Those of you that know me will know that this is a charity that is very important and personal to me. On the 31st of October I will celebrate five years since my surgery. My journey has been challenging and difficult at times but everyone faces challenges and this is mine. To mark the occasion I have organised a second Charity Ball. Thank you to all those have already brought tickets and can join us on the evening of 11th November - we look forward to making memories with you all.

The surgery that I had to remove two thirds of my pancreas and spleen due to a premalignant pancreatic cyst has been life changing for me and many more like me. I not only want to raise awareness for the symptoms of pancreatic disease but also to raise funds to help survivors to have the best possible quality of life.

My journey began in November 2017. I was admitted to hospital with a pain that I had had for a while, but which had suddenly got worse. At the time it was put down to a flare up of IBS or possibly a stomach ulcer. I was sent home with antacids! After discharge I continued to feel a little unwell and began to suffer with regular bouts of upset stomachs and pain. My family and close friends became concerned about me and urged me to go back to the GP. So, in January 2018, under duress, I returned to my doctor and she suspected something like celiac disease or colitis. I began to have some tests. I had an ultrasound scan in February 2018 and my heart sank when the radiographer focused for a long period of time on the upper centre of my abdomen. She told me that they had found a cyst on my pancreas. She tried to reassure me but said that it needed further investigation. It was not what I had been expecting and feared the worse. I looked on the internet and really wished I hadn’t. I went on to have an MRI scan which confirmed that I had a large cyst which covered the tail and body of my pancreas. A biopsy and EUS later confirmed I had a 5.6cm IPMN that contained some cancerous cells. Due to the high potential that this would turn malignant and because of its size I was advised that the only option was for this to be removed. By this time my symptoms had got much worse. I had severe pain in my back and a constant upset stomach. So, on October 31st 2018 I had the surgery. The tail and body of my pancreas was removed and due to complications, my spleen too. Although I had tried to prepare myself for what I had been told would be a difficult time I had no idea of the impact that this would have on my life and that of those close to me.

I recovered well from surgery at first and was told the cyst was pre-malignant, so no further treatment was needed. Phew! But after a few weeks I struggled to eat, my stomach symptoms worsened, and I was continuously losing weight. On January 2nd 2019 I was taken into hospital again in excruciating pain and it was discovered I had a leak. I went on to have a stent fitted between my remaining pancreas and stomach.

Since this time I have had to learn how to deal with and manage with my lifelong symptoms. I will take antibiotics daily for the rest of my life as well as Creon to aid digestion as I have developed Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency which means I find it hard to digest fats, carbohydrates and protein. I have malabsorption which means I suffer with ongoing fatigue and have regular iron infusions as my body refuses to absorb it for itself! I am continuously monitored for diabetes and told that this is an inevitability. I have reactive hypoglycaemia and at times struggle to regulate my sugar levels. This has led to neuropathic damage that is currently under investigation. My bloods have never returned to normal and are monitored constantly. I am still in some discomfort especially after eating and I take food supplement drinks to remain at a healthy weight. I see a dietician regularly. I am proud to say that I have pushed myself to return to work but still only manage 4 days a weeks.

So this is what led me to raising money for this charity and in particular the Clinical Pioneer Awards as I want to help not only to find a way of diagnosing pancreatic cancer earlier and a cure, but also to help those like me who are fortunate enough to not have had cancer but who live with the lifelong effects of having part of the pancreas removed. I feel that there is very little information and that often symptoms of pain are dismissed or attributed to a different complaint. Before this surgery I was a fit, never sat still type of person. It's taking me a long time to accept the new me.

I am sharing my story(in rather a lot of detail!) to help others. If just one person reads it and recognises the symptoms early then that’s one more person who might be as fortunate as me. If I hadn’t have had family and friends that nagged me to keep going back to the GP it may have been much worse by the time it was found.

It’s unacceptable that more than half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within 3 months. Survival rates have improved enormously for most cancers, yet for pancreatic cancer, this is not the case.

This why I want to raise as much money as possible to support Pancreatic Cancer UK. Thank you so much to all those who have already signed up for the Winter Ball. Looking forward to a great night of fun with a special crowd of friends and family.

Pancreatic Cancer UK is dedicated to taking on this injustice using every possible means. They're supporting people with pancreatic cancer now, campaigning, and funding vital research to transform the future. Help them to make the breakthroughs that people with pancreatic cancer so desperately need.