Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On the 29th June 2010 I took a lunch break from work and went for a Mammogram. One hour later I was back at my desk in a state of shock, my world and that of my family changed in an instant forever. I had breast cancer.

The next twenty months of my life passed in oblivion as I underwent five bouts of surgery including a mastectomy, six months of chemotherapy, lost all my hair  and became a shadow of my former self..With support from friends and family especially my parents and my long suffering sister Yvonne I got through the treatment and came out the other side with a good prognosis. The whole experience though took its toll and left me withdrawn, drained,  fatigued,emotional and angry. On top of that the chemotherapy had sent me into an early chemical induced menopause and I was plunged into the strange and sometimes debilitating world of mood swings, hot flushes, insommnia, severe anxiety attacks and the dreaded 'chemo fog'  Just when I thought things could not get worse the threat of redundancy hit and my father was diagnosed with terminal cancer  My world world spiralled out of control and I went into a kind of free fall. My self esteem and confidence hit rock bottom. I struggled to find a way forward  but then had a lucky break and was referred to the Wessex Cancer Trust for counselling. My counsellor Roz told me about Odyssey and referred me for a place.....

On 31st August I was finally made redundant. 24 hours later with just one holdall holding all items I had been instructed to pack and with absolutely no idea of what I was going to do or who I would be doing it with  I was on a train making my way to Dunoon in Scotland.My  adventure with Odyssey and my life after cancer  had begun.....

I can't tell you what I did during my adventure with Odyssey - I don't want to spoil the surprise for other potential participants but I can tell you about Odyssey....

Using the stimulation of surprise and the outdoors, Odyssey takes people on a 5 day, residential   journey aimed at combating the psychological and emotional devastation caused by their illness.

Odyssey seeks out wild and peaceful places that are steeped in atmosphere, striving to give participants a rich and varied experience, with the chance to try activities they may never have tried before. Programmes are tailored so everyone can participate to a level with which they’re comfortable. The aim is to challenge but not overwhelm.

The course is an adventure, and as with all true adventures those embarking on it do so with only a limited idea of what lies ahead.

To put it quite quite simply Odyssey gave me my life back. I met some truely remarkable and amazing people - who have become great friends. The adventure was literally one surprise after another and I  achieved things I never expected to achieve. It was a challenging trip and through it I came to terms with the emotional and physical impact of cancer and started to feel positive about the future, taking it one day at a time and experiencing each day through living totally in the moment.Priceless!! In short through Odyssey I learnt to live life and relax again

If having cancer is in a strange way a gift - of a new life then taking part in the Odyssey adventure was a privilege and an opportunity to learn how to make the most of that gift. I want to say thank you to Odyssey by giving something back and I want other people who are diagnosed with cancer to be able to experience the adventure and benefit form the journey it takes you on - thats why I am taking on the challenge of trekking 100km across the Moroccan Sahara  in 5 days between the 20th -27th October.

To take part in the Trek I need to raise a minimum of £2,500 (£1000 for the cost of the trip ( I am trying to save enough money myself to pay for the trip and I want to raise at least £1500 for the charity.) The money I raise for the charity will be used to fund places for other people to experience their own odyssey adventure. Each place costs the charity about £800 - £1000.

Odyssey is a small but unique charity and by donating and supporting my efforts you can enrich the lives of others facing a life with cancer and give them the opportunity to experience a life changing adventure of their own with the charity.

Thank you so much for supporting my endeavours and simply  for taking the time to read my story.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Thank you

Elaine