Christmas Family Fundraiser For Clic Sargent

So the success of the auction we were left with this feeling that we wanted to do more. We knew we couldn't pull of a another big event like the ball as we wanted to make it a Christmas one, and this time we had weeks not months! So we turned to our lovely friends at Park Dean Resorts Holiday Park for some help and they kindly donated their venue, which they allowed us to open to the public for the day.

Now, with so many amazing Cancer charities in the UK we made the decision for the funds raised to donated to a different charity. After looking into Cancer charities and doing our research we choose to split the profits between Cancer Research Kids and Clic Sargent children's cancer charity.

With the venue and charity in place the next step was to choose a date! The only date we could fit this in was Sunday 4th December, which actually was my birthday! If you asked me 2 years ago if I would like to of run a charity event on my birthday...honestly  I dont know if I would of done. But fast forward two years and her I was, over the moon to be kicking cancers arse on my birthday!

We wanted a community feel and liked the idea of a Christmas Faye. We decided to invite local busniness and craft makers to come and have a stall for a small donation to the charity through Facebook.  We had an amazing response, even with such short notice and we filled all the stall space available!
                                                       

    

                  

As well as our fantastic stall holders we were lucky enough to have entertainment throughout the day from the amazing Portsmouth warrior cheerleaders, music from singer Gareth Sandham and even a visit from Elsa & Olaf!

We had lots of lovely businesses provide some amazing prizes for our raffle and ran a children's art competition supported by the one and only ... Mister Maker himself!! I contacted Phil Glagher (AKA) Mister Maker's agent asking for some signed photos, so you can imagine my surprise when  Phil actually emailed me himself!! He suggested instead of photos he would like to send some Mister Maker goodies which he signed to give away as prizes. He even sent some for Mason signed to him!
These were given away to our very happy winners of our Mister Maker Xmas Plate Creator competition!

All the way through planning we were DESPERATE for Father Christmas to pay us a visit but unfortunately it seemed he was very busy that day (who can blame him so close to Christmas). We were extremely grateful to the Hayling Island Lyons who provided their Santa Sleigh for the day. In fact I think Stacey and I screamed excitedly with little girls when it arrived (who doesn't love the Lyons Float at Christmas)!

                              

                             

 



Along with the Hayling Lyons Float outside, we had arrangedwith our good friend Colin at Stage Coach buses to pay us a visit in the Pink Cancer Research Bus! Earlier in the week he had mentioned he would be bringing their Christmas bus too....but what he didn't tell us that on that bus would be the REAL Father Christmas! Girly screams didn't cover it this time, I think we did a little dance too!
The day couldn't of been more perfect and most importantly we raised an amazing £500 that was split between the two charities!

                    

    

     

 



          Want to see more about the day? Pop on over the our Facebook page here.

Mason Turns Two, Stacey Turns 30 and Hampshire Wedding Photographer!

So, we returned a couple of days ago from a very special weekend away with our family and close friends! Mason turned two on Friday, so we all headed off to celebrate in style at the Legoland Hotel in Windsor! 

A bit over the top for a second birthday? Yes, absolutely! But Life is for living so why the hell not! 

We had so much fun, the kids loved it! We partied, we swam and we ate and drank to our hearts content! Oh and of course played with lots of Lego! 

But that's not the only event we celebrated recently! Last month Stacey turned 30 and she's had a fabulous pink & black themed party! Team Pants's new mate Steve of The Hampshire Wedding Photographer was on hand to take some fabulous photo's to record the event for her, there was an amazing cake and lots of dancing! 

The cake was made by Teresa Cozens and was amazing! If you fancy trying some of Teresa's Cakes she's going to be selling these at our Christmas Event on 4th December! She has kindly agreed to donate all her takings to our charity pot so every delicious bite will be helping two fantastic kids cancer charities! 

