This week me and Lorraine went to kick boxercise. Following this I took 6 hours for my face to return to a vagually normal colour and about 4 days for my body to stop aching!! NO PAIN NO GAIN!
I really want to experience something that is amazing and rewarding and that I can feel I have worked hard to conquer the challenge of but the other side of doing this is because of 2 wonderful people. Well actually more than 2 but these 2 are my main inspirations. In my final year of Uni a friend called Sam was diagnosed with spinal cancer. Sam was a beautiful person, both on the outside and the inside. Sadly Sam lost the fight with cancer. Sam was 21.
The start of the Kilimanjaro walk goes back a couple of years. Two members of the orthopaedic department very sadly lost their beautiful 16 year old daughters very closely to each other. From this stemmed the T annd O Orthopaedics Ball in 2009 followed by the takeover of the playhouse in 2010 for Orthopaedics Got Talent. All in aid of raising funds for a young persons cancer unit whilst having a laugh along the way. This leads onto 2011 and the T and O does Kilimanjaro challenge. The funds I raise for the young persons unit will for me be in Sams memory.
The other person who inspires me to tackle Kilimanjaro is an amazing friend and young mum, Claire Knowles.
I've known Claire for about 10 years since moving to Nottingham. We shared VW shows and crazy camping weekends. After Uni Claire moved away and had a fab little boy called Isaac with her Fiancee Jon, also a VW person. About 2 and half years ago this young family moved back to Nottingham. Very soon after Claire was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Her initial surgery was at Queens Medical Centre. The date for her op was 4 weeks following being told she'd need surgery. However very typical of Claire rather than concentrate on this Claire instead decided it was about time that fiancee of hers became her husband! So first week, wedding planned, 2nd week hen do (and yes we queue jumped by telling the bouncers the hen had cancer, well what other perks are there of this evil disease???). The weekend before Claires admission dawned a sunny July day. All those with VW's ribboned up and joined Claire and Jon and Isaac as they became man and wife. The convoy of VW's then drove to Sawley for the reception with people waving at us along the way. The reception was fantastic.
Claire had her surgery but didn't tell the ward staff that she was no longer Miss Wheeler but now Mrs Knowles!
Claires treatment carried on over the summer and once it was over we threw a suprise party for her in the same location as her wedding reception. Claire enjoyed this so much she fell over and broke her wrist. She now spent a couple of weeks under the care of the same person who has arranged the kili climb, Tony Westbrook!
A couple of months following this Claire had another surprise for us. Claire was pregnant!! The spitting image of Isaac arrived on January 1st this year. Little Eddie is like his brother, a cheery, cheeky chappie!
A routine scan in February sadly showed a tumour between her kidney and bladder too large to operate on. This meant as well as juggling a young family that Claire was now organising baby feeds with Chemo and radiotherapy.
Claire has remained positive and funny throughout. I don't know how. I accompanied her on one day of appointments and was shocked how much waiting and waiting there is for a cancer sufferer.
This takes me up to the present. I always wanted something I could do to raise money for bowel cancer and now Claire has another fight that needs everyones help. Her consultant has recommended a drug that he believes Claire will respond well to but one which is too expensive for the PCT's to pay for and so even though Claire is a young, healthy mum they won't pay for.
This week Care for Claire was established. 3 days on facebook has resulted in over 300 members but we need to get Claires story out there so my main inspiration for getting my fat, unfit arse up Kili is a wicked friend who has been fighting a way bigger thing than walking up a small mountain!
There are now three ways of showing your support for this lovely lady. The facebook site,
or on twitter as #careforclaire,
or on her website http://www.careforclaire.com/
So that's why you will find me at the top of Kilimanjaro however much it hurts!! x
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