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[larahonnor]

HAPPY 4 YEAR CANCERVERSARY TO ME!

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Cancer chick was slightly more badass than the Somerset country bumpkin I have now become!

Think I’ll stick to growing ma pumpkins! Breast Cancer Awareness month does fall over October - Halloween and Pumpkin Season after all!

[larahonnor]

My 4 year Cancerversary... where am I now?

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Writing this doesn’t feel real. When I started this blog I didn’t know where it would lead me or if it would end prematurely. But this blog, sharing my story has opened so many doors. IT FOUND ME LOVE! I’m married to the most wonderful man because of this blog. I always felt, even if my writing only helps one person who reads this then I have achieved what I set out to do. It’s so important to help others who are going through the same experience. It’s a survivors duty I think.

I haven’t properly written for almost 2 years. Life moves on and you forget you even had the C bomb.

BUT I’M VERY MUCH ALIVE! Still in remission and hanging on to get past that 5 year cancer free milestone.

After I finished all my treatment back in June 2015, being Triple Negative, I didn’t have to have any continuous hormone treatment so that was it. Goodbye Cancer. Hello new life. Just a mammogram once a year and that’s the only thing left I have to do with Cancer.

And what has happened since then?

From London I moved to be with my love Mikey in Brighton, we got married and then moved to Somerset to be near his family, the best place to be whilst he waited for a double lung transplant due to his Cystic Fibrosis.

In August this year after waiting over 2 years and 3 false alarms our prayers were finally answered and Mikey had a double lung transplant.

Cancer taught me that miracles do happen and this next chapter in our lives has shown us again. The operation was a huge success and Mikey’s new life, our new healthy life together, is just getting started. To follow Mikey’s transplant journey have a peek below:

So what has cancer taught me?

Everything.

And.

Nothing.

At first the small trivial things just don’t matter. They get brushed aside without any hesitation. But as time goes by that wears off. I find myself getting het up over the smallest of things. Like laundry and cleaning and cooking and if my train gets cancelled, I have a full blown balling my eyes out melt down. The train conductor in Yeovil knows me quite well now.

And just because I’ve had cancer certainly doesn’t mean I’ve turned into a Saint. I get grumpy and I swear a lot when really I should be putting things into perspective and reminding myself everyday how lucky I am to be alive. Which I do try to do. After saying a few f**k offs for good measure.

Basically I’ve gone back to being the same old me. Except I have a gorgeous husband and 2 scrummy dogs.

Actually ‘normal’ life is truly wonderful. In fact I bloody love it. Hanging out with my hubbership and the dogs is pure bliss. So maybe I should view getting stressed over the little things as a gift. It means I’m alive and not ill!

Cancer you have also taught me everything.

Nature was my saviour throughout my treatment. A 20 minute walk a day with Edward round the pretty little park nearby was my happy medicine. Fresh air, trees, plants, green grass, squirrels and the birds were my daily boost. Or on sunny days I’d jump in the car and drive to the sea to recharge and energise. This feeling has stayed with me ever since and I’m having a bit of a career change in the direction of Therapeutic Horticulture. Since moving to Somerset I’ve been working in a Nursery which specialises in plants for shade.

This sounds a bit cheesy but one day at work I had what can only be described as an epiphany.

I noticed a Hosta... with drops of water on it sparkling in the sun. It was quite simply the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. More beautiful than any diamond. And it suddenly hit me.

Nature is the answer to everything.

Plants have always been my thing in the background whilst growing up. I have my parents love of gardening to thank for that. My old housemates will vouch for me, there was always something growing on our balcony and roof terrace. In fact I even scrambled across the roof to plant more flowers for the insects and Bees!

Cancer didn’t find me nature. It brought it back to me. Reconnecting with nature and surrounding myself with flowers and growing my own veg is so incredibly healing.

It’s even proven that the bacterium in soil stimulates seretonin levels. So next time you get your hands dirty remember it’s actually helping you get happy.