I've attached some photos below of the big night! If your planning a wedding and looking for an amazing photographer, Pop over to Speak to Steve on his Facebook page on this link : https://www.facebook.com/hampshireweddingphotography/

We didn't get a chance at the ball so we grabbed him for a photo at the party! As you can see below! 

Health wise, things are thankfully very much the same. I'm still classed as no active cancer (whoop, whoop!) and against all odds I seem to be making/made a full recovery from meningitis (double whoop, whoop)! I have got a few bits of surgery to consider but it's manly cosmetic. After my last surgery I think I will leave that until next summer now though! 

We have our second charity event as I mentioned above on 4th December so after a short break I'm back to being busy with that now! 

I'm also working on a new idea for a something we want to raise money for which will be for local families effected by the dreaded C word, next year. I've got to work out how we are going to raise the money and how it's going to work yet so won't be revealing it quite yet. 

Janine xxx

Guest Blog - The Other Half Of Team Pants Stacey Williams!

She been quiet for far to long, so here she is! In her own words, I give you Miss Stacey Williams :

Hey Stacey here...... Hello! So i thought it was about time I actually jumped on the Blog wagon and introduced my self properly..... Ill start with the boring bits 1st, so I'm Stacey Williams a care assistant living on hayling island, mother to one and wife to be..... so this is where it all began I was checking out my social media accounts Facebook and twitter and I see a young lady who I had never met..... yep didn't even know who Janine was until February of this year! Asking celebrities for signed underwear for a Cancer research charity event.... not for 1 second did I think I would become such a huge part of the night, so I began retweeting sending messages to celebrities in fact I even stalked one at the mayflower theatre (I am a little crazy), I messaged Janine wanting to purchase tickets and to be quite honest the rest is history..... so I was officially a key member of Pant & Bras to cancer, it went from not knowing someone to speaking and texting on the phone nearly every other day. Sending emails day and night to celebrities their agents, local and bigger companies to get donations for the raffle I became a big part of my life. Your probably all thinking 💭 hold on Janine is planning an event and the next minute someone girl Janine doesn't even know has popped up from know where and is helping.... yep pretty much! WHY?? I don't know I've not really got an answer for that I suppose I think if the shoe 👠 was on the other foot there would be someone out there that would want to help me.... Janine asked me towards the end WHY? WHY did you help? WHY did u want to help? And that is the only reason I could give, to be honest I secretly enjoyed every minute of it from the emails that declined help to meeting Colin Ashcroft and managing to get a pink bus 🚌. So since the event it's very much team #TaylorWilliams we're now planning another event a Christmas fair and funday for children and children cancer charities, this started the day after the charity ball, so the next few months will be filled with emails and obtaining as many raffle prizes for children as we can.

From what started as 2 people who lived on a small island who never even knew each other has turned into a great friendship and I'm just glad I put the effort in to help Janine with her 1st charity event and here's to many to come.....

Janine: thank you for letting me be apart of the team I totally love you to bits you have done amazing the past few months after everything that has been thrown your way you have fought back and come out even stronger you really should be proud of yourself xx

Right I'll hand this blog back to the lady in charge but I'll be sure to pop back and say Hi again xxxx

Then V's Now...

Now the ball is in the bag you would think that things would of calmed down in our house, wouldn't you? Nope! Not at all, no time for sitting still because in just 47 days time there is a huge event coming!! ....It's Mason's 2nd birthday!!! The big TWO!

With every milestone he's hit in his short little life so far, I find myself feeling quietly grateful. Why grateful? Grateful because I got to see it.

My beautiful boy is going to be two!!! How did that happen?! However It also means that I've been fighting the dreaded C word for two years too! Something that will forever go hand in hand and I can't tell you how angry that makes me!

But what I'm trying to focus on is....I'm still here!!! Two years and I'm still here!!! 'Ave that cancer!!!

I can't rewrite the past and I have to move forward. We are in such a better place to the the one We were two years ago. That's something we must hold on to as a family.

These photos were taken Christmas 2014, at this point I had a date for chemo which would be in the first week in January,  I had a new born baby, who I was totally in love with and every time I looked at him my heart broke because I was scared I wouldn't see him grow up.

