B to get some answers & focus on recovery

Canada-Rose was born in June 2022 and was in neonate intensive care. Mum, Barbs, advocated for her daughter to be discharged fully breastfed. It was going to be a fight. Little did she know that was a tiny fight in compared to what she really faced.

After 10 days in NICE, family life resumed being a lump in Barbs left boob. She raised it at her GP post-partum check up and got a 2 week wait referral. Initially seen quickly, it was dismissed as “breastfeeding problems”

It wasn’t going anywhere, even after a treatment for mastitis (funny that ) Her GP referred Barbs back to the clinic on an urgent referral but instead Barbs followed her gut (or boob) that had a solid mass, full of cancer.

It was only after 18 phone calls to the “cancer nurse specialist” and 4 further visits where they aspirated up to 37ml of fluid that did they decide to biopsy what had been aspirated.

Lo and behold they find grade 3, Triple Negative Breast Cancer. PET scan later they find it had already spread to lymph nodes, mammary chain and making a b-line for the right boob…

Those three words “You have cancer” with her three month daughter sat on her knee. Dad was having to listed through an open door after their son, who was failed by the same hospital and only survived after Barb advocated for no movement.

Nothing can be said about Hudson’s delivery because of litigation. But by NICU #2 the family knew how to advocate themselves.

Barb, after successful efforts of getting Canada-Rose discharged on breast only, and having her tongue tie cut privately sorted - Mum had to give up breastfeeding for chemotherapy

An exchange no Mum should never have to do. And that turned out to just be the start of it

Breast Cancer -> Brain -> Spinal cord -> Possible Leptomeningeal Disease

Double Mastectomy -> Chemotherapy -> immunotherapy -> radiotherapy -> fight against local NHS business case -> hospital

Mom care transfer -> £120 train tickets -> life turned upside down - enter life changing drug [and travel to london] - and targeted therapy AND Barbs is finally “stable”

Since diagnosis cancer has cost the family multiple thousands of pounds in petrol, car maintenance, train tickets to London, parking, food and drink, taxi’s, prescriptions, private consultations to get treated on the NHS - it’s been a lot.

Barbs has had to drop hours to provide childcare, and supervision for Barbs [she remains as risk of seizures, strokes, brain haemorrhages due to necrotic tissue], as well as being her personal driver and advocate. It’s safe to say that the whole family carry this burden.

Whilst Barb’s maybe on Olaparib, stable and “under surveillance” [we aren’t blind to the fact that her years will be shorter. She has already outlived 3 prognosis] those tablets don’t come without their own side affects.

And behind the doors as a team they have worked tirelessly to secure their son’s diagnosis of Autisim at 23 months old, an EHCP, his first school place, council funding for a 1-2-1 teacher for him…

Your money goes towards food, travel costs, parking, childcare, memory making days out, general day to day living expenses as Barb has been told she is unfit to work indefinitely and as we all know and see - the welfare system is broken. A double house hold full time salary means that benefits are tuppence in comparison.

Sacrificing a coffee you’d get when you’re out and about is a meal for the family. Even more than that, sharing this, make it globally know that young Mums are being fobbed off as breastfeeding mums

ALL UPDATES ARE ON HER INSTAGRAM:

_bwj91

She keeps it raw and real and shows the reality of cancer. You have been warned.

Everything and anything is received with undying gratitude and thankfulness!

You’ve kept them going until now - Don’t stop!

#BarbsNoBoobs #BarbsDogEars #BarbsNED #BarbCancerReturns #PayitForward #JustOneCoffee