This September I started a Diploma in Social and Therapeutic Horticulture at Coventry University in the hope that I will get a job in this field, helping people suffering from mental and physical illness through the healing powers of plants and nature, one day maybe even starting my own project.

Life is good. I’m so very blessed to have found my darling Mikey - thank you cancer for that - and I’m so very blessed for all the amazing souls in my life who I love with all my heart. Thank you thank you thank you. You all know who you are.

I will dip in and out of this blog from time to time. It has been my friend and my lifeline reaching out to all you wonderful people. The internet and Social media can be a dark place but it can also be the most wonderful means of communication and expression.

Always know wherever you are you’re not alone. Go outside and look at the trees. Breath in the fresh air. Nature is always always there for you just like she’s always been there for me.

💛

My boys.

Our little home in Somerset.

Cheeky Edward.

My very own veg patch.

[larahonnor]

GOOD BYE BEAUTIFUL KIM

Our darling Kim who died this week of Breast Cancer. She was 34. A wonderful wife and a doting mother to her 2 young boys. The best BBB there ever was. We will always remember her kind soul. She was the most beautiful person inside and out and we will never ever forget her. Fly high our BBB sister ✨🙏🏼✨ xxxxx

[larahonnor]

ADVICE for those just diagnosed with the C Bomb, what to do next?

Firstly Cancer does not necessarily mean death. Just because you have cancer it doesn’t always mean you’re going to die. So take a deep breath.

1. Sort your finances and any financial help out ASAP before you start treatment and feel like crap. Don’t know where to begin? Contact Macmillan Cancer Support and they will advise you. I booked an appointment with one of their amazing support workers who was from the Citizens Advice Bureau. She helped me apply for a grant from Macmillan and she also helped me go through my claim for Employment Support Allowance. Talk to your Employer about this too and if you are self employed ask Macmillan.

For their website click below:

2. Own your hair or lack of it. Remember it is not forever and think of all the money you save on shampoo and hair products. You don’t have to shave your legs or wax your pubes wahoo! But if you are worried about losing your hair fear not. You can opt for a cold cap during Chemo treatments which helps prevent hair loss. See more info here:

You are also entitled to a free wig on the NHS and a free scarf. I booked my wig appointment at my nearest Macmillan Centre and had a great time trying on all the wigs. Ask your Chemo unit about the free scarf. I was given a lovely silk Stella McCartney lil number. Peckham high street in South London has the best wig shops in the land. An amazing range and totally affordable. Wig shopping became my new favourite thing. If you do choose to let your hair fall out, I advise getting it chopped off. Don’t let it fall out in the shower in huge clumps. That’s enough to send anyone over the edge.

3. If you lose your hair learn how to draw on eyebrows. How? Go for a free makeup day with ‘Look Good Feel Better.’ This is the best day. You are shown loads of handy make up tips by professionals, you meet other ladies in a similar situation and you get an awesome bag of free makeup goodies. See their website here:

www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk

4. Buy the book ‘Crazy, Sexy Diet’ by Kris Carr and try and watch her documentary ‘Crazy, Sexy Cancer.’ This woman changed my cancer life. She has managed to keep her slow growing cancer in her liver at bay through her healthy plant based alkaline diet. Thanks to her, she set me off on a cancer fighting food journey. To visit her website click here:

5. Always know you are not alone. There are wonderful online platforms and forums out there to help you with other like minded people 24 hours a day. The Younger Breast Cancer Network on Facebook was my life line. The amazing podcast ‘You, Me and the Big C’ is an honest and incredibly informative friendly chat about all things Cancer. Listen to it here:

The awesome Lauren Mahon of Girl vs Cancer has a wicked website with everything you want and need to know about Cancer for fierce women. Check it out here:

www.girlvscancer.co.uk

Remember you can ask your Breast Care nurse for any online support they might recommend.

6. Get that pet you always wanted. Hands down the best thing I ever did was get a puppy 3 days after I was diagnosed. Animals are so healing. They bring you joy, cuddles, encourage you to go out and excercise in the fresh air (20 mins walk outside everyday works wonders during treatment) and they make you laugh - the best medicine ever.