To me these photos say it all...I just look so sad...

I remember it hurt to smile but in front of Kiera I had to try. My eyes were puffy from constant crying but I would instantly stop the second she walked into the room...I knew I had to.


That was then though ....and look at us now! 

If you had asked me two years ago if I thought we would ever get to this point, I would never of believed we would. Ok, it's not over it will probably never be over. If I wait for an ending, I will be waiting forever. So instead, I must enjoy and live for the moment. Today I am healthy (ish), tomorrow I might not me but then I will deal with that when tomorrow comes! 

I'm not who I was two years ago, I may never be her again and that is ok! I am learning who I am now more everyday. 

There are still dark moments, moments when I feel I want to give up and that's ok too (If you know me, these are the days I'm particularly loud and chatty because I'm over compensating)! 

So here we are two years on from the worst and best things that ever happened to me, both at the same time. 

What will we be doing to mark this? Well, we will be having a (slightly over the top for a two year old) party at Legoland Resort hotel, in Windsor!! 

As a family, we love Legoland it's our happy place. When I was poorly an organisation called the willows foundation paid for Myself, Steve, Kiera and Mason to spend two days and a night there. Well, we were hooked and have been back several times since! When I wasn't as strong as I am now, it was a little escape for us. The kids love it and in the hotel, Steve would take the kids swimming while I could go and have a lay down, things like that. The times we've spent there were one of the few times I was able to forget for a while I was ill and we were happy. 

Anyway...so being that Mason' birthday is November 19th, the park part of the resort will actually be closed so it's just the hotel. It will still be utterly fabulous though! Some of my family and close friends have booked into the hotel too for the night so there will be 32 of us in total! I have booked a party at the hotel for the kids and they will going swimming after, followed by dinner in the restaurant together and a couple of drinks to finish off!!... I can't wait!!! 

I'm spending any free time I have at the moment making Lego themed goodies for the kids and little touches to make it special for them. 

I'm not silly...I'm fully aware Mason won't remember, I know it's over the top but do you know what? I don't care!! You only live once and my goodness I'm going to go for it!! 

I have a few hospital visits between now and then so actually it's a brilliant distraction all this planning! I have an appointment with a neurologist which is concerning me slightly (I don't really know why I'm going), I think it's more towards the meningitis side of my health then the cancer side so that's something I suppose. 

Until then though I'm all about the Lego....and maybe a cheeky Christmas fundraiser! 

The Pants and Bra's Ball 2016

Wow wow wow! Did that fantastic night really happen?! 8 long months of planning and it went so fast!

We didn't get off to the best start though! Steve and I had to do a few trips to the hotel to get everything down there. All the other trips were fine but then towards the end, Steve came back saying there had been an accident. Just in case, we decided I would go down and get started setting up, while he would do the last trip on his own.
Unfortunately it wasn't that straight forward! We got as far as West Lane and then we were stuck behind ALOT of traffic! What should of been a 15-20 minute journey took nearly two hours..an hour and half just to get off the island!!! So panic stricken I began to madly set up the venue while Steve had to attempt a final trip! He didn't have his clothes for the evening, his laptop to provide the music and we still had a few bits to pick up!

I have to say though, the hotel staff were amazing! The hotel event co-ordinator Davina began to put chair covers on for us, as did my mother in law! While my Father in law got to work setting up the sweet cart!
Stacey was arriving by limo and she was slightly delayed along with the bus due to the traffic! When Stacey arrived (along with everyone else) I was in my Scruffs still madly trying to finish!!! My friends & sister instantly started setting up the last bits when they arrived, while Stacey did the meeting & greeting alone!

Everyone was welcomed into the room while I raced up stairs to get changed!!! I didn't want it to ruin the night so I insisted the meal started without me. By this stage, I wanted to be poshed up more than I wanted to eat anyway!! As soon as Steve arrived he got some music on the go and I came down a little while after. For the record ball goers...the room was missing 50 helium balloons but I think we coped without them!

