Me and my close friend Jude will be walking (and talking) together as a Team, the 25km South Coast Ultra Challenge for the amazing charity Myeloma UK.

‘Unique’. That is what I was told when I was diagnosed with cancer just before Christmas 2023. The cancer I have is so rare that it could not be named, and after many tests and scans, the nearest comparison was Multiple Myeloma. For those who do not know what this is, it is a treatable blood cancer but currently incurable which means I will have to have ongoing treatment for the rest of my life. Myeloma has affected my spine and pelvic bone. I am now on a maintenance programme; having bone infusions and a daily cocktail of pills. If you picked me up I would probably rattle! The sad thing is I never had any symptoms, and this all originated from a stomach pain!

Initially, I quite liked being ‘unique’ as I felt like a medical phenomenon (though not really understanding what was happening) but as time went by and during the course of the treatment, ‘unique’ lost its shine. Nothing prepared you for the treatment that lay ahead. I just willed every stage of the process to come- every stage being more fearful and traumatic than the last.They say you shouldn’t wish your life away, but I really had no choice. I did become depressed with the attempts to harvest cells, losing my hair and feeling ill all the time. It was a very difficult time for my family, especially after my stem cell transplant - I was too ill to see my children for 10 days. I thought the daily infusions and medication were painful but this paled in comparison seeing my husband leave me after each daily visit in my 12 x 12 hospital room akin to solitary confinement due to my compromised immune system.

I have had to rebuild my immune system as it was wiped out by the transplant - I am undergoing a programme to have all my vaccinations since birth. You would think that the amount of needles I have felt would make it easier but this is not the case. I have become a human pin cushion!

I found that walking in the last year or so has helped me immensely. Jude has been a treasured companion on my regular walks. For summer and autumn 2025, she pretty much set aside most of her personal life (her husband was not happy but understood, (we think!)), to keep walking with me, knowing it was invaluable therapy not just for me but also for her. Hence our team’s name, the Walkers and Talkers Therapy.

We made a pact last year that we would walk for Myeloma UK because it was vital to raise awareness of these rare blood cancers. The charity provides informative and emotional support for patients, and that ‘all essential hand holding’. Fund raising for this charity would assist with their continuous help for people like me, who have to live with this cancer until such a cure can be found.

Please donate what you can and help us make a difference.

PS Whilst I am going public with my illness, I just want to take this opportunity to give my heartfelt thanks to my formidable family and friends (you know who you are) for your acts of kindness and support, prayers, positivity and your precious time (caring, cooking and walking). Also, my appreciation to my employer, Dr Gkreka and the medical staff at the Chartwell Unit and Kings. Last but not least my beloved B-Fs, because of you, I have the strength to fight.