Is a word that most people know and in some ways it is more famous than The Royals.
This word doesn’t need any marketing or any encouragement to be known.
Most people try not to think about it, but for most, it’s hard to ignore.
Its definitely a word you wouldn’t want associated directly with your name, due to the invader being pure evil and relentless.
In fact, 1 in 2 people will develop some form of this evil within their life time.
The fear it holds is real.
Before May 2020 Cancer had touched my life in many ways.
Unfortunately for me and my mother’s side of the family, it had cursed a number of the females within this inner circle.
From my Great Aunt Edith to my Aunty Val and then my own mum.
All these wonderful women had been struck by the big ‘C.’
Seeing all these beautiful, selfless, strong women go through treatment was desperately hard.
But with a good fight, good medical intervention, they all become survivors.
Which installed hope within me, that the Big ‘C’ can be broken.
Up until May 2020, I had kid myself into believing, King Bill of Southampton General Hospital was invincible.
The Kid with 9 lives, who smiled when the chips were down.
No matter the cause, he will come out fighting.
Where all statements that ran around my head that bolstered this belief.
But in May it felt like the tides had changed and the current was too strong to fight.
King Bill was compromised without a paddle.
It was honestly the most frightening experience, especially under the new Covid guidance.
Hospital policy at this time was only 1 parent in hospital at a time and visitors were forbidden.
This was a lonely experience especially in a room without reliable phone reception or internet connection.
Billy’s bedroom was like a dungeon, very small, no windows and it was in the centre of the building next to the lifts.
And it was very warm to the point we were wearing summer clothes, so with this in mind the travel bag was packed with vest tops, jeans and flip flops.
Unfortunately for us, the aircon had been switch off to stop the transmission of Covid.
The poor medics where dripping and nearly passing out under all their PPE.
Never the less, hospital pace was rapid, decisions where quick, changes where frequent, but more frightening, the medics looked tense due to Billy’s condition.
For both Alec and I it was nerve racking being at hospital or home, it was like living on a knife-edge.
In contrast to hospital, home life was quiet, lonely and were the phone bought an element of dread.
For only one reason, the hospital was a good distance from our home.
Even with a Covid commute it was around 26 minutes, this increased to around 36 minutes when you abandoned your car in 20 min zone area and then run like your life depended on it.
Trust me, this was tested on occasions and is a story for another time.
As I said home life was quite and more so for us as the whole family was put into isolation due to Billy being categorised as being extremely vulnerable.
So, when restrictions where eased, we where still locked up like caged animals.
The only saving grace was Scrumpy.
This very loyal, loving, furry companion knows the deepest of secretes from this time.
He was a life saver and gave great purpose when times where unbearable.
Within the first week, Billy had been ventilated to protect his airway and was diagnosed with PTLD cancer.
While the long wait started for which stage of cancer he would have, we knew for certain he had defiantly passed stage 3 but 4 was an unknown.
In the meantime, treatment was started in the form of Rituximab antibody therapy, as his tiny body was too fragile to risk chemo.
But small steps were taken and over time the medics gained control and won the fight from the outside in.
As for Billy, he made the magic happen and fought.
When in August 2020 he became a survivor alongside his Nana, his Great Aunty, Great Great Aunty and thousands of others.
This was the longest 4 months of my life, in some ways I was willing it to be over, but in other ways holding on to the moments just in case our ‘forever after’ didn’t arrive.
The reason I wrote this brief account of Billy’s Cancer story was to stand in solidarity with Princess Catherine.
Up to now I haven’t been able to write even a brief account of this experience due to the inner hurt it creates.
For me the demons are real and even 4 years in, it’s still raw.
So, when I saw Princess Catherine’s press release, I was saddened that at her most vulnerable, she was put in a situation that was so public.
It showed great courage at this unknowing time.
So, for now, we send Princess Catherine hope and encouragement to become a survivor.
And for me, this bravery has encouraged me to open the door to write more.
The End of Treatment Bell Poem
“Ring this bell
three times well
its toll to clearly say
my treatment’s done
this course is run
and I am on my way”
The bell is rung and the poem is read to symbolise the end of successful cancer treatment within children cancer wards.
This bell symbolises hope within this community.
Remember you may not feel strong but you are
Love
The Rose-Tinted Mum
The Rose Tinted mum 