The Hospital said they're ninety percent sure I have Breast Cancer

Wednesday the 3rd of July

My Appointment is at the hospital, this time I had no kids to take with me, my mum and dad had offered to look after the girls for me and the boys were at school. My appointment was nice and early 9.30 I arrived, they promptly called me through to see the consultant, she was really lovely the staff told me to change into a gown which,  I did she examined my breast and felt the lump, smiled she said

"well there is no history of cancer in your family, you are young and fit I am quite sure it will be a cyst or fatty tissue, we will get you an ultrasound and if everything looks ok you will be discharged from there"

I was quite happy I went and waited outside the room to be called in.

I didn't have to wait long before I was called into the ultrasound room, once in the room, they asked me if I knew which breast that needed looking at?  I said yes the Left breast, they began the scan I say because there were two people looking at the screen they were pointing and sighing and zooming in and out, I couldn't really see what they were looking at or hear what they were saying they scanned booth breasts the person taking the ultrasound then turned to me and said

"we're not sure at the moment what we are looking at we want you to have a mammogram and come back to us after".

At this point, I felt nervous I dint understand what they had seen or why they were not discharging me, I'm 36 it cant be surely more than an abscess, fatty tissue or a cyst so off I went for the mammogram it wasn't really painful like some people had said just really uncomfortable and the room was freezing which didn't help matters.

Once the mammogram had all been done, it was back to the ultrasound room when I went inside they were both examining the mammogram they then explained to me what was going on, they told me that they were 90% sure that what the scans had shown up was something suspicious but they couldn't be sure without taking tissue samples, they then asked to take a biopsy an ultrasound-guided biopsy to be precise they also wanted to put a marker in my breast in case they needed to scan it again, I agreed.

It began, it was horrible anaesthetic first then they took approximately six biopsies all I could think was it can't be cancer I am only 36, what about the kids? how the hell am I going to cope with the kids and being ill who was going to look after them?

I could feel hot tears trickling down my face one of the radiographers pulled a tissue out the box and wiped my cheek, I couldn't speak I was really trying to be brave at that moment I didn't want to cry in front of these strangers, the biopsies seemed to go on for a lifetime all I could think was I just want to go home. When I came out of the ultrasound room.

I went running into my little sister's arms crying, she had been patiently waiting outside for me, I don't think she knew what to think or to say, I'm the one who has always looked after her and now she was taking my worries, trying to be the strong one, I didn't like the feeling at all, the radiographer moved us into a private room the tears didn't last long I don't think id really taken it all in.

Afterwards, I had to see the consultant again and do you know what? she apologised, apologised for saying she was confident it was nothing this time she had another lady with her in a different uniform a deep blue uniform, I looked at her name badge it said breast cancer specialist nurse, the consultant told me she would see me a week from this day with the results and left the room.

The nurse looked at me and said do you understand what you have just been told and I said

"Shes Telling Me I Have Cancer"

The nurse just looked at me and said I'm not going to sugar coat it yes she is but we have to wait for the official results first.

The rest is a blur I didn't really hear anything else I just kept looking at the clock and the door.

I had been at the hospital three hours I was in pain with my boob my brain could not process any more information, I wanted to go home and couldn't get out quick enough.

When I got home I was like a robot, I told my Mum and Dad they cried in fact I rang or messaged most of my close friends or family not really thinking about what I was saying just repeating the same story over and over talking about it like it is something I had watched on the TV my brain wasn't processing things, I was starting to get cross, people were saying how sorry they were and crying, I just wasn't taking it seriously, I was just saying don't worry I'm honestly fine and really I was.

I was fine until about four days  after my appointment, after googling and googling my symptoms I just got really mad I went up into the bedroom and started throwing things around for no reason, then I cried, and I cried and I cried to the point where I felt like I couldn't breathe and everything hurt, I cried until I fell asleep.

