Lets Get Real… Lets Talk About Cancer

So this month is breast Cancer Awareness month.  Sunday was Bandana Day in aid of Leukaemia Awareness. Ladybug and I have recently bought cupcakes from “Cupcakes for Hope” in aid of Childhood Cancer.

What are you doing about Cancer Awareness?  How are you getting involved? Don’t tell me that your little bit doesn’t help, it does.  It helps in so many ways, on so many levels and it helps me personally.

No, I don’t have Cancer, but I know people who do.  I know people who are busy fighting the battle of their lives.  I know people who have fought this battle and have won.  I know people that are fighting it for the second time and I know people who have lost this battle.  Im not talking about the the boy who I was at school with (and haven’t seen since I left school) that recently lost his battle with Leukaemia.  Its not the teacher that taught me who lost her battle earlier this year, I know her too.  Its not the “Uncle” who worked with my Dad who lost his battle before he really even had a chance to process what he had been  told.  Im not talking about colleagues at work who have fought breast cancer and survived or colleagues of my Mom who haven’t survived, or even parents of colleagues of my Mom’s …. The list could be endless of people “I know”.

But these people I know, I really know.  I have no choice but to know them.  They my family (with 2 added people who are practically family).

My family have fought Breast Cancer, Skin Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Cancer of the Bladder, Retinal Cancer, Ovarian Cancer and more – hell even my cat had Cancer.  They have survived, 7 of them have survived.  2 of them have been dealt raw deal and have had to fight this battle more than once – 1 of them is just starting on this journey (again) and that made me realise that life can be unfair.  Not only has this person battled Cancer before and beaten it as a toddler, they have gone on to live an amazing life and accomplish things that I am in complete awe of.  She has just been diagnosed with Cancer again and will be starting Chemo within a few weeks, this pulled the rug out from under my feet and my heart broke a little ok a lot

Then…. I got news that shattered my world.  My eyes still leak, and leak badly.  They leak to the point where Ladybug asks me “Mommy Wots Wong?” a few times a day and all I can say is that my heart is sore.  My heart is sore, it is broken into a million pieces because the same person who is starting their second battle with Cancer, lost her father to Cancer last week.  It’s the first time that Cancer has won in our family.

Cancer sucks, it does.  It changes everyone’s life, it affects more than just the person with this disease. But everyone can do their little bit, everyone can help…. Everyone can help me….  help my family…. and a whole ton of other families out there.

Here are some of the charities that are already doing amazing work, please have a look at their websites and see how you can do your little bit (these are just ones that deal with the cancers we have had in our family).
Breast Cancer Awareness – Pink Drive
CHOC – Childhood Cancer Foundation
CANSA – The Cancer Association of South Africa
Prostate Cancer Foundation
Skin Cancer Foundation of South Africa

Please understand that I have kept the names of my family members out of this post because it is not my place to disclose their names to the world wide universe, its their battle, its our battle, but you can help, even just a little.