7. Milk all the incredible Cancer charities out there. You’ve earned it and it’s what they are there for.

- Breast Cancer Haven offers 10 free holistic treatments of your choice. Give them a call and book your introductory session. They will spoil you rotten.

- Willow Foundation offers fun days out for seriously ill young adults aged 16-40. Such a wonderful charity:

- Penny Brohn UK is a wonderful centre offering support, counselling and therapies to cancer patients and their relatives:

- Trekstock Charity supporting young adults with cancer aged in their 20’s and 30’s:

8. Use MooGoo skin care on your boobies during radiotherapy. It’s soothing gorgeous cream and they even do an oncology pack 🐄 See link below:

9. Binge watch the entire five series of Breaking Bad. The greatest TV series of all time with the greatest character of all time... Walter ‘Badass Cancer Patient’ White. If you’ve already watched it, watch it again. He gave me great comfort whilst I was stuck in hospital for 5 days with neutropenia. I think Walt feels an anger that all cancer patients feel at least once during their treatment. Anger is good. Anger is very gooooood.

10. Don’t listen to any of my advice! Every single cancer patient is different and experience’s a different journey so do what you want to do and what feels best for YOU. Trust your instincts. Your body is a powerful machine and there’s every chance it can get you through this if you work in harmony with it. Now tell me to F off!

ADVICE for those whose loved one has just been diagnosed with the C bomb...

Just be there.

Never ever ignore someone who is ill. That’s the worst thing you can do.

If your loved one has the C bomb, letting them know you’re there for them and not expecting anything in return is wondrous.

Simple things like sending a text, email, card, book, letter, flowers, care package, ditty, picture, mix tape, veg box, knitted hat, organising a henna head party.... the list goes on, is the most life affirming happy boost you can give a patient, no matter how little.

Don’t offer help if you’re not then willing to commit to it and actually help! Don’t be offended if you don’t receive a reply after sending a text or a card. Having Cancer is a full time job.

But from my experience just knowing my friends cared by the little things they did or sent or said got me through the tough times.

Love love love is the answer.

[larahonnor]

Cannabis Oil

I can’t speak highly enough of this healing beautiful medicine.

Open honest discussions with my Oncology team about taking it throughout my treatment were always had. They supported my decision to take it and it did not interfere with my chemo and ongoing treatment.

I took an amount the size of a grain of rice each night before bed. It had THC which made me feel nice and sleepy and high and CBD the healing properties. It helped me sleep deeply even though I was taking steroids as part of my chemo which can cause insomnia. My nails remained strong and healthy and didn’t fall off like some patients do during chemo (I also never put black nail varnish on my nails which some people recommend. Avoid all chemical man made cosmetic products if you can I say.)

I was taking the oil to help with the nasty side effects Chemo causes. I was not taking the oil to shrink any tumours because I had already had the tumour surgically removed. To take cannabis oil in order to shrink tumours you need much higher doses.

I’m afraid I have no contacts of where to get it from. That is up to you.

But here are some useful websites to look at:

[larahonnor]

Breast Cancer Haven Charity Auction - Blush 17 Speech

October 2017

I was asked to give a speech at The Breast Cancer Haven’s main fundraising event Blush. What a fabulous night for a wonderful cause. The Breast Cancer Haven is an amazing charity with centres across the country. They helped me during my treatment with free holistic therapies and emotional support.

Here is my speech:

On Thursday 9th October 2014, aged 31, my life changed forever.

After finding a lump in my right breast whilst in the shower I didn't think anything of it. But to be safe I went to my GP who referred me to Kings College Hospital. From the start I was told it was most likely a cyst, so I went in by myself to get the results. Little did I know the C bomb was about to be dropped. On hearing the word ‘Cancer’, I instantly thought I was going to die. But three days later I got a puppy and decided cancer had messed with the wrong girl!

Treatment included a lumpectomy, 2 lymph nodes removed, 6 rounds of Chemo, a re-excision and 23 sessions of radiotherapy.

