manager at the Skipton, Ilkley, Bradford and York Race For Life events. And that kicks off for me tomorrow at 5am (yikes!) in Skipton.



There will be 2 Event Managers and 2 Event assistants (that's me) and a gaggle (hopefully) of volunteers. And we have to make this event run smoothly for 1700 ladies. I will be Start/Finish manager. Setting up all the start and finish area, setting up branding and goody bags, briefing and leading a team of volunteers, controlling the staggered start process for Runners and Walkers and most importantly starting the clock! The race cannot start until I am happy all safe and ready to go and I give the go ahead for the count down to start and the hooter to sound.
I am slightly nervous but I am sure once my first event is under my belt I will know just what to do. The event starts at 10:30 so I should be home early afternoon for a warm bath and a long sleep. Looking out the window currently with the rain pouring down doesn't fill me with confidence for the weather tomorrow, waterproofs may be the name of the game.

So, wish me luck and I plan to come back and document the events here.

Happy News

Can you tell what that news is..... Yes, James and I are going to have a baby :-)

Meet the Wild child;




We are very happy and over the moon. It is nice to be able to come on here and put up this news to show that there can be life after cancer and even babies after chemotherapy. So this October will be quite a celebration. I will be approaching becoming a 5 year Cancer survivor, James and I will have had our 5 year Anniversary (a weekend off to the Drunken Duck in the lakes to look forward to for that, while we still can of course) and we should be joined by this little Wild Child.

Another year...

So January...

January has come and gone and along with it my annual check-ups and mammogram.

Again this year I have passed my MOT. The doctors are happy with me and can see no obvious changes on the mammogram since my previous one from the year before. I had the usual fit of giggles when I saw my notes being lugged across the desk by the nurse at reception.... I think I am yet to see any notes quite as thick as mine. I don't seem to be able to help but get the giggles when James and I go into clinic. I think there is quite a bit of nervous energy even when I think there is nothing to worry about.

But that's the squeeze over for another year. In the mean time I am going to be vigilant and get on with business as usual (hence the lack of posting on this Cancer blog).

Bye till next time.

Breast Buddies Get Together.

A lovely sunny afternoon and evening was spent chatting over cocktails and champagne with my 2 breast buddies, Sarah and Nic at The Grove in Watford.

Yay to Bosom Buddies.

A successful trip

So, I had a good check up appointment today and all seems well with my boobs.

There was quite a wait in clinic before being called in. It certainly takes you back and no matter how much I was sure that all is fine I still get a few butterflies. Being in the waiting room surrounded by people in all stages from diagnosis to treatment built up a few nerves. I felt quite sick when I saw the breast care nurse who had been at my diagnosis come out into the waiting room and get someones husband to go in with her.... it felt horrible to think that someone might be getting a diagnosis at that particular time.

But finally I was in, and, with the Top Man. My surgeon! Swoon Swoon! I haven't seen him since back in the days of my surgery. I felt a bit of a fraud getting the best man just for my little check up. But he gave me a thorough investigation and talked through some good stuff with James and I. He is very happy and I am just due back in for a check up in 6 months time..... for some reason I come out all flustered (in a good way) when I have seen him! worth the wait beforehand ;-D

I am also very very very much looking forward to this weekend. I am having a whole weekend away with my Breast Buddies... Sarah and Nic! We have planned to go for food and cocktails during the afternoon on Saturday at a posh looking place down south. Sarah and I have often caught up over a glass of champagne and are looking forward to finally meeting up with our other friend Nic. Whoop Whoop exciting.

2 Peaks!

It is the annual check up with my Breast Care Team today ;-)

But that is not the 2 peaks I am referring to though... We have now completed the Yorkshire Dales 3 Peaks. Obviously in a much more civilized way by spreading it out over several months, but still.

Pen-y-ghent was achieved on a hot hot hot day mid june.




Phew.




Whernside was achieve this weekend. The weather was not so great (we almost aborted before we even began because of windy rainy conditions) but as it was cooler I was able to power up this hill



(total walked 8.9 miles)

.


Past some lovely scenery (excuse the hat hair!) and made it back to the car just as the weather was brightening up. Typical. Especially as we could now see little people on the top of the mountain - when we were there we could hardly see a little way in front of us for mist.




I really do need to get some new outdoor clothing because I might as well just superimpose myself in the same get up in all sort of outdoors locations. (I probably could have got away with claiming I did it all in one day if I had thought about it!)

Breast Cancer Care Pink Ribbonwalk 2010

What a fantastic day! I don't know about the walkers but I was shattered at the end of it.

