The Cancer Train

I have been missing for a while in crafting land, and the title for this post will give a clue to the reason. I have thought long and hard about creating this post, but if it makes one woman think about the situation she finds herself in, and she makes an appointment to see a doctor then that will make it worth while.

This is all about breast cancer and when you get the diagnosis. It is like being put on a train and not being able to get off or know where it is going. It will not even slow down to at least find some enjoyment in the ride.

I actually did not find a lump but if you do you have to get it checked out. The health authorities are starting to write to women earlier than the age of 50, now from 47, to offer them an early mammogram. I received one of these offers and you are told you do not have to take up the appointment as you would be contacted again at the age of 50. I made the choice to take up the offer and went to the mammogram. I figure these people are doing the scans day in and day out and have seen boobs all the time, and mine are nothing special and quite small. It was a lady that completed the scan and it took 5 minutes tops, I spent longer in the waiting room than the actual scan took, just two pictures for each side and off you go.

The scary part happened exactly one week later when I received a letter asking me to attend an appointment as something had been spotted on the mammogram. The train journey starts. The appointment was very quick, I had my first mammogram on a Monday, the following Monday I had a letter from the hospital asking me to attend again on the Thursday of that same week. I have a fabulous family and I saw no point in keeping this to myself so I told them what was happening. My sister came with me to this call back appointment. I did not take her in with me when I saw the consultant and had an examination by him. He told me something had been seen in one breast, which looked like calcium spots and I was asked to lay down to have an examination. He marked 4 small dots and told me I would next go to ultra sound to get these checked and they may take samples. This was all very scary and I went back to the waiting room.

For the ultra sound I asked my sister if she would come in with me. I hate the thought of it and hope it never happens, but if she had to go through this I wanted her to see everything. Education and knowledge can help you face things a little easier and take away the fright of the unknown. I hope I can go through the unknown to help someone else be less frightened.

The ultra sound was ok. Nurses and radiographers are all very gentle with you and talk you through every step. After the scan she told me the area explained to me by the consultant can be seen on the scan and she would use the scanner to take 3 or 4 samples. A local anesthetic was used and they inserted a hollow needle, and a loud click noise was heard each time a sample was taken. I could feel something but nothing was extremely painful, it was over quickly with each click and a slight twinge only, it was just uncomfortable to lay still for 10 minutes or so. The breast was lumpy in the days after this and I was bruised. I knew after this ultra sound that I had something bad. I told my sister how I knew and it helped slightly at the results appointment which was only 7 days after this appointment. I told you the train was fast.

The results showed I had high grade DCIS. It is an early non-invasive or pre-invasive cancer. If they are not treated the cells may develop the ability to spread and become invasive breast cancer. I did not want this inside me. It was an upsetting appointment and I had my husband with me. I was told I could have a lumpectomy and an appointment for an operation would be sent with in 30 days. The operation was on  a Thursday exactly one month after the mammogram and I worked the whole time to keep my mind off things. At work this whole thing was not happening then on the drive home it all came back again.

The day of the operation I will admit I was not in a good place I just wanted it over. My husband was with me and I was all marked up for the operation and I was told that the committee was not in agreement about my treatment, they thought a mastectomy would be better and a lumpectomy was not going to work. I was devastated that the op was cancelled and I was given options of a mastectomy with a reconstruction at a different hospital or just a mastectomy. I was sent home to think about it and had to call back with a choice. I was told this only happens 1 or 2 times a year and they were sorry I was lead down the path of a lumpectomy.

After a long 3 week wait the operation of my choice was made and I was told the area of DCIS was larger than I was first told so the lumpectomy would not have worked and I would have had to have another operation. I was also told it had not spread to the tissues or lymph nodes and I did not have to under go Chemo or radiotherapy. I can at last get off the train and life can carry on. I am not the same as before any more but I have a new 'normal'.

Thanks to my husband and family for the love, support and help given during this time. Thanks to my employer who also let me work and when I returned to work 3 weeks post op, knew I was not quite mended but let me do what I could manage. I am now 2 months post op and hope I carry on as well as I have been.

Do not put off getting checked out, go and find help, get tested. Stay as strong as you can through the whole journey wherever your train takes you. I know I have been lucky and not all people will be, but I hope you can find someone to help and support you through everything. xx

New Stampin' Up Catalogue

The new products went live this week and I have an order winging it's way to me as I type right now. If you are interested please check out the links on the right of this blog. It will take you too the new catalogue. You can shop on line, The tab at the top of my blog called Stampin' Up shop will take you to my site and you can click on shop now.

Join me on face book if you have any questions, or would just like to join the stampin' Up fun. :)

New Travellers Note Book.

I have ventured into the world of Wester's Pages via Mrs Brimbles. I have been watching the lovely note books the others have on Mrs Brimbles Happy Place on Facebook, and then up pops a thread that said pre-orders were being taken for Webster's Pages, and I watch a video of what is being offers and fell in love with the travellers note book in Platinum Rose. It matches my new purse, how could I say no?