Three years on here I am.

So what has having Breast Cancer taught me?

Other than that boys love trying on wigs?...

And having a shaved head is cool…

Until it starts to grow back!

What has having Breast cancer taught me?

It has taught me how powerful the kindness of strangers can be.

When I was in the middle of Chemo I happened to be travelling on the tube one day. I always tried to avoid public transport like the plague with my non-existent immune system, but on this rare occasion I was sitting in a carriage doodling in my diary, wig and woolly hat firmly on.

Now I’m one of those people who, when the train starts moving, completely falls asleep, head back, mouth wide open! So this happened, and as I jolt upright and look around I notice everyone in the carriage is staring at me.

How embarrassing!

I quickly look down at my lap and notice something. A folded up piece of paper.

Who put that there?

I look up and around to see… the whole carriage is still staring at me!

I quickly dart back down. And I open the note.

It says in big capital letters:

My heart skips a beat. It flutters. A huge wave of happy comes over me. I smile and look up. The carriage bounces back into doing their own thing, pretending not to look anymore.

How did that person know?

I notice my diary is open on ‘Monday 12th - Chemo’

Now we’ve all done it. We all look at what the person next to us is reading. I’ve been known to read an entire newspaper looking over someone’s shoulder! And with me passed out and dribbling it would hardly have been difficult to read my open diary.

Thank you kind human.

Thank you for caring.

You didn’t know me.

But you cared.

And that’s what it’s all about. Caring. Looking out for each other. Even if they’re strangers.

And all of you here tonight. Just being here is because you care. You won’t meet all of the ladies and men who will benefit from the money raised tonight. But I can tell you from experience your kindness and generosity will change lives.

When I first came to the Breast Cancer Haven it was like walking into heaven! It really does live up to its name. It is a place where you can shut the outside world out and forget about your troubles.

There is a calmness that wraps you up like a big, warm, soft blanket. Stunning stain glass windows flood the beautiful building (once a church) with radiant light. Comfy sofas, hot drinks, biscuits and an in depth library greet you.

The food is out of this world! Delicious healthy meals lovingly prepared in the cosy inviting kitchen.

Always welcoming, the staff are sensitive and understanding.

Every cancer patient and their experience is different so the Haven offer a one to one session to assess each patient in order to know what is best for them. They then provide ten free sessions of holistic therapies, which are wonderful.

With my surgery scars, Hickman line, chemo side effects and radiation my body had experienced it’s fair share of pain. The Reflexology and Aromatherapy sessions I had, completely relaxed me. It was the first physical contact I had allowed in six months. I also received counselling which helped me process everything I had just been through and mentally prepared me for no mans land - when treatment is over.

Standing in front of you now feels like a miracle. I have now been in remission for three years. I don’t know what the future holds, my cancer might come back, it might not. But this whole experience has made me the happiest I’ve ever been. I know it sounds weird but I look back at that year fondly. I have never felt so loved. Places like Breast Cancer Haven and that stranger on the train have shown me how small acts of kindness go a long way.

From me and on behalf of all the ladies and gentlemen who have been helped by Breast Cancer Haven and who will be helped by you tonight, I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Visit Breast Cancer Haven’s website below:

[larahonnor]

We Got Married!

Friday 2nd September 2016

For once in my life I am absolutely speechless on my wedding day.

Beautiful bright blue skies, turquoise calm sea and the sun is glistening down on darling Mikey and I as we say our vows to each other in front of all our friends and family.

This is how I imagined our wedding day would be for the seven excited months it took to plan. This is what the BBC weather app said it would be.

Instead, it is grey clouds, torrential rain, gale force winds and a wedding party of 80 people trying to squeeze into a 50-person capacity bandstand cafe!

To say we are shell-shocked is an understatement!

The thing is it's against the law to cancel your own wedding, when friends and loved ones have flown around the world and traveled across the country from places including Hong Kong, Mexico, Switzerland, Amsterdam, Luxembourg and Glasgow to celebrate with you. So we have to come up with a plan. FAST.