The next day I decided that ninety per cent perhaps wasn't enough of a percentage, they could have still got it wrong, couldn't they? after all the NHS do get things wrong,  I rang the Breast care nurses and asked them what the percentage was of them getting things wrong, she wasn't very helpful she said the radiographers don't usually get things wrong (well she was really helpful she just didn't say the words I wanted her too) my mind went into overdrive if I wasn't thinking about cancer I was googling it, talking about it crying about it thinking about my life, was I going to survive? who would look after the kids if I didn't?

These stupid thoughts came and went I needed to wait for the results everything crossed the professionals were wrong!

 

National Cleaning day 19th March - Vileda #Review

Spring is nearly officially upon us and its time to start emptying out the cupboards - we will be sorting out for a car boot and of course giving the house a good clean especially the windows, most of them have the most artistic little hand prints and streaks on them!

This March 19th families nationwide are expected to participate in the first Annual national cleaning day. The idea is to get everyone to "pitch in and clean" in the hope that it encourages those that are unfamiliar with a mop or hover to help out around the home.

On the day people all over the UK are asked to dedicate a few hours to cleaning in the hope your home with be fresh and sparkly in time for spring.

Did you know despite revolutions in cleaning more than 67% of adults still rely on there parents to come round and clean or help with chores around the home despite living independently - shocking isn't it, I can honestly say I have never asked my parents round to help me clean!
Mums around the UK are drafted in to help with a whole host of chores with washing up being at the top of the list closely followed by vacuuming or mopping, laundry then ironing.

National cleaning day is a day to put mums or whoever does the bulk of chores first, giving them a little bit of help and support is guaranteed to put a smile on there face and to get things around the home finished quicker. If you never do the washing up get you rubber gloves on, if you never do the hoovering fetch the hover out, do whatever you can to "Pitch in and clean."

On the day Vileda is offering the first ever 24 hour Tweetline giving you a chance to ask any cleaning query or problems no matter how big or small - They will have experts on hand to help. Also on the Vileda Facebook page there will be a chance to win some cleaning products, alongside top tips advice and facts related to national cleaning day.

We were sent four products from the cleaning range to try out and put to the test,

• Active Wave, Non Scratch All Purpose Scourer.
• Microfibre, Dust Cloth.
• Vileda, style, Sunsplash all purpose cloths.
• Microfibre, 2 in 1 Kitchen cloth.

First up we tried out the, active wave non Scratch all purpose cleaner, Vileda have injected a small yet powerful dose of power into your cleaning. The ideal all purpose cleaner makes light work of of removing dirt effectively without scratching - I put this to the test on some of my lovely pans, I am always sceptical and a bit scared to use anything that is a bit scratchy on them I usually just buy soft dish cloths but this can mean soaking pans for hours upon end.

The Active wave sponge feels just that, one side is quite scratchy the other side is soft like a sponge, I tried this out on my pan after having spaghetti, the pan had been left over night so I new it would be quite tough to clean - I didn't leave the pan in the water for too long, I made use of the active sponge, it worked really well it didn't scratch any of the Teflon coating off, it did glide through the dirt on the pan making it easy and quick to clean I was surprised at how well it worked and that there was no damage to the surface of the pan.

The Vileda active wave cloth is the latest innovation in cleaning technology and is priced at £1.29

Next up we tried out the Microfibre Dust, this is a softened fleece effect cloth that removes up to 40% more dust than traditional dusters. It is creates its own electrostatic charge and it attracts dust, dirt and hair which is most commonly found in the home.

The duster its self is really soft, its so soft that Adam was calling it a baby blanket and cuddling it, I tried this out upstairs, we have a tumble dryer upstairs which makes plenty of dust to clean, I thought the cloth worked really well at collecting the mass amount of dust that collects upstairs, However I didn't think it was anything better or anything worse that others dusters I have used previously, I would say that that they are all as good as each other, the only thing I did think was better about the dust cloth was that when it was washed and dried it hadn't lost its shape and it was still as soft as when I had first taken it out of the packet. The Microfibre dust cloth is priced at £1.99.