Couple of things I have to mention, one being there was a young lad who helped me set up and he informed me it was actually his first day at the hotel. His first day and he was decorating the venue with knickers and bras!!! Poor lad!!!
Secondly, there was an awkward moment when two of the other young staff were staring at the table plan, looking horrified and whispering! Then I realised...

"It's not my underwear on that bored you know" I reassured them!

A look of relief spread over their faces!

  

The underwear we used to decorate was all brand new and donated by an underwear firm in China! Just so everyone's clear...it wasn't mine and it wasn't Stacey's!
At the end of the night we let anyone who wanted it to, take it home, and it all went!

Anyway, back to the rest of the night! So we're all there and everything's in full swing!!! I got down just as everyone was finishing their dessert which was perfect as this meant we could go straight into the auction.
EVERYTHING sold and some for higher than we expected! We were so lucky as we had a brilliant auctioneer in David from Race Night who donated his services free of charge to us. He was only meant to do the auction but he stuck around and did the raffle too (I think he was enjoying himself).
My lovely Steve did a couple of sets and all in all in all it was fabulous!!!

I unfortunately got very drunk on probably only about 4 glasses of wine! I haven't drunk for two years what with being pregnant, having treatment and then recovering from meningitis/surgery so I think it's acceptable to be a complete light weight! What was amazing was all the lovely messages and texts I woke up to on Saturday morning! Everyone has said how much they enjoyed themselves and what a success it was. I really hope it was and their not just being kind!

Something I didn't expect was the overwhelming sense relief, not that's it's over (I'm actually a bit sad about that) but that we did it! I've always known this is what I wanted to do and in the early days when I had this idea, I was having chemo and was very ill. If I'm honest, I'm not sure I thought I would live to see it!

But I did! I flippin well did! So have that Cancer!!! Not only that, the night raise £2340 for Cancer Research UK ...and the total still rising!!! I actually cried when we calculated the total! I'm over the moon, I feel exactly what I wanted to feel ...like I fought back! For the first time in a long time, I feel a part of the old me start to creep back. I feel stronger in some way...I'd like to say like Wonder Woman but in all honesty I'm probably more Harley Quinn!!!

Thank you so much to every one who attended, took part in the auction and all the lovely companies who helped us make it such a success! Stacey and I are more grateful than words can say! I will do a follow up post with all the companies we need to thank and a bit about them in the next few days.

I didn't take any photos unfortunately so I've pinched some of Stacey's and my sister's!

One thing I will say this is not the end of our fundraising its only the beginning. Xxx

One Week To The Ball & The Pink Bus!

Today is exactly a week until the ball!! I can not believe we are at this point and to be honest I don't think I've ever felt so nervous about anything in my life!

Sounds dramatic Perhaps, but it's so important to me that it's a success! I want to do the people I love proud for all the support they've given me and most of all I want to do the people that haven't been as lucky as me in fighting this horrible illness proud!

Stacey and I had a final stages planning meeting last night and although all so exciting there is still so much to do! It's funny because we are so different, Stacey does everything yesterday where as I will do everything tomorrow! Some how though it just works, we have pulled together something amazing and I am in no doubt we will raise a nice amount for Cancer Research UK!

As we sat there last night going through the ins and outs of everything, I finally asked the question I always wondered but never asked

"Stace..."

"Yep" ...she answered without looking up from the notes she was writing.

"Why did you decide to help me with this, I mean to just randomly help a perfect stranger".

She looked up from her notes, was silent for a moment and then replied with a smile.

"I don't know...I just saw what you wanted to do on social media and thought it was really cool! "

Now I know Stacey, I understand that to her it really is as simple as that! She's just one of these genuinely good people that you rarely come across in this life. She saw something that was important so in her mind why wouldn't she actively help? Would I have done the same the other way round? Helped a complete stranger arrange a charity event? If I'm really honest the answer is probably not. She really has put in as much effort, time and heart into this as me. I will always be grateful and I'm so glad to now be able to call her my friend.