I arrived at 7:30am just as the event was getting set up in the grounds of Harewood House. I met some fellow volunteers (being on my own I soon latched on to some friendly faces) and we put on our crew T-shirts and went to get a bacon butty and a cup of tea.


I was soon put to work on the Registration desk, signing in the excited walkers ready for the 20 mile walk to begin. After they were all signed in we went and joined in with the warm up








and at 9:30am the 20-milers were off!


all heading off into a very lovely June morning (I hope they all had suncream and sun hats because it was due to get much much hotter)














The glorious day was just getting warmed up, so there was a small lull where we were able to get out our sun hats, put on some sun cream and help out on a few jobs, like getting the medals ready for the walkers return and setting up the finish line.





I was then re-assigned to a team of marshals and was placed at a strategic point on the route to await the walkers and alert any traffic to their approach (I had about 5 cars through the 2 hours I was there).


Boy, what a lovely view point I had. So I got out my chair and my packed lunch to keep myself company and await the walkers (I was never really alone, all the time I was being circled by some majestic Red Kites - probably eying up my packed lunch).








But the walkers were soon to arrive and for 2 hours I was a smiley face at the top of a very steep, evil hill at 8.4 miles.



After 2 hours of watching tired, but smiley, faces walk past me I was thinking twice about the little spark of an emotional idea born while on the registration desk earlier that morning that I should do this 20 mile challenge. However, it hasn't gone away completely.

But for those 2 hours I smiled and encouraged. I hope I was appreciated. Some told me it was nice to see such a smiley face to greet them at the top of the horrible hill they had to tackle in such heat. Others may well have blamed me for the horrible hill they had to tackle in such heat and I am sure others were thinking "it's all very well for you, you haven't had to tackle this horrible hill in such heat". But I kept the smile and the encouraging and joking up for the 2 hours until the last walkers had passed my little checkpoint (one lady even recognised me later from being at the 8.4 mile check point - I hope that was a good sign).


It was then back to the site for 1:30, just in time to enjoy a Pimms and Lemonade (bursting with fruit) with some fellow volunteer friends (who had been on car park duty) in the sun while awaiting the first walkers to return and when I would be put onto cheering duty.

This is the life!





After seeing the first few walkers come in (20 miles - 5 hours), I was again re-assigned as a gate marshal on the homeward stretch.



At this point it is less than half a mile home and the point when the walkers pass by Harewood House itself and make their way across the final field to the finish point where they are greeted by cheerleaders (doing fantastic pyramid arrangements for such a hot day), Morris Dancers, yoga and massages (not to mention the BBQ).










And after some of the final (although not all) walkers were through I went back to grab my own burger of the barbie before heading home at 6:30.





Weary but very happy!



I think that myself and the other 100 volunteers made the event work for the 500 walkers who took part. I just hope they do it again next year (unfortunately numbers in Yorkshire have been lower than at the other Pink RibbonWalks and it is yet to be confirmed whether they will be coming back to Harewood House - although perhaps that is me off the spot for doing the actual walk next year). And I am also very glad that it was yesterday and not today because it might not have been such a glorious day to be a volunteer if it had been raining.

All in all I am so glad that I did it, Yay to volunteering.

Pink ribbon walk approaches...

I have received information through about my volunteering day at the Harewood House Pink Ribbon walk Sat 5th June....

I have been assigned to the Pink Ribbonwalk Registration Team :-) I am very excited about this role.

I have to arrive for 7:45 (gosh - it is 50 minutes drive away from me as well!) but I do get a breakfast roll and a hot drink.

Walkers set off at 9:30 (20-milers) and 12:30 (10-milers) and should expect to come back in between 3:30-5:30. So I expect I will be the smiley face signing them out and back in again.

After that it will be full on support at the finish line for the final arrivees and all finished off with a BBQ!

I should get to drag my weary body home around 7:30 :-)

OOooooohhh I am really looking forward to it.

An update in photo-form

I have mainly been up to the following.....

Having a new haricut (a graduated bob with a new hair tone) which I quite like.



Having a girlie get together in Birmingham....



Being the proper little scientist with a work trip to Slovenia where I had to give a talk (and enjoying post-conference talk celebrations with my boss)





Entertaining friends visiting from Japan and getting excited by planning our summer holiday to Tokyo!!! (and preparing by drinking Sake and eating Japanese-rice-cake-thingys)



enjoying the sun with a BBQ



and finding it amusing that we were not the only ones finding the hot weather very enjoyable....


Being green-fingered in the garden and enjoying finding new ingenious ways of using up excess rhubarb (rhubarb bellinis and rhubarb and custard souffles)