The new Microfibre Kitchen, is great out of the different cloths we were sent this is my favourite, its an all in one cloth. One side of the cloth has groves running down it where as the other side is quite soft but very absorbent. I love this one because of its multipurpose instead of looking at all the cleaning cloths in the supermarket trying to decide which one you want to buy, this makes things so much easier one side of the cloth is perfect for polishing and cleaning grease where as the other side is great for tackling burnt on dirt without again scratching the things you need to clean.

I used this on the tops of my oven and it worked really well at helping to lift all the dirt from the tops of it with out using to much elbow grease and I only used water. It is also really great at absorbing the liquid used to clean.

I then washed the cloth and used it as a duster, to dust the kitchen after washing the cloth, it came out just as good and it is like the Microfibre dust, I wouldn't say its any better in use as a duster or any worse I would put them all around the same figure if I had to give them a number.The Microfibre Kitchen is priced at £1.99.

Last but by no means least we tried out the yellow Sunsplash - All purpose cleaning cloths, these are reusable cloths for in and around the home, they are absorbent and long lasting.

I have been using these for everything wiping down the highchair and tables cleaning the kitchen sides, wiping dirty finger prints off the door frames, I have used it mainly as like a anything cloth when Liam spilt his drink the other day I used this to soak up the juice I have to say the cloth did a good job and didn't seem to be wet through or dripping when I was carrying it through to the kitchen to rinse it out. The Sunsplash cloth is very flexible and can also be washed in the washing machine so you can use it again and again.

Overall, I really liked the Vileda cloths and when I am in the mood cleaning can be quite therapeutic.

Along with national cleaning day 19th March Vileda are also launching a fantastic new Competition here are the details.

CLEAN UP WITH VILEDA ‘FLOOR MILES’Did you know that if you laid all the Vileda SuperMocios produced in a year end to end you could:

• a) Go around the world 6 times
• b) Cover the London to NY distance 426 times
• c) Run 5,631 marathons
• d) Climb Mt Everest 27 times

That’s a lot of Floor Miles! With that in mind, Vileda is excited to announce the launch of the brand new initiative ‘Floor Miles’, a unique way to earn rewards on cleaning chores.

Vileda products are designed to last miles longer and make your cleaning miles easier, and now Vileda wants cleaning to help you get miles further with the chance to win a luxurious family holiday.

To be entered into the draw to win a trip for yourself and three family members* to experience eco clean living in Tenerife’s 4 star Sandos San Blas Eco Resort, you simply have to cash in on your cleaning and send in your empty Vileda packaging along with a Completed entry form.
Launching on Wednesday 19 March, 2014- which is also set to become the UK’s first National Cleaning Day - Floor Miles is an eight-month competition where every piece of Vileda packaging equals one entry into the prize draw. Quite simply, the more you send, the more chance you have to win. All Vileda products will be accepted.

The prize is for the winner and three family members to experience pure quality and clean living on a luxurious all-inclusive five-night break to the luxury 4 star resort. Set in its own nature reserve, the stunning resort combines sustainable amenities, eco tours and a variety of cultural activities for the whole family to enjoy*.

There will also be seven monthly prize draws for £100 worth of travel vouchers and a second grand prize of £500 travel vouchers.

The ‘Floor Miles’ launch is perfectly timed as it falls within the year of the leading household mop, the SuperMocio’s, 25th birthday.

To find out more about Vielda products you can visit www.Vileda.com visit there facebook page or follow them on Twitter

I was sent these products for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.

Made.com cushion Review

There is nothing more I love than snuggling on the sofa and watching a film. the boys always love to snuggle when they are not feeling too under the weather. A sofa is not a sofa without some comfortable big chunky cushions in my opinion, and of course they need to be comfortable ones. We were recently sent a cushion from Made.Com. 

Made.com do an amazing range of cushions in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles. The cushions are quite reasonably priced and they really are the type of cushion you can get comfortable with we received the Decker cushion.