Anyway, enough with the mushy stuff! Today Stacey has been down to Havant bus station discussing our very own pink bus! Colin Ashcroft of Stage Coach buses has kindly offered to donate their pink Cancer Research bus for the evening! How awesome is that?!

The Bus is a new addition to Stage Coach and we will be only the second people to use it! The first was the ladies who work for the company to take them to the race for life at Worthing this year. Naturally, we feel very privileged! Unfortunately neither Stacey or I will be able to arrive by it due to setting up and things but I'm hoping my Parents will be able to take my bus obsessed toddler on it! Colin has even said we can have "Pants & Bras to Cancer" and he had the idea of "Mason's Bus" or something with Mason's name mentioned in it where the number normally is. I got a bit emotional when she told me that bit! What a nice man, I look forward to meeting him and thanking him personally.

The bus is in memory of Colin's Mum Sandy Ashcroft who unfortunately lost her battle with Cancer this year. I hope we do her proud and raise lots of money for the charity.

I've read 2 stories this week of ladies who have recently lost their battle to cancer. Both of them around my age, one lady who lives local to me and one in Wales, who's story I have followed since I was diagnosed. I didn't know either of them personally but that doesn't stop me feeling sad. Well, actually I have experienced a mix of emotions by it all! I feel sad for them, then guilty that I'm still here, and then frightened. Sometimes I can shake all those feelings off and remind myself I'm lucky and just stick with that. because I am, I'm so lucky but then other times I just can't.

I had my review this week with the intensive care unit too which I think helped because they were so happy with how I've progressed. They started at first asking questions like "do you manage ok yet with stairs yet", "can you walk for long" and "do you have someone at home with you to help you"...she was a little surprised when I said explained that I went back to work three weeks ago and am basically back to how I was! Although this was just for the meningitis side of things, it does give me a boost and gives me a well needed shake. Most people who go so quickly down hill with Meningitis like I did don't get back up again. Less then 3 months ago I was laying in a bed in that ward with tubes and machines unconscious for days and now it's like it never happened.

I think it's only now it really hits me that I really could of died! Again, the lady talking to me was full of smiles and seemed genuinely happy at how well I'm doing. When you work in intensive care there aren't so many happy endings I suppose! I will never stop saying it but I'm so lucky! I do struggle some times with coordination still but not so anybody would really notice, my short term memory is terrible and sometimes when I try to concentrate I struggle, but it's nothing really! It may get better over time but it may not, if it doesn't it's not the end of the world!

While I was at the hospital I popped in on Chloe, the friend I made when I was in hospital. She unfortunately is poorly again so she had to go back in recently. She's back on the same ward we were in back in June and it was really bizarre walking back in there! Although I hated every minute of be there, waking back in was quite comforting and familiar!...perhaps because I knew I wasn't staying!!! 

Also I've finally got a date this week for when we are going to be in love it magazine! It's going to be out on 6th October 2016! It's been written for months but with all this meningitis rubbish they held off publishing it! I hope it doesn't come off as a 'poor me' article as I would hate that. 

Even with so much to do and even considering we haven't finished this event, I'm still playing around with ideas of what we can do next! This can't be the end of Pants (& Bras) To Cancer although we may have to rethink the name if underwear isn't involved! I'm thinking maybe a Christmas for kids but maybe that's being too ambitious when it's only 3 months away!!! 

Any ideas welcomed! 

But Honestly, It Was Worth It...

I've been a little concerned that my last blog could have the possibly of scaring ladies thinking of having the same procedure...

Before I had the op I did the thing that EVERY oncologist, surgeon, specialist and breast care nurse tells you what not to do...I googled! I've done this all the way through my journey through cancer, I can't help myself! When you're going through treatment it's the worse thing to do but I've never been very good at following rules or doing as I'm told! I'm sure I'm not alone!

