Weaker today, stronger tomorrow! ✨️

Some of you will know what's coming, but most of you won't! This isn't a nice message to write, but I feel now is the right time.

In August last year, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bowel cancer at just 36 years old, which unfortunately had gone undetected for at least over a year. This meant the disease had also spread to two separate parts of my liver.

I had emergency surgery in September on my bowel, which went very well. After 6 weeks of recovery, I began 3 months of chemotherapy to shrink the liver tumours.

It didn't work.

I was then switched to an intensive and gruelling type of chemo for another 3 months, which worked very well, and the tumours had shrunk! So after more successful surgery in April, I re-started chemotherapy in the middle of June to kill any rogue cells that may have been left behind. BUT this time, it was a preventative measure; it is not to control or cure any longer.

Now, as you can imagine, I couldn't have done this alone. Laj, Niamh, and Macsen, as well as my closet family/friends, kept me going throughout this nightmare. They picked me up, they made me laugh when all I could do was cry, and some even shouted at me when I really needed it. Some people, who we've known for the least amount of time in our lives stood up and stood by us side by side as we began the battle; this includes our football family at Rhos FC, our rugby family at Alltwen Club, our children's friends families and teachers, our priest and parishioners, our co-workers, even those I stayed in hospital with... YOU are the bravest people. I just can't thank everyone enough for being there for myself, my husband and our children... we will never forget it.

As you will know, many people do a lot of fundraising for Cancer Research/Maggies etc but I want to do something a little bit different. We'll be fundraising for the incredible staff in Singleton Chemotherapy Day Unit, to perhaps pay for them to have a well deserved night out with food/drinks/a team building activity or whatever they want to do! I'll be asking our Rhos U9's football team to help me out in achieving this and anyone else who would like to participate! We'll try and hold many events such as climbing Pen y Fan, boys packing bags in supermarkets, car washing etc anything really we can do for them!

If I can ask one thing from you reading this message, no two things!! If you can donate, anything you can (I'll honestly be thrilled with ANY donation, even if it's as little as 10p!) and, if you could please share the fundraising pages as much as you can to raise awareness, I will be forever grateful.

Just to show I've not been milking it I have had half my bowel removed, as well as my left ovary, 2 segments of my liver, and my gallbladder, which includes:

2 surgeries (1 open, 1 keyhole)

2 intensive care stays

4 different hospitals

23 nights in hospitals

4 A&E visits

16 chemo sessions (2 different types - 13 down, 3 to go )

13 immune therapy sessions (10 down, 3 to go!)

A referral to Genetics to test and protect my family

5 Ultrasounds

10 CT scans

6 MRI scans

3 X-rays

1 colonoscopy

2 Pet Scans

Endless blood tests, and even more attempts to get it!

2 PICC lines

2 blood clots (1 from my armpit to my neck, the other across my chest)

1 blood transfusion

1 iron transfusion

And I'm not even bothering with the number of meds/injections!!!

So, in 12 months we've had 117 appointments with consultants/surgeons/doctors/nurses/specialists/anaesthetists/dieticians/physical therapists/health carers/pharmacists. All these people played a part in saving my life.

Actually, three things I'm asking of you... Please, if you feel something is not right, don't ignore it, and don't be palmed off !!! Fight for you and fight for your life! I know there'll be people reading this who will relate to my story...I'm so sorry if you are/have. If I can help in any way, please do reach out to me.

Cariad mawr i pawb. Much love to you all.