I had planned to go to India for 6 weeks in July and August in 2015, on my way home to Australia. But the was not what my life wanted to do. The brain tumour came back in the May scan and I’ve started chemo in the UK. I had to forgo my India flights etc, but the yoga teaching course (www.yogapoint.com) that I was to attend understood my situation. They kindly agreed to defer my deposit and my place in the course to a later day, when I would be in a better position with my health. After all, my plan later is to teach yoga, among other things.

I left the UK on the flight I had originally planned on 25^th June. My close friends in Manchester, Becky, Denise and Laura started raising money in my name. The funds were to upgrade my flight with Cathay Pacific, and as I will not be able to work in Australia, to live off while I go through my chemotherapy treatment.

As it played out, Denise, Sarah, Ra and Laura (as well as others I didn’t even know, but thank you) all play their part in consistently speaking with Cathay Pacific to see what they could offer me. Their efforts paid off! I arrived with Becky, Denise, Luke and Laura at Manchester International Airport and they allowed into the executive lounge, but also upgrade me to premium economy. Its no business class, but I was happy, very happy. I did not expect any upgrade, and am very grateful for my friends efforts and for Cathay Pacific to upgrade me.

I’m writing this blog on the plane from Manchester to Hong Kong. I will spend three nights in HK as originally planned, seeing family and friends there. Then rather than continue on to India to complete my yoga teachers training, I will head back to Sydney to see my family, to get home the day before my birthday, and to continue my chemotherapy with the wonderful staff at Royal North Shore Hospital (RNS). Although my appointments are not completely free, Medicare (the Australian version of NHS or public health) will cover much of the costs associated with my appointments when I get back to Australia.

Thank you to everyone I have met and got to know in the UK and Europe. It made my 2.5 years on that side of the world an unforgettable, break taking, emotional and joyous time. I feel like I am leaving a better person than when I arrived, stronger, smarter and much more appreciative of life. Thanks for all the love that everyone has shown me through my experiences!!

Here’s to the next chapter of my life, where anything is possible…

My oncologist, Dr Tran at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, gave me two options of chemotherapy. The first, PCV (Procarbazine CCNU Lomustine Vincristine), is the more toxic of the two. The three names are three different types of chemo. Vincristine is a 15minute IV drip (intravenous drip), Procarbazine is a tablet for 10 consecutive days, and CCNU (Lomustine) is one tablet. This would be repeated every 6 weeks, for 6 rounds, over a 9 month period. The second option, Temozolomide, is less toxic and consists of 5 tablets a month (every 28 days), on consecutive days. This is newer approach to treating brain tumours, and the original chemo drug that I am on the clinical trial for.

I spoke with my neuro surgeon, Dr Karabatsou, and my oncologist, Dr Tran, about my options and decisions. I would start my chemo in the UK, under the care of Dr Tran and the amazing staff at the Christie Hospital, then as previously planned I would head home to Sydney, Australia, at the end of June.

See further details of the chemo are on the Treatment Page (still to be updated) page under My Experience.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the ‘soft opening’ of the new Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC), a collaboration between University of Manchester, Cancer Research UK and the Christie Hospital. Apparently, I’m a ‘cancer blogger’. I thought of my blog as a means to tell my story, a means to inspire people to live better lives. But in doing so, I guess yes, I am a ‘cancer blogger’.

The new MCRC is 500 metres from where I live in the UK. I’ve seen the construction from the ground up – and today it’s exciting to be there for the ‘soft opening’. There is no research currently being conducted, just yet. The building has just been finished. The research facilities and team of around 300 staff are about to move in. 5 state of the art labs will all work on curing different types of cancer. The benefits for cancer patients, and possible cures, will be developed in these facilities over the next 5-20 years!!!

The first impression of the building is, WOW! Its unique and modern design allows for a positive feel to the structure. A lot of natural light makes its way in. There are large designated social or meeting areas to the open feel of the building encourages collaboration, bringing together great research minds to find cures for cancer!

The plan is to target the molecular profile of cancer to treat cancer, to better understand cancer, and to create cures for cancer. In the 1970s, 1 in 4 people survived cancer. Now, 1 in 2 people survive cancer.

Other stats in the UK include:

– 35,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year

– 18,500 die each year in the North West

– The top killers are breast, lung, bowel and prostate cancer

These are just some of the statistics we were given on our tour of the facilities. For more information on cancer statistics in the UK, see cancerresearchuk.org.

Curing cancer is c. 125,000,000,000 times more complicated than landing a man on the moon. I hold in high regard the staff and all that are involved with the Centre, what they are currently doing, and what they will continue to do in the new facilities at the MCRC!!!

Thank You team!!

As bad/good as it could have been, I’m sitting in Manchester International Airport content with how the last week has turned out. One of the worst things a cancer patient can hear is that what they thought was their dormant tumour has started growing again, as I heard last Thursday 28^th May 2015.

After speaking with my neurosurgeon last night, Dr Karabatsou, and with my oncologists today, Dr Tran and Dr Pinkham, I’m in a much clearer head space. ‘Prepare for the worst and hope for the best’ was a piece of advice Julian Huxley gave me last year. Julian is another brain tumour patient and a former professional rugby player. This mentality has prepared me well for this week.

Dr Karabatsou recommended against having brain surgery again, stating the risk was too high for such minimal gains as she resected much of the tumour in April 2014.

As I’ve already had 6.5 weeks of radiotherapy, the human body cannot take more so that is no longer an option.

Dr Tran and Dr Pinkham advised me of several chemotherapy options. Some more toxic than others, but all as effective as each other. They ran me through everything, what to expect from each type of chemo, how long they would go for, how I could travel and most importantly – Enjoy Life!! As there was not much difference in how effective they thought each of the drugs would be, we settled with Temozolomide. A tablet I will take once a day, for 5 days each month, for 6-12 months.

I can start treatment in the UK, and continue it in Australia when I get back in 3 weeks. One good thing is that they cleared me to fly to Portugal tonight, which I arranged months ago. I will be able to see a few good friends for the last time on this side of the world, before I jet-set back to Australia to settle down again!

No matter what life throws at you, prepare for the worst, hope for the best and take it all in your stride as life is all just one big adventure!! I’ll close this blog with a quote from Abraham Lincoln:

In the end,

It’s not the years in your life that count,

It’s the life in your years…