The last few weeks have been somewhat of a whirlwind. After my trip to Brazil for spiritual healing I was faced with a possible life changing operation followed by an unheard of pain free recuperation period.  Three weeks after my op my scars have started to open, a consequence of having had radiotherapy in that area, but still with minimal pain it has become more of a nuisance than anything waiting round all day for a district nurse to come out to dress and clean the area.  Even with this I wasn’t going to allow anything to bring me down and spoil my eventful weekend, or so I thought.  Friday was my birthday and with everyone busy going about their lives my great friend Gill picked me up and took me out for lunch.  I never thought I’d be saying this at the tender age of just 39 but we went for a mooch around Bent’s garden centre and enjoyed playing the ‘ladies who lunch’ theme over soup and a sandwich and afternoon tea for two.  We chatted and laughed away the afternoon before having another mooch a round a show house taking decorative tips for our own houses and wishing we were just a bit richer in order to pack up and move into one of these amazing show houses of the year!  A thoroughly enjoyable, girly afternoon.
After Gill dropped me off at home I sat alone for a few hours, with no kids to distract me or husband on hand, I started to think.  Another year had passed since I thought I’d had the all clear and look what the last year entailed.  Would this happen again?  I felt so happy but did I have a right to be or reason for concern?  Is cancer lurking around the next corner for me?  Would I ever feel free of it?
Certainty is something everyone wants but it’s only with uncertainty that we grow and learn.  In fact are we ever really certain of anything anyway?  As I sat contemplating my fate and wishing for a crystal ball I tried to focus on all the people whom I have trusted over the past few years who have done their utmost to tell me that everything will be ok.  I thought about the Rainbow Ball approaching the next day and felt so totally overwhelmed by what it would bring and the meaning behind it.  How was I going to get through the evening without being an emotional wreck, the speeches, the praise, the people, it just seemed so daunting.
So I did what I always do in my hour of need and turned to those I love most who always know the right things to say.  Support is such an important thing in life if you get the right kind that suits you and I certainly have plenty of that by the bucket loads.  So after a morning of fretting and weeping I pulled myself together, put my glad rags on, hair done, make-up on, I was ready to rock and roll, and rock and roll I certainly did.
Thanks to Nicola Leadbetter and everyone who attended and committed themselves in organising the evening it was a huge success.  I got threw the speeches without too much of a wobble and chatted to so many lovely people who had made such an effort to be there on the night.  It truly was amazing and a night to remember.  We raised tons of money around the sum of £12000, some of which will be donated to local charities and North West Cancer Research and I hope to go back to Brazil and continue with my commitment with alternative therapies.
Together we raised awareness of Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  I chatted to friends I haven’t seen for years and others who I don’t get to see often.  Dancing the night away with the help of Roy Basnett, a DJ from Wire FM, he invited me onto his radio show as he too believes in the power of the mind as I do and ending the night on a high I sang my heart out whilst dancing with my best friend to Take That’s Rule The World and managed to believe every word I sang.  With the help of friends by your side you can achieve anything.  The love and support in that room was out of this world and to say I am thankful would be an understatement.
Nic’s idea to throw a Ball was originally to raise awareness and money, but something has surpassed that.  Love!  A love of drinking, dancing and being surrounded by so many generous and wonderful people who all want to help in making things better.  It was a night of laughter and smiling, elation and happy times.  It’s what memories are made of and I realised then, it’s what life is all about.  Living in the moment, enjoying every second, surrounding yourself with those you love most, creating happy memories, letting go of future fears and embracing what we have now.  Life is never perfect, but it’s what we make it with what we have, certain or uncertain, that I can guarantee!