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Well Here Goes As They Say ….

MY STORY

To whom it may concern,

My name is Lisa Morgan-Jones

I am a 48 year old lady married to Lee and I have 2 children - Zack 14 , Josh 27 , I have a granddaughter Ella who is 2 years old. On June 23rd 2021, I got diagnosed with cervical cancer stage 4 , this diagnosis turned my world completely upside down. I had just become a Nannie to Ella who was 3 weeks old at the time. I was a registered staff nurse and I was currently working at the Intensive Care Unit in Prince Charles Hospital Merthyr Tydfil . I have been a staff nurse for 13 years and I worked in ITU all through the Covid pandemic too. Being diagnosed with cancer was devastating- the word itself frightened me! I @started intense treatment asap which included radiotherapy, chemotherapy and Bracheytheraoy. Surgery was not an option for me as my primary tumour was too big to operate on. To support me through this new journey of cancer I was pointed in the direction of getting help from a local charity called Cancer Aid - this charity was a god send to me.

My radiotherapy treatment was 5 days a week for 5 weeks and I didn't want to rely on family or friends to take me to my appointments in Velindre - I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone - Cancer Aid offered me transport for these appointments- every day with a voluntary driver they would take me , wait for me and bring me back home. Fast forward to February 2022 the cancer returned and once again I needed to have chemotherapy and radiotherapy- This treatment started on my Mam & Dad”s 49 th Wedding Anniversary 31/03/22 ! No celebrations for my parents that day, they just sat at home and waited to hear from me as I sat though hours of infusions in Velindre! Cancer Aid stepped in again and give me transport to take me to all my appointments. During May 2022 my Mam became very unwell, we took her into hospital on the Friday and Mam passed away on the Tuesday. We was all in limbo the queen of our family had gone . My family includes me, my siste Julie, my dad and my mam - our world fell apart. At this time I was doing chemotherapy treatment, I lost my Mam on the Tuesday and I had to return to the same hospital on the Thursday for hours of chemotherapy infusions ? During this time my mam was still at the hospital too ? I don’t know where I found the strength from to do this but I knew I had to carry on, I had to keep on fighting. The loss of our Mam took a massive toll on our family. To be honest we haven't even began to grieve for Mam because we encounter difficult situations and problems everyday. It's coming up to 2 years without Mam and we still haven't grieved and I am still on this journey fighting cancer . Cancer Aid offered support to me and my family giving us counciling to help us deal with the problems that we face everyday. Even the smallest of problems seem huge when we got so much to think of and worry about too. December 2022, I started having symptoms and scans revealed the cancer had spread to further organs - these results was given to me on the 15 th December - yes a few days before Christmas, the first Christmas without our queen. The results they gave us was devastating -I was given less than 12 months to live. It was at this time that I realised and had to come to terms with that I had to end my career as a staff nurse. I had to live in the reality that I would never be able to go back to work doing the job that I loved. I had given my life to my career and it was gone in a blink of an eye. Given my prognosis me and my partner Lee of 18 years decided to get married asap. All my close family and close friends rallied around and took the burden off me and arranged all the wedding for me. Linda Martin took over, everything was done - the venue, the decoration, the photographer, the disco, the flowers everything. My best friend Irene helped me organise the wedding and Mick suggested me and Lee get married ! My sister/ best friend Julie was a god send too and gifted me and Lee a night away for our honeymoon. We got married on 6 th January 2023 , it was the best day of my life . I wanted to get married before I started chemotherapy again, this was the first time that I could plan when I was going to start treatment it was all down to me I could pick a date ! Then there I was facing the dreaded thought of losing my hair again. Losing my hair didn't phase me anymore - I mean I'm fighting for my life right ? During all my difficult times that I have encountered - Cancer Aid have been amazing to me and my family - they have gifted us with tickets for Christmas concerts to make magical memories with my granddaughter - gifted me and my youngest son a night away in a hotel for us to spend quality time together - gifted my eldest son and his wife a night away. my dad as also been gifted a harvester gift voucher for his recognition of being a carer to our beloved Mam, and for also supporting me and my Julie. I have received, afternoon tea which was delivered to my home because I was unwell. I have attended musical shows and had a ball. Recently, my rock Irene & Mick have also been gifted a voucher for their recognition for what they have done and continue to do for me and my family. Cancer Aid have provided us with little things that mean so much. They have helped us focus on good things and realise not all is bad ! I started my chemotherapy journey on the 12 th January 2023, yep that’s right non stop treatment and I am still on chemotherapy treatment 14 months on ? Throughout this time I have dealt with many medical problems too , it’s not just the cancer disease itself !! I have had sepsis , DYT"s, my mental health as declined . I have locked myself away from my family and friends. In November 2023 I lost a very close friend and colleague of mine. We did our nurse training together - we car shared to uni together - we worked together durning the Covid pandemic and my friend even cut my hair during this time . I think I was client number 36 - who would have ever thought we would be doing this cancer journey together! My friend had Bowel cancer and she passed away. This came as a massive shock to me as I honestly didn't see this coming - I mean we was fighting cancer together right - this took a huge knock to my mental health - I felt as if I was losing those I love to this disease? I have met some brave women through my cancer journey, I made friends and I have also lost these beautiful women to this awful disease too. But I must keep on fighting - I felt like my clock was ticking and my time was running out! Especially after the prognosis that I had been given . I have shocked myself and also shocked my oncologist and my pallitive care team with how far I have come ! I look back on pictures of myself and think oh my I look so unwell - then I bounce back - I get knocked down and then I get back up again! Statistically, I shouldn't be here , but I am and I am not giving up my fight not just yet ! Cancer Aid have been my safe place they continue to offer and give me reflexology sessions every week. These one to one sessions with Sam help me with the awful side effects from chemotherapy- I suffer with peripheral neuropathy! Sam listens to me every week I attend her session and she as become my friend and she sort of like a councillor she listens and she gives me her time. I I also have counselling and even when I haven’t got an appointment booked with Cancef Aid - I can just pop into the centre and have a chat and a cuppa with a friendly face and people who care. Their doors are always open. My health as began to deteriorate over recent weeks and once again I have been receiving amazing support from Cancer Aid. I actually look forward to getting out of bed in the morning now. I push myself everyday, I attend reflexology in Cancer Aid centre once a week and this keeps me going . I keep pushing myself to keep going. I am continuing chemotherapy treatment at the present time and I have this every 3 weeks. I have just had a recent scan and results conclude that the cancer as not progressed further, it is stable at the moment. Therefore, I have another 12 weeks of chemotherapy treatment ahead of me. Tbis is how me and my family live now we enjoy the time we have together. When I am feeling well we do things together, even the little things mean the most because we honestly don't know what tomorow will bring. We take each day as it comes because things can change in a blink of an eye.

