My Tour De 4 Fundraiser to Fight Cancer

At the end of Nov 2023, my abdomen began filling up with fluid & I was admitted to hospital for investigation. A few days later I was given the horrific news that I had advanced ovarian cancer. As you can imagine, this was devastating for me, my family & friends. There had been no warning signs indicating that I was ill or that cancer had been invading my body.

Ovarian cancer is often known as the silent cancer, as in ~80% of all cases, women are diagnosed at an advanced stage, meaning the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries to other organs and areas of the body.

My diagnosis showed that the cancer had spread from my ovaries to my fallopian tubes, womb, liver, spleen, appendix, large & small bowel, diaphragm and to my omentum, which lines the abdomen, protecting the organs. I was told the chance of a cure was highly unlikely, however my oncologist advised that we go forward with a difficult & gruelling treatment plan in the hope that it would prolong my life. The alternative was that I had 3-6 months to live.

Jan to Jun 2024, I received 6 rounds of chemotherapy & a major abdominal operation, where I had several organs removed. The care I received from the NHS Oncology & Gynaecology teams was incredible and still continues to be, as they regularly monitor my progress.❤️‍❤️‍

Since July 2024, I have been taking daily inhibitor medication to hopefully slow down the cancer returning. So far, my cancer markers have remained stable and God willing they remain at this level and stop the cancer from returning.

For the past year, I have been focusing on both my physical and mental rehabilitation, doing my best to get fit and eat well, to speed up my recovery.

I never thought I would ever feel normal again, but I do and I feel so thankful for that. I hope & pray this continues.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love & support of Alan, Rebecca, Emma, Euan and all my beautiful family and friends, who, in so many ways supported me & helped to pull me through the darkest of days.

I love you all so much x❤️❤️

When I heard that Chris Hoy was organising Tour de 4, I thought this would be a great way to challenge myself to improve my fitness. Tour de 4 is a cycling event which aims to change perceptions of life after a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis and at the same time raise money for cancer charities.

My daughter Emma, my friend & cycling trainer Graham Barclay and I have decided to sign up for the Red Route, which is a 56 mile road cycle ride that starts & finishes at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow & goes into the hills, including the Campsie Fells, with some sections reaching 10% gradient. This will be a significant challenge for Emma & I, as we are novice cyclists. A big thank you goes out to Graham & my husband, Alan, for their time and patience on our many training rides.‍

If you would like to donate, we have chosen to raise money for Ovarian Cancer Action, as they have an amazing research programme in place; not only looking for a cure for ovarian cancer, but they are also funding research into early detection and in to finding a vaccine to eradicate this insidious disease, that devastates families.❤️❤️