Me, Myself and the 'C' word!

This is my first blog entry, and I am about to tell you the biggest thing about me.

My Cancer Story.

I am going to try and remember as much as I can for you, but I was only 3 when I had to fight the battle. 
Yep, I was a 3 year old girl fighting a battle my parents didn't know if I could fight.  I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL). Which is a cancer of the white blood cells. These white blood cells are meant to work together to fight infection. Normally, white blood cells develop, repair and reproduce themselves in an orderly and controlled way. 
In Leukaemia, however, the process gets out of control and the cells continue to divide in the bone marrow, but do not mature. 
These immature dividing cells fill up the bone marrow and stop it from making healthy blood cells. As the leukaemia cells are not mature, they are not work properly. This leads to a higher risk of infection. This is because, the bone marrow isn't able to make enough healthy red blood cells and platelets.
There is no know cause for this disease. 
I underwent chemotherapy for 2-3 years (can't exactly remember). 

Although there are quite a few things I can remember. 

My dad is a fire fighter and I remember the fire fighters from Haywards Heath station and other surrounding stations that knew my family, they tied 2 ropes to the front of one of the trucks and pulled it up the hill and around the town. Stopping at each pub for a rest so they could have a pint or so. I remember this happening clearly. My Granddad was also a fire fighter so he even helped pulling the truck.  
They did a lot to help raise money for treatment, not just for me, but also for other children. Four other fire fighters took their bikes over to Australia and cycled around Australia to raise money. 
The photo below shows my dad with the 4 crazy men who cycled Australia.

 

I don't just remember the good memorabilia though, I also remember the bad. Like the day I had all my hair shaved off.
 I can still close my eyes today and be able to walk the corridors to my room of the main hospital I was treated at. Remembering nurses names. Days I actually made it into school and not having a lot of hair. The amount of times I suffered from nose bleeds. Not being able to run through muddy puddles just in case I got an infection. 

About a year and a half ago I started to get really vivid flash backs, as if myself today was stood in the room with the young me watching each of these things happening. 
Obviously because I had no hair and being so young I wanted one of those pink tinsel wigs. Of which I had. 
My most not so bad flash back, was I was standing a meter behind and looking at the 4 year old me, looking out of my bedroom window, the pink tinsel wig was perched on the small windowsill. (Of course the pink wig had to be in it).

Please don't get me started with food. Even when I was on treatment anyone was to be stupid if they thought they could get between me and food.

I finished my treatment in 2001. I have yearly check ups now, the best part about those check ups,  they are still with the doctor of whom diagnosed me 17 years ago. I think of her as a family member. 

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my story. And I hope that it helps anyone who may be going through treatment. Just remember you are not alone, and you can kick cancer's arse!!

Sending Love xx

 P.S. Thank you to those who gave me a helping hand.