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THINGS CANCER MADE ME SAY

My body is covered in scars but every one is part of my cancer story – I’m proud of them all, they’re keeping me alive

I'M a warrior. I’m resilient. I have to be. I have no choice.

I’m no braver than anyone else starring an uncertain future in the face - but every day, I get better at realising that I should be proud of getting this far.

 I'm a warrior, resilient. I have to be, I haven't got a choice
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I'm a warrior, resilient. I have to be, I haven't got a choiceCredit: Deborah James
 Part of my cancer journey is learning to love my scars
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Part of my cancer journey is learning to love my scarsCredit: Stephen Cotterell

And how I'm learning to live with cancer for however long that might be.

I don’t want to look ill.

Keeping my hair has been so important to me - but so too is learning to love the ever growing scars I’m collecting on my journey.

Each one tells a story, and gives me a stronger argument in the "I’m harder than you" bar banter.

However the Insta perfect bodies we see on a daily basis can make a body conscious worrier like myself feel less than great.

Why would I want to parade around on a beach this summer with a 12-inch red scar running down my stomach when the lady next to me has perfectly even ‘Insta’ skin?!

 Each scar is necessary, each is beautiful and all - like this one for my chemo pump, are keeping me alive
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Each scar is necessary, each is beautiful and all - like this one for my chemo pump, are keeping me aliveCredit: Stephen Cotterell

It may be a challenge to start to love our imperfections, but it's one I’ve been dealing with head on, as these snaps will show.

Scars can be beautiful, hell they can even be sexy and we can be proud of them.

They are keeping me alive.

Being strong and vulnerable all at the same time is hard to admit to - but learning to celebrate and be proud of what we have been through is something we should all take some time to consider.

 Learning to love and celebrate what we have is a lesson we can all learn
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Learning to love and celebrate what we have is a lesson we can all learn

I’m living with cancer, and soon half of you will be too!

This week it was revealed that you are more likely to get cancer than get married or give birth!

While Macmillan research suggests cancer is the most feared disease of all, half of us will have it at some point in our lives. There were 361,216 cases of cancer diagnosed in 2014, compared to 289,841 weddings.

Despite these alarming stats, there are so many options out their to ensure there is a life after, or indeed with cancer.

And now, more of us will live for ten years or more with cancer, than die from it.

I do, however, suggest trying the marriage and baby thing instead!

Give me nappy changing at 3am with sore boobs any day over poisoning my body with chemo!

 Im living it up with cancer, and if a new study is anything to go by, so will half the population in the not too distant future
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Im living it up with cancer, and if a new study is anything to go by, so will half the population in the not too distant futureCredit: Deborah James

Keep smiling Bradley

What a little inspiration.

We can all take something from this brave, big, little man.

His smile told cancer to "do one" - but we knew that sadly the cancer had its own ideas.

I was touched by the Smile For Bradley song sung by his friends at his primary school, what a lovely way to celebrate his little life.

Alongside Defoe, he captured the nation with his upbeat positive nature despite his prognosis.

He was a little super hero, and may he now sleep peacefully with the angels.

 We can all take something from brave Bradley Lowery's fight, he's a superhero and may he now sleep peacefully with the angels
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We can all take something from brave Bradley Lowery's fight, he's a superhero and may he now sleep peacefully with the angelsCredit: Facebook

Am I about to get arrested?!

I drink in front of my children - hell they are normally at the pub with me.

But apparently I can now be arrested?!

Under the licensing Act of 1902 it is illegal to be drunk in charge of a child in a public place.

And it carries with it a fine or even up to a month in prison.

A 37-year-old Russian billionaire heiress has this week been convicted of the crime after going on a 17-hour booze binge.

She clearly took it to the extreme, but my question is where is the line?

If it's over the drink drive limit then I know my trusty breathalyser will tell me I shouldn't be in charge of my children - sometimes even on a Monday night after ONLY one large one!

 Katie Price doesn't deserve the hard time she gets from critics, she's a great mum and shouldn't have to justify herself
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Katie Price doesn't deserve the hard time she gets from critics, she's a great mum and shouldn't have to justify herselfCredit: INSTAGRAM
 She deals with the challenges of Harvey’s disability admirably, probably a lot better than most would – myself included
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She deals with the challenges of Harvey’s disability admirably, probably a lot better than most would – myself includedCredit: PA:Press Association

Katie is a good mum - her kids are testament to that

Whenever you see Katie’s Price’s children they look like they are having fun.

But, they are also articulate, polite and seem kind.

They are happily playing in their lovely garden, mucking out the horses, making mud pies, winding each other up, and just being children.

It's clear Katie is proud of her children, and loves them dearly.

She deals with the challenges of Harvey’s disability admirably, probably a lot better than most would - myself included.

Katie is giving her kids a good life and she shouldn't have to justify it - she's a smart lady, and I agree that she should just tell those critics to "c*ckoff".

 What the hell happened to a piece of cake and pin the tail on the donkey when it comes to your kids' parities - clearly not enough for Harper Beckham, who celebrated with tea at Buck Palace
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What the hell happened to a piece of cake and pin the tail on the donkey when it comes to your kids' parities - clearly not enough for Harper Beckham, who celebrated with tea at Buck PalaceCredit: Instagram

I hate kids' birthday parties

Whatever happened to a piece of cake and pin the tail on the donkey?!

No so in Casa Beckham... £150k on Harper's birthday party, a £68k mini Mercedes on the gift list and tea at Buckingham Palace! Have the rich and famous lost the plot?!

Or am i just jealous that I’m a sh*t party planner without a celebrity budget?

This may surprise you - I may seem like the mum that would throw herself into the kids party scene each year with gleeful joy whilst making up 40 party bags at 3am. I’m not.

I tried throwing my daughter a party once - I haven't done it again, clearly there wasn't enough wine on offer to get me through it

And yes, that is an on-going guilt conversation in my house.

Each year, I pretend that Halloween ‘trick or treating’ is my daughters birthday celebration - and yes at one point she was scared of her own birthday!

I’ve pledge this year (ticking time-bomb diagnosis and all) to try again. Please help! Send ideas (not those involving a trip to see old Queenie).

 I've been living it up this week preparing myself for my chemo to go double dose next week
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I've been living it up this week preparing myself for my chemo to go double dose next weekCredit: Stephen Cotterell

#C*ckoffCancer

My body is really outdoing itself!

I have apparently managed to produce the "creme de la creme" of bowel cancers - a mutated, unique one that doesn't really respond to chemo and has no "magic" immunotherapy treatment to speak of... yet.

We have decided to ramp up the stakes - "nuke" me to give me the best chance of killing the little buggers lurking around.

My chemo dose is about to double and I’m praying that nothing more crops up before we can blitz the rest of my lung tumours.

Living with my type of cancer is a challenge, its a game of keeping one step ahead and trying to outsmart the smartest of diseases.

I still have hope - not to be cured, but to have more life, more time loving, more time laughing, just one more day with my babies.

We all like a game of chess - but I’m just hoping I’m not checkmated by this beast too early!

This week while recovering from my recent lung ablation and being pumped full of chemo, I have be living it up, glitter boobs and all, dancing to Erasure at a recent festival... and nope, my opinion hasn't changed since the 80s, I'm still not overly keen on shinny spandex on men!


Come Join the . I’d love to hear from you about #thethingscancermademesay.

Tell me your journey, show off your scars, share what keeps you smiling, or how you are giving two fat fingers to cancer (or anything else for that matter!)

To contact me email [email protected] and follow me on and and Facebook


 

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