Anyway, so I googled the reconstruction surgery! But to be quite honest...I didn't find very much? I didn't want the medical professions description on the surgery (although I'd previously read plenty). I wanted a normal persons view from someone who had Actually had it done! I could only really find one honest account from a lady in America on a breast cancer forum. Which quite frankly, didn't fill me with confidence. So Now there will be two horror stories on the Internet!! Hers and mine!

This was never my intention but at the same time I want my blog to be as honest as possible. I hope I can help others by sharing my experience but at the same time I write it for me too. When all is said and done, I want my blog to have a happy ending. I have read and enjoyed so many blogs of ladies that have been going through/been through breast cancer. Each time desperately searching for a full recovery, only to get to the end and find a final blog from one of their loved ones or friends sadly announcing that they had pasted away.

I don't want this blog to end like that, in fact I'm determined it won't! I want to be the girl that lived! I want my blog to be the hope to someone else that I so desperately wanted to find during my darkest times.

Soooo with that in mind...let's have some positives now of my new boob!!!

I'm 9 weeks post surgery now and it's all mostly healed. There are a couple of bits still with dressings on but remember I did burst the wound open in my looney state somehow! I actually had a plastic surgery nurse appointment today and she said why it's taken longer is because, I'm unusual in the fact my body spits out the stitches rather than completely dissolve them!! I'm not in any pain though and I'm really enjoying wearing clothes I haven't been able to wear for a long time. When you have one boob everything has to have a high neckline which really wasn't a big deal before the surgery. However, It's been so nice to just stick on a vest top! The fact I now have a flat stomach is amazing too because I've NEVER had a flat stomach! I can wear nice dresses that I would never of been able to wear before so it's been such a bonus!

With a bra on you would never know my new boob used to be my stomach! Without my bra...well it's boob shaped but obviously the scars are still very visible, however I don't care! In time they will fade but even if they didn't I would still be happy with the result! I don't regret the choice I made to have the surgery one bit. The horror part in this story has been meningitis and not the surgery!

Obviously, at the moment I don't have a nipple as that comes later. Having said that though, I don't think I'm going to bother one. They way I feel right now is that the only person who is going to see it is my husband and I know it doesn't bother him! Had I decided not to have reconstructive surgery he wouldn't of looked at me any different.  So instead of a nipple I'm thinking of having something pretty tattooed over the scars! What exactly, I don't know yet! I've never had a tattoo in my life as I've always worried it will hurt, but as there is little feeling in that area that's not going to be an issue ( every cloud)!

Something else I haven't mentioned and that I am proud of, is the fact that Mason and I along with some others did the race for life! It was only two weeks after coming out of hospital after the meningitis episode and for obvious reasons we walked it, well I walked it and pushed Mason in the push chair. When we got close to the finish line though I took him out of the pushchair and he walked the last bit and crossed the finish line holding my hand. I got a bit emotional crossing the finish line as we've been on such a journey together in his short life so far. This was something I had in my mind I wanted to do since last year, so it was a wonderful feeling to reach this point!  Even better though was the fact that our little group raised over £700 for Cancer Research UK!

 

As I think you can see from the photos above, I was still quite poorly and it took two days to recover after but I am so glad we did it. I would of been heart broken if I hadn't!

And Now? Well, I'm feeling so much better that I'm planning to go back to work next week! I wasn't expected back until September but I feel it will do me some good to be back in the real world! I've finally ditched the wig now and although my hair is not quite as long as I'd like I can live with it. I even braved a selfie with my boy the other day!

I've hated how I've looked since chemo so we have very few photos of me & him. Now I think of it, it's our first photo I'm not wearing a wig in (apart from race for life obviously).

Our lovely Kiera- Jayne is in Spain with her Mum, Step Dad and her other little brother. She came to stay when she broke up from school before she went and she will be back down to stay when she gets back before she has to go back to school. We can't wait to see her! I'm determined for us all to have some fun from now on, something that has been seriously lacking through all this!