My diagnosis

On 29th July, after a few months of suspected IBS and other misdiagnoses, I found out I had pancreatic cancer that had spread to my liver. I was given one of the worst prognoses, having "a few months not years" to live and told that chemotherapy had only a 5%-10% chance of improving my life expectancy (but wouldn't cure the disease).

The news was not only heartbreaking and horrifying for me, but it also turned my family's lives upside down (to put it mildly!).

Following the news, I suddenly contracted severe jaundice and had to have five emergency procedures to alleviate it and prevent it from happening again (I now have two stents placed within my digestive system tracts).

Not giving in

Once I finally came out of hospital in mid-August, my closest friends and family helped me to come up with a plan for how I would approach my illness (the chemo option didn't feel compelling enough to me). I'm 54 years young(!!) and am otherwise fit and healthy, so I decided that I am by no means ready to give in - despite what my doctors suggested. So "Team Julie" began researching what other people like me have done to improve their life expectancy and sometimes even cure themselves of cancer.

After a lot of research, we came across an approach known as the Berkson Protocol, founded by a doctor in the US and is becoming of great interest in various medical journals across the world for dramatically lengthening people's lives that also have stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This involves receiving various supplements (most optimally) via IV drips.

In addition to this, another method we have learnt to be incredibly powerful is changing my diet and flooding my immune system with nutrients through a mainly vegetarian and organic diet, taking a whole host of vitamin supplements and drinking at least 2 litres of organic cold pressed juices a day (which takes the "kids" 2 hours a day to make!) - which is made up of 3kg of carrots, five beetroots and two bunches of celery... per day!

So far, I'm happy to say that the above treatments have had an immensely positive effect on my quality of life. So much so, that I was even able to enjoy a holiday of a lifetime with my family in South Africa (generously donated by my parents), after my middle daughter Katie was married.

Continuing with my treatment

Now we're back and I really want to continue with this treatment and diet plan, but it is expensive.

It can't be covered by the NHS and so I am having to pay for every consultation, IV treatment and blood test etc as and when I can. In addition to this, because the treatment is in Brighton, I have been having to pay for accommodation and travel expenses as well. This can all cost me around £1,500 per week.

After a wonderful response from so many of our lovely friends offering to support and help in anyway they can, we have decided to start this fundraising campaign to help bring us all together and raise funds for my ongoing treatment and future therapies. We have lots of plans, especially around Christmas to raise money and host events that we would love for you all to get involved with. If you would like to help raise money at all that would be AMAZING - please just donate what you raise here!

Through this page, you will be able to donate and also check for updates on my progress and any events we are organising. We hope that this will keep us motivated and help to keep everyone in the loop!

Thanks for reading and for your ongoing support!

Scroll down below for my weekly updates and please feel free to follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/julie.shaw.75839 or Instagram (Jules077)!

Watch this space - I'm going to beat this!

Julie xxxxx