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Milestones and moving on

The last few months have been filled with difficult moments and milestones. The first Christmas & New Year without my mum, my "cancerversary" (a year from diagnosis), a year since my surgery, and yesterday (2nd Feb) marks a year since I received my results from surgery and was referred to oncology for chemotherapy. This date on its own doesn't really mean much to me, but the Breast Clinic use this as the date for their year review. So yesterday I was back in that same room where I first heard those words "I'm afraid it is cancer", with the surgeon I haven't seen for a year to have my breasts examined and then stuck in a vice (okay the mammogram machine isn't actually as bad as it seems but it did remind me of a cartoon I've seen doing the rounds on Facebook). 

All went well, although I have to wait a few weeks for the results to come through. I don't feel overly worried about these results, perhaps because I'm still receiving treatment, although to be fair a year ago I had convinced myself I had nothing to worry about too! I've had a lot of things on hold over the last year and this year review was always my target. Whenever anyone asked if I was staying in Inverness I would say that I wanted to stay at least until my year review, so it is a significant date for me. Funnily enough when I logged onto Facebook yesterday I saw in my 'memories' that this was also the day back in 2013 that I left Edinburgh for Tanzania, strange how some dates in life seem to hold greater significance.  
  
So today feels more like my New Year's Day! I feel like in some ways I now need to put the last year behind me and start to move on. Quite how I'm going to do this I'm not really sure yet. I'm still happy with my home in Inverness for the time being, I have a great group of friends here but the work situation is another matter. I'm still signed off sick, but my job at the hospital here was only ever temporary and so I will need to start looking for a new job very soon, which is quite daunting. 
  
I want to move on, but that doesn't necessarily have to mean physically moving, although that may come in time. I have decided that the way for me to get moving and start making some positive changes in my life is to start challenging myself. I've been wanting to raise money for Maggie's for a long time now, they have been a lifeline for me in the last year. Providing me with a place to go when I felt alone, people to talk to when I just needed to vent, great advice and fun classes. I've met some wonderful people through the centre and I can see the amazing work they do on a day to day basis welcoming everyone who walks through their doors. With this in mind I have decided to set myself a number of challenges over the next year in order to raise money for Maggie's Highlands and also the new Maggie's Yorkshire which will be built in Leeds. As my body has taken a bit of a beating in this last year and I have gained at least 1 and a half stone (10kg) since starting treatment, many of the challenges will have a fitness element to them, in an attempt to get a bit more control over my body and hopefully clear my mind also. Not all of the challenges will be fitness though. I have a few ideas of what I would like to do and I intend to rope a few unsuspecting friends into helping me with some, but I would love it if people could also suggest some challenges for me. I imagine the challenges getting bigger and crazier as they go on, I'm not totally sure what I'm letting myself in for. So please, if you would like to help me raise money for this wonderful charity or would just like to see me doing some crazy stuff, you can sponsor me at the following link.

I'll kicking off my challenge by doing at least 10,000 steps a day every day for the month of February. Since getting a fitness watch for Christmas I realise that this is going to be harder than it sounds for me, but hopefully it is achievable.  

Last year was truly awful in a lot of ways, but I also had some wonderful moments and made some terrific friends. Hopefully this next year will be full of wonderful moments, great friends and crazy challenges. I'll keep you posted as the challenges go on and hope that you'll all get behind me by suggesting challenges, sponsoring me, joining me or sharing my page. Thanks! 🙂 


A few pictures from my rollercoaster year:



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