Day 77

Day 77...

Today Simon and I celebrate 31 years of marriage; not that we can do much to celebrate! Instead we have spent the day in our respective work modes which for me mainly involved responding to emails and collating some paperwork together ready for a meeting I have scheduled for tomorrow with my deputy manager.

Just after lunchtime we headed out and drove the furthest we have been in the past 10 weeks as I had an appointment at hospital. This time last year I was just starting my radiotherapy treatment after having had a lumpectomy for breast cancer and now I was back to have my first mammogram following the end of my treatment. See this post about my journey last year.

I should have had this mammogram back in early April but it understandably got postponed and then just last week I received my letter with my appointment date of today. I have to admit that although I knew exactly what was going to happen today, and the actual act of having a mammogram doesn't bother me at all, I was filled with anxiety. I think all the memories and feelings from last year resurfaced and I fear that having to wait for 2 weeks for the results is not going to be easy.

I will admit to also being a little apprehensive about attending a hospital during the current circumstances so I went with mask on and hand sanitiser in my bag. The appointment was actually at one of the main hospital satellite centres which was very quiet. I was told to only arrive within 5 minutes of my appointment time so when I got to the right department there were no other patients in sight so no sooner than I had checked in with reception I was being taken through for my mammogram. All the administration staff I saw were either wearing masks or were behind screens and the medical staff all wore masks and visors.

The nurse that carried out my mammogram actually remembered me from last year as she recognised  all my Disney tattoos (and clothes) and commented that she was one of the nurses that carried out my biopsy...she remembered that even my shoes were Disney! We had a lovely chat and spoke about the effect of COVID-19 on her job and how she had been deployed to different departments within radiology as the hospital stopped more routine work and concentrated its resources for treating COVID patients. 

Interestingly in response to my general chat about how I knew lots of people who had suffered with bad coughs and colds prior to Christmas and that 'makes you wonder' she responded by commenting that there was a thinking that something had been going around since October...so who knows?!

After a lot of my previous treatments we had indulged in a coffee and cake on the way home but today it was straight home to a home-made coffee instead...and back to some more work! A few more emails, some more printing out and chatting with the landlord of the building that we use for our pre-school while Molly had another karate class via Zoom!

And that was today!

Take care,

xx

Bye 2014 Hello 2015

So we've come to that time of year when it's traditional to look back on another year and look forward to the new one that's about to begin...and while it may be a cliche to do so I thought it was the right thing to do.

So what has 2014 been all about for me...well personally it's been a year of changes, sacrifices and moving forward.

The year started off with me getting into the swing of recording podcasts with good friend Michelle as we got the Disney Dream Girls Podcast well and truly up and running.  We are still going strong and have had great fun recording and chatting with some brilliant guests.

I finally managed to complete my review of our 2013 visit to Walt Disney World, although it did take me till the end of August (a full year) to do it! This was a great way to relive those memories, especially as we knew there would be no Disney trip this year as personal circumstances meant this was not going to be financially viable...but by year end I can say that we are officially counting down to Disney...Disneyland Paris!! (38 days as I type woo hoo!)

Although I did get a little Disney fix by getting my fourth tattoo (all Disney inspired of course!)

Around Easter time I decided to get my running shoes back on after a lapse of about 6 months and adopted the Jeff Galloway 'run-walk-run' approach which worked really well for me. It was also around this time that I decided to make some changes and give myself a healthier lifestyle, this was triggered by two things; firstly I saw the film 'Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead' and secondly I had a chance conversation with my daughters karate instructor. The film was inspirational, not for the methods used in the film, but for the stories and the people who had the determination to make changes in their lives.  The conversation gave me the tools to bring about the change, it was the introduction to the 'Get Real Fat Loss' program.

Taking up the initial 90 day challenge of the 'Get Real Fat Loss' program, and then continuing beyond, has been my biggest personal success and achievement this year. Through a personalised approach to fat loss, exercise and eating I have managed to lose 2 Stone (28lbs) in weight, I have dropped 2 (sometimes 3!!) dress sizes and around 7cms from thighs, waist and bust and 10cms from my hips.  I didn't think I had that much to lose but I can honestly say that I now feel and look better than I can ever remember. I now wear clothes without feeling self conscious or worried that I have lumps in places I'd rather I didn't.  The food that we (yes the rest of the family too...can't be cooking different meals for different people so we all eat together and eat the same things) is so much better than it was this time last year; we have cut out the processed foods and replaced them with lots of fresh foods, veggies and salads and we are all loving it.  We have all either lost weight or seen improvements in complexions or skin conditions so it really has benefited the whole family. And while over the Christmas break I have allowed myself a few treats I know that going forward this new approach is here to stay.

In June Simon and I celebrated 25 years of marriage...we had a great party with loads of friends to celebrate in style.

Yes that is me wearing my wedding dress!

The later part of the year saw us host our annual Halloween party, book the aforementioned trip to Disneyland Paris and close out the year with the usual festive happenings.

So as the year draws to a close I can look forward happy in the knowledge that I have made the most of what 2014 had to offer and that 2015 is another year that will be filled with challenges no doubt but also with friends, family and a sprinkle of Disney magic.  I wish everyone out there a very happy, healthy and safe New Year and may 2015 bring you a year filled with love, happiness and friendships xx

25 Years...

So today's post is a little different to my usual as I wanted to share something I think rather special with all of you.

Way back in the mid-1980's I met a guy; it was a classic tale of a chance meeting in a local nightclub...we liked the same music..we got talking...we went on a few dates...we really hit it off!  Then a few years later we decided the only thing to do was to get married....and 25 years later here we are!!

We've come a long way since then; couple of houses, changes of jobs and careers, two children and numerous Disney adventures but it's been a great ride so far...and we're only just getting started :)

Simon is my best friend and soul mate; always has been, always will.  We have a connection that was instant when we first met and that has only gotten stronger and continues to grow all the time.  Words cannot express how I feel about Simon; I love him with all my heart, he is everything to me.

We decided to get married because we wanted to let the world know how we felt about each other, we wanted our friends and family to come together and celebrate something that we felt was important and special.  And now as we celebrate 25 years of marriage I think it's worth shouting about, it's worth celebrating and sharing with those we love.

So here we are all those years ago....

Back in 2010, as we approached our 21st anniversary, we decided to take the opportunity of doing something that we had always talked about but never thought we'd get the chance to do - get married in Vegas!!  So OK, technically we didn't get married but we did renew our vows the only way we could...with Elvis!

So that brings us to now, 25 years of marriage.  It may sound like a cliche but it really doesn't feel like 25 years; we've created so many memories together and I really can't wait to see what the next 25 years bring :)

So the all important question for us ladies...Do I still have my wedding dress? - Yes!  Can I still fit in it? - Surprisingly yes!!