The reason why I am sharing this to you all is that, I want to give something back to a charity that as been there for me for nearly 3 years . I honestly do not know or believe that I would have got this far without the support that I have had from Cancer Aid - the organisation is funded from charities hence this is why I want to give back to what they have done for me. I am not in a position to fund Cancer Aid myself - my income as decreased drastically since losing my job as a staff nurse - my husband works 6 nights or days a week to look after me and our son. I would do anything to be able to give back to Cancer Aid, firstly the community wanted to do a charity night and give the money raised to me and my family for a holiday! I refused this as we still enjoy our holidays as a family and we manage on what wages my husband earns. Given this offer from a friend of mine Tina Bailey I decided that I want to raise as much money as we can. I want all money raised to be given to Cancer Aid Metthyr Tydfil because no amount of money can buy what they have given to me and my family. They have given us their time, love, support and commitment - this is something money can never buy and time as you all know is very precious and so is Cancer Aid Methbyr Tydfil 💜

A friend and colleague of mine Linda Martin as kindly set up a pledge for me and is trying to collect as much money as we can. This money will be put into a pot for cancer aid. The name of the pledge is : Lisa"s Thank You 💜

I cannot thank cancer aid enough for what they have done for me, my family and for my friends too. Please would you kindly consider giving a donation small or big, every penny counts - where it be gifted with money, vouchers, a prize. A raffle anything that you can give I would be forever grateful to you and we can make as much as we can, all raised will go directly to Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil .

Thank you, for taking up your time to read my story. Please would you consider any help at all - I would be forever grateful from the bottom of my heart. Let's make the cancer journey a supportive one, for the next person and their family who need this service .

Kind Regards

With Love

And a little pledge. ... Thank You Lisa

Cancer Care Merthyr

Sort Code : 30-95-55

Account Number : 01374841

Lisa’s Thank you

Cancer-aid Kaleigh

Cancer Aid Merthyr Tydfil

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