But all I can do is stand there like a rabbit in the headlights, with a crazed smile across my face.

A friend suddenly makes a suggestion. Let's get your bedraggled soaking wet guests to leave.

Brilliant idea!

But not just leave leave, leave across the road to the hotel bar opposite where they can drink and be merry and the children can be entertained by two more friends who are expert balloon modelers and glitter tattooists, whilst we figure out what to do and make room for all the food already being laid out.

And then another friend comes up with a plan, and calmly makes a few calls. "The Brighton Music Hall, four minutes walk away can have us, all 100 of us, all of our food, booze, decorations, flowers, 3 tier wedding cake, and all the bands gear including full drum kit, Keyboards, guitars and massive PA system. They have 4 bar staff ready and waiting for us. We just need to relocate everything there."

As I said before... speechless.

And then our 100 guests, soaked through, get to work, and relocate an ENTIRE WEDDING PARTY. Teamwork is an understatement! I have never ever in my life seen anything like it! Angels sent from above is a way to describe our guests. They move the whole wedding laughing and joking. And when it is all ready they invite my husband and I over!

It is the most perfect new venue and the party is FULL OF LOVE. Their love has saved our wedding.

We dance to a wonderful five piece gypsy swing band, we sing along to my husbands band playing the best version I've ever heard of Lou Reeds 'Satellite of Love,' we drink bubbles, we cry tears of joy and we eat cake, a lot of cake!

God gave me Cancer, my husband Cystic Fibrosis, and rain on our wedding day. But it doesn't matter. Because we have LOVE. Love for each other, love from our beautiful friends and love from our precious family. And though times ahead are uncertain - I'm coming up to 2 years in remission and Mikey is currently on the double lung transplant waiting list with only 32% lung function - we must never forget the power of love.

What a wonderful disaster our wedding day turned out to be.

One we will never ever forget.

And the last song played at 1am on the wedding dance floor?

Madonna’s Like A Prayer of course.

[larahonnor]

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ESTÉE LAUDER BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MAKEOVER WITH HANNAH MARTIN.

What a treat it was meeting the amazingly talented and loveliest makeup artist Hannah Martin who kindly gave me a pre wedding makeover. All in aid of Estée Lauder’s Breast cancer awareness back in 2016. So grateful to be apart of such a great cause. Thank you so much 💕

[larahonnor]

Grazia Magazine UK

A nice little article I was featured in the 11 July 2016 issue bigging up the charity Macmillan Cancer Support who helped me so much throughout my treatment. A big thank you too to Danny Lowe my incredible photographer buddy who took this powerful shot. 

[larahonnor]

BREAST CANCER NOW CHARITY SKYDIVE

ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING!! BUT I DID IT!! 

Before I jumped, loads of people told me that free falling is the best bit. 

Well I can tell you the free falling bit was HORRIFIC! You can’t breathe, it’s freezing, and you look like a dog with it’s head out the window.

But as soon as the parachute opened THAT was the best bit. When I knew I wasn’t going to splat to the ground and explode like a giant watermelon. 

And I was suddenly flying like the seagulls I see everyday in Brighton. 

As we floated down through the clouds I told my Instructor Janus about the amazing ladies I was jumping for, who’s lives were lost so cruelly to Breast Cancer over the past year. 

He told me “they haven’t gone, they’ve just relocated, trust me on that one.” 

And coming from someone who throws himself out of a plane 550 times a year and is the closest to heaven, I really hope he’s right.

Remembering these beautiful ladies who touched our lives. 

Never ever forgotten. 

Claire Hannant, Jojo Gingerhead, Rosie Choueka, Kellie Rea, Sandra Minuto, Danielle Louise White (From top left to right clockwise)

#FUCKCANCER This jump’s for you Ladies.

Words cannot describe the FEAR I was feeling right there!

No comment!

The End. (Never again!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO SPONSORED ME. 

