This photo was taken of me at a day retreat at Trigonos in the Nantlle Valley one year after my cancer surgery, 18 months after my chemotherapy and 6 months after my radiotherapy. I was running the retreat with my friend Lisa Russell.

In January 2023 I was diagnosed with HER 2+ breast cancer (non hormonal) which came after a wave of grief from losing both parents and a number of other family members. I was told it was an aggressive form of cancer and I needed to go into treatment straight away.

It is never easy that moment when you are told “you have cancer” and after what I had just been through It felt cruel that I was now being given this challenge. I have always been interested in supporting myself and my family naturally, but in this case I soon realised I didn’t have the knowledge or expertise to go it alone. What I did do is look to what is known as ‘Integrative Oncology’ and how to support my body with alternative and supportive approaches alongside the more traditional treatment.

I had two different chemotherapy agents alongside the drug Phesgo which was really hard on my body. But I changed my already good nutrition to a more cancer specific diet, used my mindfulness and meditation as much as possible and when movement was able I would gently move my body on my yoga mat. I used positive affirmations (especially when receiving the chemo), listened to all sorts of podcasts and audiobooks and most of all listened to my body and what it needed.

When I had my surgery for my breast lumpectomy and some lymph from under my arm, I was told I had a ‘complete response’ they had removed the active cancer.

I now wanted two things, to get my body and mind back as I felt I had lost both and to stop the cancer ever wanting to live in my body again.