What a perfect long weekend. Easter is one of my favourite times of year, in a lot of ways it blows Christmas out of the water.
A guaranteed 4 day weekend, no vast commercialism (an over priced egg or two but nothing more) and no pressure to gather with people you’d possibly would rather not, top that all off with signs of Spring everywhere and I think it’s hard to beat.
Good Friday was very good for us, we had a brunch at home and had friends over.
It was perfect. What’s not to love, good friends, good food, we’re very blessed to have both.
Tunic from TK Maxx, leggings from Next, Shoes from Russell and Bromley
Super comfy stretchy leggings teamed with a loose fitting tunic is an absolute joy, it’s longer at the back than the front which is perfect for women like me who have been blessed with a very large, comfortable built in seating area. Hahahahaha
If you’re going to spend an inordinate amount of time eating it’s best to go for something comfortable to wear. A dress would probably have been an even wiser choice.
As with any gathering it’s good to have a small competition running...this year it was the Bonny Baby competition.
I think you can tell there really wasn’t much competition...my baby is the clear winner!
The perfect good Friday was followed by the perfect DIY Saturday. Eye roll required here, needs must though.
Easter Sunday was very quiet and very peaceful. A beautiful country walk with my winning entry to the Bonny Baby competition and my gorgeous but horrifically behaved dog, followed by a delicious roast.
Coat from Belstaff, Jumper from Jack Wills, Jeans from Dorothy Perkins, Boots from Dubarry.
Then Easter Monday I invited my parents over for another roast, all the ingredients for a lovely, chilled weekend, although I am a tad on the stuffed side.
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April is bowel cancer awareness month. With that in mind I’d like to take a few minutes to write about signs and symptoms for my non bowel issue readers, yes, believe it or not I do have quite a few.
To the above list I’d like to add a few points that could’ve helped prevent me and others from getting so ill.
*Do not take the diagnosis of IBS for definite from your GP.
If after a time you are still suffering from bowel issues insist upon further testing. A colonoscopy isn’t the most fun day out you can have but my god those things are life savers!! Literally!
The amount of people, myself included that were told they had this “IBS” phenomenon is mind boggling. It’s a great catch all for not bothering to investigate further.
From Crohn’s, Colitis and Cancer to Endometriosis and Ovarian Cancer, and many and various things in between have all been diagnosed as “IBS” in people I know.
Yes, I’m sure there are some people that actually do have very irritable bowels, but let’s save lives by checking for the big stuff first and working backwards from there.
I appreciate there is the cost of tests involved but just think how much money the NHS would have saved if I had had a colonoscopy 10 years before I finally had my first one, the one troublesome Polyp would have been removed before it was left to fester and grown into a rather large and nasty cancerous tumour. I have been left with life/body changing damage and now a very costly drain on resources. With the NHS having to pay for my colostomy supplies for life and my HRT.
*Age is no restriction for the shit literally hitting the fan. Age is irrelevant. There is no such thing as too young for cancer.
*blood no matter what colour is a warning sign. The blood I was passing was bright red and fresh and I was “assured” that that wasn’t a problem, (probably just piles) and that it was dark blood that was the worrying sign. But of course that would really depend on where your tumour is in your bowel. Mine wasn’t that far in so the blood was freshish.
Like I said, yes, some people do have irritable bowels, I’m not trying to scare anyone. But my advice would always always be to get that fully confined by ticking everything else it could be off the list.
I did go back many many times but sadly I must have fallen through the cracks...my age and general well being working against me.
My life is fantastic, I have no complaints, I hold no ill feeling towards anyone. Never have done. Life is good, I am extremely blessed.
But the one thing I miss about my life BC (before cancer) is peace of mind. I didn’t even know I had peace of mind about my health until it was ripped from under me.
I feel the fear pretty much every day that something bad is going to hit us again, I get on with my life, I love my life, and for the most part I’m a positive happy little soul but there in the dark corners is that little niggling thought that all might not be well.
We have it twice over in our house as I worry about Sam too, it leads me to worry about Ben and Chris’s health too. It’s a horrible, rotten feeling. Thankfully it hasn’t consummed me to the point of insanity. But it certainly is an anxiety I have had to find a way to live with.
And all of that could have been avoided with tests rather than assumptions.
With love
S.