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Blooming Cancer

Living flat and recovery after breast cancer

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Category: Counselling

Moving Forward

It’s four years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Actually, four years today as I sit here and write this blog. Four years ago, I was sitting in this same chair typing into a laptop and desperately searching for information about what the hell was going to happen to me over the next few … Continue reading Moving Forward →

diddy2309 Cancer, Counselling, Exercise, Mental health, Moving Forward Leave a comment January 22, 2020 4 Minutes

Living my best life

I haven’t blogged in months. Not since the beginning of June to be precise. I was riding high on a wave of positivity; my image having appeared on billboards in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus. I’d been on BBC Radio London and made a repeat appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live. There were press articles … Continue reading Living my best life →

diddy2309 Cancer, Counselling, Exercise, Mental health 7 Comments September 29, 2019 4 Minutes

About me

I’m Juliet and am 58. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2016. My tumour was 70mm, Grade 3. Mildly ER+, PR- and HER2+. I had a lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and Herceptin. My active treatment finished in April 2017 and I am now cancer free. I had a second mastectomy for symmetry in November 2017 and am living flat.

In July 2018 I had a right total hip replacement which was a totally life changing operation. I can exercise pain free, and I do as often as possible!

Recent posts

Lupin back to Chelsea Flower Show May 18, 2020
Bread April 18, 2020
Moving Forward January 22, 2020
Defiance October 23, 2019
Living my best life September 29, 2019
Flat in Piccadilly Circus June 5, 2019
#ShowUs more women who look like me April 3, 2019
Horror vs Happiness March 5, 2019
Weather report February 18, 2019
No tits and a tat January 22, 2019

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Photo Credit: Sue Lacey

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Some people and accounts that I’ve found helpful so far are @rachel.cargle @das.penman @ibramxk @devyngalindo @mireillecharper on how to be an ally. Please let me know others that you know of.

Yesterday I left a big plastic crate full of books at the end of my cul de sac & invited my neighbours & passersby to help themselves to a couple if they felt like it. My intention was to keep it topped up as people emptied it. Well I didn’t get the chance because this morning I discovered that the whole crate & all of the books has gone......... ........ My first reactions were anger and sadness & indignation. I couldn’t believe that someone had taken all of them & the box. My assumption was that someone had taken advantage of my kindness & giving nature...... .......I’ve since reflected, thanks to some replies on Twitter, & I realise that I have no idea who took the box, what they were thinking & what they are going to do with the books. I hope that they know a better and more useful way of distributing them to their community and they’ll find their way to people who can’t afford to buy books or don’t have a way to get them...... .......This has been a really useful process for me. My first thought was negative. I can’t change what’s happened, but I can change the way I think about it...... .......I’m trying to reframe my thoughts every day. It’s hard & I can’t always do it but I have found it to be a useful technique during lockdown. #thoughtsarejustthoughts #reframing #bookgiveaway #kindness #giving #loss #anger #selfreflection

I spent a lovely half an hour last night cutting flowers from my garden. They’re mostly perennials- my annuals aren’t flowering yet. Being out in the garden, cutting, watering, deadheading and even weeding empires my mind of everything else. It’s time for me when I don’t worry or get anxious. I just enjoy the flowers. Great for my mental well being. And I got to give these flowers to my lovely personal trainer for her birthday. Two of the activities that keep me in an even keel, mostly!! Flowers & exercise #birthdayflowers #gardenflowers #flowerstagram #flowersmakemehappy #covid19 #isolationgardening #wellbeing #naturesgift

Delighted that my flowers were appreciated & loved! What a beautiful video. Really shows the flowers in their full beauty. Posted @withregram • @the_dove_house Stunning home grown flowers given to my daughter for her birthday today 🧡 and elderflower cordial too 💚 thank you @julietkfp @sunnypatchblooms what a beautiful gift 💛 #englishflowers #gardenblooms #rosesofinstagram #scentedblooms #organicflowers #abundanceinnature #naturesgift #floralblessings

Virtual Chelsea starts today. The only way we can get our fix of Chelsea Flower Show this year................... ..............My Chelsea Flower Show at home predates that of the RHS by four years. This time in 2016 I was getting ready to have my third chemotherapy infusion and facing up to the knowledge that I wouldn’t be able to use my much prized and long anticipated tickets to Chelsea........ ...............My husband, Liam has arranged for friends & family to send me packets of flower seeds and the rest is history. I came downstairs on the day I was due to go to Chelsea to a huge array of seeds, plants, pots, gardening equipment and accessories. Some had bought new packets of seeds, but many had sent me half full packets – I liked this because I knew that I’d be growing the same flowers as the person that sent me the packet. Others gifted me seed packets that had come on the front of gardening magazines. I even received seeds that had been sent from Bulgaria by a woman who I’d never met. I felt so loved and special. It was one of the most wonderful moments of my life........ Read more on my blog at Blooming cancer - link in my bio. #rhschelsea #virtualchelsea #chelseaflowershow #sunnypatch #mhaw #flowersmakemehappy #covid19 #coronavirus #gardenflowers

KEEPING MOVING I’ve been really lucky during lockdown to have been able to continue my twice weekly PT sessions with @ewsportstherapy. We do our virtual workouts over FaceTime & it works perfectly...especially since I’ve worked out that I can use my laptop instead of my phone We don’t have access to the heavier weights but Evie has come up with lots of new exercises that will maintain some muscle mass and increase my muscle endurance. Or so she tells me while I’m suffering with burning muscles I have some equipment at home and found a really old weights bar gathering dust in the corner of my garage Evie’s also helping me to build strength in my left calf and Achilles which flare up every time I run. Probably due to the chronic sciatica I had before and after breast cancer. Plus she gets to see my wonderful book shelves Here’s why I’m so grateful to be able to keep doing these sessions .......Exercise makes me feel great & keeps me in a reasonably stable mental state .......I get to maintain some kind of routine amongst the madness .......I’ve been able to maintain alot of my fitness & strength .......It’s great to keep in contact with Evie. What’s helping you to keep on an even keel? #homeworkouts #virtualpersonaltrainer #strengthtraining #fitness #workout #mentalhealth #muscleendurance #sciatica #rehabilitation #hipreplacementrecovery

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