The Decker cushion is expertly made and crafted from fibre filling and high quality fabric. With the woven jacquard telephone pattern on one side and berry red on the other. The cushion measures W50, H50 and its made from 66% polyester - telephone pattern, the reverse is 80% viscose 20% linen berry red cushion, The pad filling is fibre with a removable cover. This cushion is priced at £39.00 which I feel is a perfect price for the quality and the design of the product.










this cushion combines a generous fibre filling with a soft cotton cover to provide maximum comfort for lounging around.excellent quality, you can definitely tell they are from an high-end shop. Each of the little details add some extra homely feel to the cushions. I really love the design to see more of there designs you can visit the website MADE.COM these cushions would make the perfect alternative gift this Christmas for anyone looking for something homely.


This cushion was sent to me for the purpose of this review all opinions remain honest and my own.

Sunflower wall Art- Arthouse #Review

Arthouse is one of the countries leading suppliers of home decoration products, with collections centring around Wall coverings and Home Decorative Products They have an amazing Wall Art collection, Screens, Photograph frames and Coving & Tiles.

For over a decade they have been designing trend led product for the interiors market. The in house design studio has created collections inspired directly from the most current trends.

ArtHouse make a range collections and try to suit everyone's budget so there will always be something you can afford and love. From their Vintage collection to their most well known, Opera collection, there is loads of choice and they even have an Opera Fun collection which are designed for kids with wild imaginations.

I was sent out this lovely sunflowers picture to review

In various quad and triptych formats, this etched art piece provides a real point of difference for the home. In its bright colours , the picture takes on a stunning shimmer, which you cant see from the picture above but it really does shine. This range are mainly used for focal points as no matter whether it's daytime or the middle of the night, the piece of art will shimmer and show off its stunning picture.

I have decided that my picture is going to be hung at the top of the stairs so every time we come down it will get looked at brighten up our day and make us feel cheerful!

I choose this piece because I hate dark colours and dark times of the year although I love Christmas

I love this because it reminds me of the spring/summer it gives me that warm feeling inside like I am excited because I know the summer will be here again soon it also makes me feel relaxed, If I think hard enough I can almost feel the rays of sunshine on my face.

the piece of art measures H80 x W80 all four pieces of the sunflower picture are the same size the picture is priced at £100 which I think is quite reasonable for the quality and how stunning and striking the design is.

Arthouse is stocked at B&Q, Wilkinsons, Homebase and other DIY retailers and you can also buy their art online on the Arthouse website. This particular canvas is from one of there new ranges Arthouse have so many different items available from on their website they are definitely worth a look and I would highly recommend there art pieces.

I was sent this this beautiful piece of art for the purpose of this review all opinions expressed remain honest and my own

4 pieces each piece H40cm x W40cm

4 pieces each piece H40cm x W40cm

4 pieces each piece H40cm x W40cm

Make more space for Christmas - Packmate vacuum storage #Review

Our house is a two bedroom house, although it is quite a large two bedroom house, as the boys are growing up there seems to be getting less space and more clutter, not only that our house was only built two years ago and it just has no storage in it. It has one cupboard upstairs, the only other storage we have, is from the furniture in the rooms. I am always looking different storage items to put more things in, clothes are especially troublesome as I tend to put all the clothes Liam has grown out of into a box, in the bottom of the wardrobe for Adam, although that box is pretty full and lets say over flowing.

I was offered the chance to review Packmate vacuum storage bags, my friend was actually telling me about these in the summer when she was getting ready to go on holiday, I have wondered if they were effective, I have also wanted to try them. I was sent a lovely selection from there vacuum range.

I decided to try out the flat vacuum bags, I have been meaning to have a sort out for a while - you see believe it or not I have a drawer full of maternity clothing - I just haven't got round to putting it away, I took the Packmate vacuum bag out of the packet and laid it flat on the bedroom floor, the first thing I noticed was the design on one side of the bag it is very striking and really pretty I would actually have something like this as my wall paper its really nice, the opposite side of the bag is transparent it is also the side with the valve on it.