OVER £1000 HAS BEEN RAISED FOR ‘BREAST CANCER NOW’ - THE CHARITY WHICH AIMS TO END ALL BREAST CANCER DEATHS BY 2050.

MY JUSTGIVING PAGE IS HERE: 

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Lara-Honnor1

[larahonnor]

Inspirational Lady: Aniela McGuinness - Creator of ‘My Breast Choice’ a Blog and YouTube Series that absolutely OWNS breast cancer.

At 31, a year after my mother passed from ovarian cancer and three days prior to scheduling my preventative double mastectomy (due to my BRCA1 mutation), I was diagnosed with stage 1, ER/PR+, HER+, grade 3, ductal breast cancer. In total, I had a skin sparing double mastectomy, 12 rounds of chemo (4 A/C, 9 Taxol), a complete hysterectomy (preventative), and breast reconstruction. 

Having gone through cancer with my mother, I decided that I was going to try to do it differently. I would be loud, ask for help, document the experience, and laugh as much as possible. In the end, cancer healed me more than it made me sick. It gave me an understanding of my mother and her illness and helped me forgive her and myself.  

Check out the My Breast Choice website here:

www.mybreastchoiceshow.com

Firstly Aniela I want to thank you. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING ME LAUGH! Because cancer can be funny, it can be freaking hilarious at times. And if you can’t laugh at your situation sometimes then you could go stir crazy. Not only did you own breast cancer, you rocked the hell out of it!

And secondly I want to thank you for inspiring and educating so many people out there. Your vlogs are not only hilarious but the advice given is invaluable.

I first saw you on BuzzFeed and immediately thought YESSSSSSSS here’s a Chick after my own heart!

You maybe all the way over in Florida but you are an honorary Badass Booby Bitch and you are always welcome here for a cuppa and a pint and a gin and tonic and some scones with clotted cream......

Big love lady xxx

[larahonnor]

Inspirational Lady: Andrea Pellegrini - makeup artist and creator of Baldly Beautiful

I was diagnosed with grade 2 er+ her2+ breast cancer on the 28th July 2014. 

It’s been almost two years since that awful day, and looking back at the events since then its hard to believe sometimes that it was me that went through all that, 6 rounds of chemo, 15 sessions of radiotherapy, 12 months of Herceptin and I am still here to tell the tale!

Just before treatment started I decided to set up a YouTube channel doing makeup tutorials for ladies going through chemo like myself. I’m a Makeup artist so being able to sort out my face and all the problems I encountered came easily but I quickly realised from joining online support groups and making many friends that it didn't some so easily to everyone else. 

My channel Baldly Beautiful took off in a big way, I gained so much media interest and was featured on TV, radio and magazines and that opened the door for me to be asked to work with some amazing charities. I now work with Future Dreams a breast cancer charity and Youcan a cancer charity for young people. 

One of the most amazing things I did last year was host my own makeover event for ladies going through chemo in breast cancer awareness week, it was held in London at the Regents Park hotel and was such an amazing day, I am so proud of what I achieved that day with a lot of help from many of my friends and what a boost it gave to those ladies. 

Since being diagnosed myself I have had two family members, a friend and a friend of a friend who have been diagnosed and I have been able to offer advice and help them through it and seeing me almost two years down the line, alive and well no doubt gives them the strength to get through.

I always wanted to help people and work with charities and do something a bit more but I never knew what or how to go about it, its funny how going through breast cancer has lead me to doing that worthwhile thing I always felt I should be doing but didn't quite know what or how. Perhaps it was meant to be this way....who knows. All I know now is that I don't take being alive for granted, life can change in an instant, a finger click, a wink of an eye, nobody ever knows what is round the corner.....enjoy every day and don't get caught up over the little insignificant things that in the grand scheme of the bigger picture really aren't that important. 

Live life! Have fun! Go for it!

