How far can I take this?
All through treatment and recovery I have been determined to help myself cope and recover to the best of my ability. For the next 3 months I am going to be pushing to see just how far I can take my recovery. My goal is to trek to Mt Everest Base Camp in April/May (it will be my 2 year anniversary since diagnosis on this trek) as part of a Queensland Cancer Council Charity Challenge.
If someone had told me 2 years ago that I would be trying to do this I honestly would have just laughed. But since then I have been through a diagnosis and treatment for Breast Cancer and I have learnt that anything is possible if you just keep an open mind and take it one step at a time.
I want to do this to regain the confidence in my body and my ability to do what I set my mind to do. I don't want to let the fear of recurrence limit the rest of my life. Already with just a couple of weeks of early training under my belt I am feeling an amazing strength emerging and it feels SO GOOD to have my body respond positively to the extra demands I have put on it. I can only imagine the feelings if I make it all the way to Base Camp.
I want to do this because cancer is something I REALLY, REALLY want to do something about. I have met so many lovely people (many of them on here) who are facing challenges far greater than trekking to Base Camp because of this awful disease. How impossibly difficult it must be to have a child face this disease. As we all know this disease can make you feel helpless, as though you have no control. I want to feel that I can have some control. That I can help to raise awareness and money to help someone else.
The Cancer Council works to educate people and prevent cancer where possible, help those who are diagnosed and also funds research into finding better ways of preventing, treating and curing cancer. This is my way of helping out and working towards a cure for more people.
I have a long way to go but I'm going to give it my best try. There are some unknowns along the way but I just have to keep an open mind and take it one step at a time. You don't know till you try and I have some absolutely amazing people helping me try this. If I achieve this it will because of another thing having cancer has taught me - we need to let others help us.
Oh, by the way, I have one of the very best people helping me. Her name is Sharon Cohrs. Sharon was diagnosed with BC at 36. She had a double mastectomy, axillary clearance, chemo and reconstruction. 9 months after finishing chemo, 3 months after recon, she returned to climbing mountains. 4 years later she became the first breast cancer survivor to reach the summit of Mt Everest
If she can do that I should be able to get myself to the base of Mt Everest! Sharon and her fantastic husband Allan will be by my side as I put one foot in front of the other to see how far I can push myself!
Keep an open mind about recovery, anything is possible!
Deanne xxx
Comments
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Hi Deanne sounds like a great chance for you to prove yourself, not to anyone else but yourself. This year i'm going to do the mothers day classic and run 4km, it is a small start, but at the same time last year I was too sick to even walk it. So as long as I cross the finish line I will be happy and it will be a start to move on in 2015 more positive and healthy.
Good luckxx
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I did the 4km walk for the Mothers Day Classic last year (1 year anniversary of diagnosis). At that point I could never have imagined taking the trek on. You are so right when you say that the person we really have to prove ourselves to is ourself. Each thing that we achieve helps to build that confidence back up.
Good on you for taking on the 4km run. That's a great way to move towards being positive and healthy!
Thanks for the good luck, I will take all that I can get in this department! Hope you feel great when you cross that finish line! Deanne xxx0 -
Thanks Natasha. Whenever I feel it is too hard I will think about all the people undergoing treatment right now and that will keep me moving. Good luck with your treatment and I hope that soon you will be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a tunnel I wish none of us had to go through! Deanne xxx0
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How wonderful and inspiring. Just the thought you have this much energy gives hope to the rest of us. Best wishes Anne
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Wow - there is no stopping you! I have no doubt at all that you will make it to Base Camp and be amongst the first there! The next 3 months will be busy for you, training, but please come online and keep us up to date with what you are doing to improve your already great fitness level. 2015 will be a memorable year for you. (I am shaking my head with a big smile - no doubt about you) xxx Michelle
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I reckon you will be first there too!! I would love to hear about what you are doing to prepare,and also how you will fundraise for BCNA ? You are so inspirational to the ladies on here Deanne,and I know that you are going to love this trip.We should all remember ,after reading this,that good things can definitely come from bad.You just have to get out there and make it happen.Keep in touch.xoxRobyn0
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I reckon you will be first there too!! I would love to hear about what you are doing to prepare,and also how you will fundraise for BCNA ? You are so inspirational to the ladies on here Deanne,and I know that you are going to love this trip.We should all remember ,after reading this,that good things can definitely come from bad.You just have to get out there and make it happen.Keep in touch.xoxRobyn0
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Deanne, I agree with Robyn's comments, you are such an inspiration to us all on this site.