The bags were really easy to fill with their wide opening on one side which is easily closed by a plastic zip that slides across the top of the bag, There is a simple valve on the clear side of the bag which lifts to open, you then place the hose of the vacuum cleaner on to the valve which expels the air from the bag before pushing the valve down to close it the solution is really simple.

Within the Packmate range of vacuum bags is a set of travel bags. These are a lot smaller and come in various sizes with the zip top feature but without the valve on the back of the bag. The beauty of these bags are that you can either roll them up, press them or if you have a vacuum cleaner handy you can poke the nozzle in a partial opening of the zip to compress the bag.

I am very impressed at how well the Packmate vacuum bags have performed they really are amazing, they have left me with loads of extra space in the house, great if you only have a small space or have a lot of things that need storing for certain months of the year.

Vacuum bags are great for items that you don’t use regularly particularly large bedding items or cushions, Or you have children's clothing to store, as I do when one is growing out of things the clothing goes into storage for the other one! Another advantage of using these bags for storage is that they protect against moisture, mildew, bugs and dirt- fabulous if like me you keep a lot of things in the attic. They are made from a tough tear resistant material that will withstand use again and again.

These storage solutions are a great idea for anytime of the year, I know for lots of you will be preparing for Christmas, and will be worrying about where you are going to put things to make room for guests well these fantastic bags are the perfect solution for keeping things tidy and what is more you will get more things in the tight spaces with your items compacted down.

All Packmate vacuum bags come with a 5 year guarantee and are available from Home Storage Direct which offers a fantastic free delivery on all orders. So why not pop over and have a look

Shoplet UK's Product Reviewer Program.

Last week I received a wonderful pack of goodies from Shoplet, Shoplet is the number one virtual e-tailer for school and office supplies, carrying over 400,000 products, 20,000 of which are eco-friendly. I am going to be bringing you more future posts from this company as they have offered me the chance to be part of the product reviewer program which will involve me showing you lots more of there amazing stationary and other products they have in there range!

This Is the lovely box they have sent me inside there is small taster of the lovely products in which they have listed on there website Shoplet

I was sent a Hamelin Cambridge Business A5 notebook, there are two hundred pages of this book so loads of space for me to write my lists that seem never ending I have a brain like a sieve! all the pages are ruled, perforated and with two punched holes, making it easier to file them.

To compliment my notebook I have a Zebra Pen Z-grip Flight, ballpoint pen with a stylish barrel, low viscosity blue ink and rubber grip for comfort, The rubber grip makes it ideal if you are writing alot I have to say I really love this pen its lovely to write with!. I was also sent a pack of Remarkable Recycled Pencils, these are awesome, on the front of the packet they say recycled into something remarkable (loving the pun!!) but I really do love the fact that these are all made from household recycled rubbish anything from CD cases, plastic cups and polystyrene cups well actually it could really be anything

The welcome pack also had a Pritt glue stick, which is washable and non-toxic, some very brightly coloured paper clips to keep it all organised and together.


There is a very handy Durable Screen Cleaning Wipe, moist low-lint wipes soaked with alcohol-free cleaning fluid for gentle and streak-free cleaning of monitor screens, this did a fabulous job of removing the sticky finger marks off my screen! their was even a sample of Nescafe Gold Blend sachet. I say was because I have drank it whilst writing this! the box also included Avery promotional label pack I was given different sizes, the pack also contained some transparent labels. Each individual label is easy to peel, there are also different kinds of Avery labels and different sizes to choose from. in the pack there was also a navy blue quality style envelope and Glo A4 Report File.


So watch this space there will be plenty more Shoplet products to share, I absolutely love Office Stationary so I am very happy I have the chance to be on Shoplet UK's Product Reviewer Program.


To find out more about Shoplet and there fabulous products why not pop over and have a look at their website HERE

These products were sent to me as a welcome into the Shoplet product review program