The Big C

As most women are aware (I hope), October was Breast Cancer Awareness month. Time to raise those arms to the roof & give those boobies a good old fashioned feel up, or even better- get into the docs & get them squished & scanned. And it was also a month to donate to a very worthy cause, by the end of the month I had personally collected a fair few random pink items incl one snazzy pale pink kitchen knife which has turned out to be my new fav, worth every cent. 

This topic is a sensitive one for me as my mother has been fighting a horrible battle with the big C since her diagnosis with Breast Cancer in 2010. It took a long time for the news to sink in, and I think my family and I were in a state of shock (or denial) for the first few months.. Watching Mum go through chemotherapy & radiotherapy was utterly draining - physically, emotionally & mentally. Obviously it was most difficult for her, being transfused with so many poisons and watching the effects these ludicrously strong drugs had on her was mortifying and scarring, yet they kept her alive. Unfortunately for my Mum & for us, she was one of the unlucky ones. At the end of 2011 we were told the devastating and life changing news that the cancer had spread to her spine, and was therefore untreatable. I still can't fathom that information. How could my mother, someone who hasn't had one puff on a cigarette in her life, be dying of cancer? 

(My beautiful Mother on her visit to us in Perth this year, smiling through the storm) 

Life can be very very cruel. 

Ever since that diagnosis, my Mums cancer has shown restraint and has now lain dormant for nearly 2 years. Which is something I guess...She does suffer from a lot of pain caused by the tumours in her back & life is never going to be easy for any of us, but at least she is still here.. She could be here for a long time too if the cancer decides to back off & play it cool for a few decades. We all live in a constant state of  fear & hope. Two very contradicting emotions that come and go in huge waves on different occasions and different days. 

You'd like to think I'm one of the unlucky few who experience a situation as crap as this, but shockingly, I have a few friends & relatives who are all in the same situation as we are. Waiting, watching, hoping. It seems as though Cancer is touching every family in one way or another. 

I recently read that global mortality rates from breast cancer has increased by a whopping 44% since 1950. Forty four percent. And this is mostly in westernised cultures. You'd think people would pick up on rates as high as this & think "hey, maybe we should be a bit kinder to our bodies". Pesticides, preservatives, tobacco, petroleum & lead are all huge factors in causing cancer. Yet they're all huge factors in our everyday lives. Obviously some are unavoidable, petroleum for example can't always be avoided but pesticides & preservatives in our food & drinks are easily avoidable. Going organic or "green" is currently trending worldwide, and thank F for that. Something healthy and positive! The less crap we put into our body the lower those statistics will be after all..

I'm not making out like I'm some "green queen" who never touches anything processed or refined, because I certainly do, but I have been making some conscious decisions to make our home environment a greener one. Gone are the bleaches & pungent washing powders, and hello Eco friendly products! It isn't cheap, I'll tell you that much- but if its healthier for my family than we're all for it! 

It really isn't about being a "do-gooder" to make the world a better place for me, it's totally because I am shit scared of getting cancer. Literally petrified. Infact, I recently decided that I am definitely, 100% going to get it one day and I found myself bawling my eyes out in my room. I obviously don't actually know if I will get it or not, but the chances are certainly not as slim as they once were. So I'm going to do what I can to avoid the treacherous & relentless big C. I hope everyone else can change a little bit too, you never know how big of an outcome small changes can make.

In the meantime, follow this 'Angelina effect' and PLEASE get regular check ups- girls & guys, don't be shy. I know we're only young but cancer is a bitch these days and isn't only praying on the old & weak. It's so much better to be safe than sorry. 

This ones for you Sandy,

Love Gemma xx