I have no doubt you will succeed, you have a great attitude, motivated and obviously love a challenge! And what a challenge! Couldn't be any bigger.
I wish you all the best with your training and it would be fantastic if you had a blog keeping us updated on your trip.
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Hey Deanne, you go girl. I wish you all the best health and wellness along the way. You must have been training hard for this and i am certain it will pay off for you, Mt Everest base camp here she comes.......how is the money raised??? how can i donate ?? XXLouie
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Thank-you so much for the support. Believe me I will need all I can get if I am to make it all the way to Base Camp. I have a Cancer Council fundraising page just created today where you can donate.
https://climbingforacause.everydayhero.com/au/deanne
This is turning into a full-time job but I am loving the challenge and feel like at least something positive has come out of me getting cancer. I hope to get some local businesses helping out with the fundraising soon and have a phone interview for a press release for the local paper tomorrow. Training will be taking up a big chunk of my time but as a bonus it should mean I have more energy too! Will update when I know more myself. Thank-you for your support. Deanne xxx
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Thank-you so much for the support. Believe me I will need all I can get if I am to make it all the way to Base Camp. I have a Cancer Council fundraising page just created today where you can donate.
https://climbingforacause.everydayhero.com/au/deanne
This is turning into a full-time job but I am loving the challenge and feel like at least something positive has come out of me getting cancer. I hope to get some local businesses helping out with the fundraising soon and have a phone interview for a press release for the local paper tomorrow. Training will be taking up a big chunk of my time but as a bonus it should mean I have more energy too! Will update when I know more myself. Thank-you for your support. Deanne xxx
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I have started a blog, which is basically a journal of my experience, dilemmas and hurdles, and preparation for the trek. You can find it at
https://deanneseverest.wordpress.com
If anyone wants to look at information about the trek, they can find it by googling Everest One. On their website you can find the trek details by clicking on the Charity page.
Thanks so much for taking the time to encourage my efforts. Deanne xxx0 -
Thank you for sharing this post, it is very inspiring to hear about your experience. The team here at BCNA are rallying for you and we wish you all the best for your training! I have heard from many women now, that a diagnosis can cause you to lose confidence in your body. As it sounds as though you have discovered (well and truly
) physical activity at your own pace, within your own limits and with guidance from your health professionals can really help you to gain that confidence and control back. I am so thrilled for you Deanne, thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!X0 -
Thank you for sharing this post, it is very inspiring to hear about your experience. The team here at BCNA are rallying for you and we wish you all the best for your training! I have heard from many women now, that a diagnosis can cause you to lose confidence in your body. As it sounds as though you have discovered (well and truly
) physical activity at your own pace, within your own limits and with guidance from your health professionals can really help you to gain that confidence and control back. I am so thrilled for you Deanne, thanks for sharing and keep up the great work!X0 -
Getting to know Sharon has been very inspiring and she sees herself as just doing what she can to help raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research. To date she has raised over $250 000. She was only 36 when diagnosed so her message is particularly important for younger women who may think that they could not possibly have breast cancer and not get changes checked out. She and her husband do a lot of work with public speaking in the community, both inspiring people to follow their dreams but also spreading awareness about cancer. Sharon's Dad died of pancreatic cancer 4 months after she climbed Mt Everest.
It is because of people like Sharon sharing their stories and also using their particular abilities to raise awareness and money that there is more money to help improve things for all of us. Being diagnosed with any form of cancer causes you to lose confidence in your body and your health. I am fortunate to be in a position to be able to do this trek for my own personal reasons and also to help people realise that it is possible to feel strong and healthy again after cancer. Raising funds for cancer prevention, support and research is also helping me to feel we can have some power over cancer.
It is because of people doing things like this in the past that we have seen the improvement in cancer survival for many people over the last 20 years or so. If my Mum had been diagnosed with my Stage and type of cancer when she was the same age as I was when diagnosed, her chance of survival would have been about 40%. Mine is 81% thanks mostly to tamoxifen.
It is the thought that these sorts of improvements can be made that has encouraged me to do this. I lost a friend last year to bowel cancer (she was only 49, a wonderful teacher, friend, wife and a Mum to a very devestated 16 year old son). I have another friend who found out 2 weeks before he was to be married that he has Stage 4 Melanoma. He is 27 and expecting his first child in April (when I will be attempting the trek). Cancer kills terrific people every day and it is the thought that maybe I can do something to help, even in a small way, that has me willing to try my hardest.
Deanne xxx
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