This week the notebook has arrived and I have spent half of Saturday moving in to it and making a book mark, a card holder to hold some post-it notes, and a hello card that has been laminated so I can add some Washi tape if needed. I have decorated the Kraft coloured note book that came with the order, and I have added the extra books that I also added to my order. I love it!

It comes in a fabulous box.

I am so pleased I remembered I had a pearly pink and gold pen and it looks fabulous with the set up.

I made a book mark in case i want to mark a page for later in the day. If I do not want to use the book mark I also decorated a giant paper clip with ribbon.

In the small top pocket I have cut some pink card stock which goes well with the pink interior of the notebook. I have folded the top of the card and it holds a selection of post-it notes and is decorated with washi tape.

The under side of the post-it notes.

The middle small pocket I have made this card with the word hello. I thought I may want to wrap some washi round the card so I can use it when I am away from the craft area.

This is a piece of card with a larger post-it note, but it matches the see through pocket, which you could add a picture to, but I loved the way this post-it fitted.

My giant paper clip.

This is the Kraft coloured note book that came with the book. I have covered with a gold paper, and rounded the corners of the cover and the pages to match the other two books. I did not want to cover the two extra note books I purchased as they have a lovely finish on them as if they have been coated to help them last longer.

The back of the travellers note book cover has a slot so you can add a long note pad or to do list pad. I had one that fitted but the cover was red and blue so a bit of my Stampin' Up paper helped to make it match the theme.

A fun afternoon. :)

My Planner Journey.....so far!

I started to find that a note book just was not enough at work and I know I had my electronic diary in Outlook, but I needed a planner. The Managers started having a Collins coil diary housed in a leather folder, but I was not a manager at the time. So I went for a Filofax A5. That way I could have a diary and notes. I was into Red and got a cherry Red Filofax classic that was reduced to £38, bargain!

I ended up getting a pen to match, you can just see it, I am a bit obsessed with pens as well. :)

The A5 was and is great but I would have liked a smaller one to fit in my bag when needed, and I stalked Ebay and ended up with a personal and pocket to match.

A Filofax family arhhhh. Makes me so happy!!

BUT

At the end of last year I thought I would have a change from red (my work bag was red as well). So I went for turquoise/duck egg type colours. Sooooooo My work diary is now that colour to match!! They laugh at me at work I love matching things.

Got the business diary inserts, and a matching pen.

Then I founds a lovely place on face book called Mrs Brimbles Happy Place. I now have a subscription to a monthly stationery box, a lyradori travellers note book, and I have pre-ordered a rose gold (matches my new purse) Websters pages travellers note book, and am so excited about it coming!

I made a diary charm for the travellers note book.

This insert is smaller but it is the same colour so I had to use it!! The floral folder I made last weekend. It is laminated and I made it in a way were I could make a cut after I laminated it which them gave me a pocket as I had folded the paper before laminating.

A few sticky notes that were in the front of the smaller insert. This book was in my handbag before I added it as an insert.

This insert I bought with the cover. I have printed a chart which I am recording all the data from my Fitbit. I have glued them into the insert and it has made the pages really nice to handle. I am recording my exercise as well (this is not taking long to do at the moment!).

The last insert is blank at the moment, and is surrounded by another folder that I have made.

I have a pouch for some of my stickers and extra Papermate Joy pens and a pencil with a pencil cap on it.

Watch this space for my Rose Gold Websters pages!!

Decorated Wooden Tag

I decorated a wooden tag last weekend as a gift to my Stampin Up mum - my up line Julie Kettlewell. She is opening her own little crafting paradise and all her classes are going to run from this new venue, so I wanted to send my best wishes, and a good luck message. I hope she liked it, it should have been delivered now.

If you want to know more about Stampin Up or join my team drop me a line at any time :)

More cards made last weekend

I made these last weekend and they have been appearing on my Stampin Up Facebook page over this week, so I thought I better let you all take a look at them as well. Check out my Facebook page and any questions just contact me at any time. Hope you have all got over eating all those pancakes on Tuesday!

I have been trying to use up some scraps of paper.

Stampin Up Stamp set Awesomely Artistic

I am loving having a dragon fly in the Stampin Up Catalogue. The stamp set Awesomely Artistic lets you make lovely back grounds as well. At the moment I can't get away from Pacific Point colouring :)

Sorry for the lack of words I am a little short of time at the moment, and last weekend I was not up to much, but I am starting to catch up a bit now especially with the washing and ironing!

Clear embossing and water colouring

I have been trying the Stampin Up water colour paper. I have clear embossed an image onto the paper and then water coloured over the top using the aqua painters and my ink pads. I love the effect and it is very easy to complete. I did sprinkle some salt over the images to see if I could get an effect and you can see it has pulled some of the ink back off the paper and left a mottle effect.

The inks do not blend like other inks, but there are times when you do not want them to blend and make a different colour.

Let me know if you would like any further information or click the pages on this blogg to get to my Stampin up shop. Happy crafting xx