Like Andrea’s Baldy Beautiful Facebook Page here:

 https://www.facebook.com/Baldly-Beautiful-1472736263001807/?fref=ts

We love you Andrea. Thank you for helping so many ladies out there x

http://www.londonlive.co.uk/news/2014-11-17/vlogger-inspires-others-with-make-up-after-being-diagnosed-with-breast-cancer

[larahonnor]

Check out Andrea’s amazing makeup tutorials on YouTube and Suscribeeeee x

[larahonnor]

Woohoo Go Girl! Only on National morning television.

[larahonnor]

Inspirational Lady: Helen Weller - Runner and face of Race For Life

On the 17th July 2014 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

A healthy 32 year old, a Jazzercise instructor, had ran my 3rd marathon just 1 1/2 months before and avoided fast food joints like the plague since 2007. It was grade 3 ER 7 HER2 lymphnode positive. The treatment plan included fertility treatment, 6 rounds of FEC T Chemo, surgery which included lymphnode removal and lumpectomy, 19 sessions of radiotherapy, herceptin and now on tamoxifen for another 4 years.

Throughout treatment I continued running and also kept up with my kickboxing. Come the end of my treatment I ran the Hackney half marathon for breast cancer care, race for life half marathon for cancer research uk, Berlin and London marathons and most recently the London to Brighton ultra challenge 100 Kilometres, where I was running for breast cancer now.

I was involved with Breast Cancer Now, the last one campaign, this advert was broadcast on nationwide television. I have been a spokesperson at local Cancer Research UK Race For Life days, also appearing in local papers and social media videos. I continue to get involved with these two charities to help raise awareness and money for them.

I think that leading a healthy lifestyle and keeping fit is valuable to anybody and would encourage everyone to take up an activity to aid this, but especially during my treatment, I found that exercise helped with my fatigue and meant I was able to carry on with most day to day things, which was really beneficial to getting better. 

I wasn't going to let cancer stop me and with my biggest race to date, the 100k ultra marathon, proves that if you can get through cancer, you can get through anything.

[larahonnor]

BEYOND INSPIRATIONAL.

RUNNING ONE HUNDRED KILOMETRES - A YEAR AFTER FINISHING TREATMENT FOR BREAST CANCER. 

MIND BLOWN HELEN!

This just highlights how important a little bit of exercise is for everyone. During treatment for Cancer even a gentle 20 minute walk outside in the fresh air everyday can do wonders. 

Even when I felt fatigued, getting outside for a stroll always made me feel so much better.

Thank you Helen x

[larahonnor]

Inspirational Lady: Clover Lewis - creator of  Award Winning Post Surgery Swimwear

I was diagnosed in February 2010, with aggressive triple negative Breast Cancer in my right breast. In fact, I was misdiagnosed, as all the tests came back negative.  I was discharged as the clinicians thought "too young to have breast cancer." But I knew what I felt, I knew it was cancer, and so pushed for further investigations.

I was diagnosed after having a lumpectomy. I then had the horribly tough choice of choosing from the surgical treatments offered after a BC diagnosis. I eventually decided to have a mastectomy, instead of another lumpectomy and Radiation. Partly to get rid of the disease from my body, and with the hope of having a better reconstructed outcome by avoiding the impact of radiation scarring.

I didn't feel kickass at the time... I felt scared, isolated and very alone in the months following my diagnosis.

I am a Nichiren Buddhist (like Orlando Bloom, Tina Turner, Miranda Kerr) and had amazing support from my friends in my Buddhist community who helped me strengthen my resolve to pursue further investigations for my diagnosis, to make correct treatment decisions, etc. 

My Buddhist practice motivated me to recognise I could be strong while being vulnerable, and that a cancer diagnosis was not the end of my world. Cancer has taught me how to live with being vulnerable, to trust my intuition and has put me in touch with some amazing women too.

My cancer experience brought me in a space of sadness and lack of body-self belief which was tough to shake off, but fuelled me to focus on encouraging many other women in this situation.

I have started an award-winning mastectomy swimwear brand, called Clover Lewis Swimwear which was awarded the Post surgery Brand of the Year. My business, which started out as a recovery project, now puts me in touch with so many women, inspiring them to feel better about their bodies and their wellbeing, which feels quite extraordinary.