22nd July 2011: It has taken since May for fundraising to reach several targets, and for that I am extremely grateful to everyone who has donated. The Grand Total as of today (when another friend at last gave me the promised sponsorship), is £3,345.50, which is absolutely phenomenal, as my original target was £1000.00, so THANK YOU EVERYONE VERY VERY MUCH!
GRACE is delighted with all our efforts for them, and we are all particularly grateful to all those who enabled me to do this walk by their continuing support and help,especially by walking with me, or I could not have done it. GRACE Charity will be writing to all of those intrepid walkers very soon.
I have been very busy collecting off-line donations, catching up with everyone,family, friends, at tennis, and at Rock Choir, when we performed at Wembley Arena on 15th May! Amazing experience, and the sound of 10,000 people singing in harmony was mind-blowing! The rehearsals were every week, plus extras for any particular show like Wembley, and then The New Victoria Theatre in Woking a couple of weeks ago, followed by GuilFest last Saturday has been awesome. The buzz from performing live on stage in front of such loud cheering, clapping and singing support, will be lifelong memories!
There is a sad rider to this happy summer tale; I am sorry to say that, unbelievably, at my last hospital visit, my check up scan and ca 125 blood test were positive for a recurrence of cancer. The scan showed some small secondaries in my liver, and I restarted chemotherapy this Wednesday, 20th July. It is hopeful that this chemo will target the cancer cells and I will be planning to do this walk again next year! I stress that this time I was not ill at all - maybe a bit tired, but then I had walked 100 miles, and continued to do all my other activities! Getting bloated again was a small clue, and then, whilst waiting for my results, I got a few pains across my upper abdomen. Nothing to go to the doctor about, but as it turns out, its 'here we go again'!
I have had nothing but superb attention and care at St. Luke's, and my oncologist and the team have moved very efficiently to start my treatment. I was actually asked if I would like a long weekend or week's holiday break before chemo started, but by then I was in pain, and just did not feel safe and secure away from home, so opted to start chemo as soon as they could fit me in.
Thanks everyone for all your love and support. If anyone has not yet donated to GRACE, please feel free to do so on my www.justgiving.com/elsena-marsden, as I have now extended the page until the 1st September 2011.
