Monday 31 December 2012

In With The New!

Morning all on this last day of 2012!

This is my third New Year's Eve AC (after cancer) and I'm extremely grateful for the last twelve months, as well as looking forward to the next twelve. I'd like to share with you today the latest blog from Kaz over at WCSUK as she reflects on this year that's coming to a close:




Wishing you all much health and happiness for 2013.

Love Rose x



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Sunday 30 December 2012

It's afternoon here in the UK and I'm still in my pyjamas. No visuals on that - it's not that kind of blog! I hope you're all having a good Sunday? Whatever you're doing today, enjoy yourself.

Love Rose x



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Tuesday 25 December 2012

Merry Christmas!

However you spend today, I hope all's well with you.

Love Rose x



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Saturday 22 December 2012

Still here...

Well, the world didn't end yesterday and today is dark and rainy here in the UK, but the 'shortest' day is gone and I know the coming days will gradually get brighter again. Something to look forward to - which feels good after only taking one day at a time.

Enjoy this weekend before Christmas, whoever you are, wherever you are.

Love Rose x



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Tuesday 18 December 2012

Introducing British Sign Language – Online Course.

Introducing British Sign Language – Online Course

This course looks interesting. It's also very topical in womb cancer circles at the moment, as women who are hearing impaired are seemingly being denied proper access to medical/health information. Please take a look at the latest guest blog sent in to Kaz over at Womb Cancer Support UK:


Womb Cancer Support UK: Raising Awareness in the Deaf Community
wombcanceruk.blogspot.com
Womb Cancer Support UK provide advice and support for women with womb cancer. We are on Twitter and have a Facebook page. Find our website here http://wombcancersupportuk.wix.com/home

Love Rose x


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Friday 14 December 2012

The Kieran Maxwell Fund.

Kieran Maxwell is fourteen years old and was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma - an aggressive form of bone cancer - in 2010. Kieran's leg was amputated so he has to wear a prosthetic leg. 

Kieran is in remission and has developed a passion for gymnastics. The prosthetic he currently uses weighs 14lbs (1 stone/approx 6.4kg) which makes it difficult for him to move around. If Kieran is going to fulfil his dream of competing as a gymnast at the highest level he needs a specialist sports leg. These cost around £25,000 and will need to be replaced as Kieran grows. 

Dorset Orthopaedic is willing to manufacture Kieran's new gymnastics prosthetic leg to his specifications and the fund to pay for it currently stands at 54% of the £25,000 target. If you can help make Kieran's dream of becoming a top class gymnast come true, either by fundraising or donating, then please take a look at The Kieran Maxwell Fund.

Thank you so much.

Love Rose x



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Thursday 13 December 2012

The Aftermath.


Cancer can have a profound effect on even the strongest relationship. Here is one woman’s story of how womb cancer changed hers:

‘I realised over the last year to eighteen months that things were different with you. You seemed uncomfortable with me, you seemed to avoid me at every possible opportunity, you seemed to be shutting yourself away or going for walks or having to ‘see someone’ or on your mobile. I suspected there was someone else.

Going through cancer has been described as inducing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I can understand why – and maybe it’s not just the cancer patient who suffers this; maybe loved ones, those closest, suffer from this too. It’s hard to deal with.

You were always my rock; you were always there to catch me if I ‘fell’, there to listen, to talk, to make me smile. I always loved being around you, being with you, going for walks, making love. But cancer changed all of that.

You couldn’t take away the fear of the unknown, the fear that maybe death was calling for me, and I couldn’t reassure you that I was going to be ok. I couldn’t be there the way I used to be because I was too ill and too busy trying to keep all the “what ifs” and negative thoughts out of my head.

When I needed you, you had to ‘take a rain check’ – work was busy, I’d had my op, I was ‘recovering’, your job came first. Then you admitted that it was because you couldn’t cope with being around me but not being able to touch me or have a relationship the way things used to be.

I had no idea recovery would take so long. I had no idea womb cancer would rob me of me. I’m no longer who I used to be, I’m no longer how I used to be, I’m no longer what I used to be. I’m different, I’m a new me and nothing is the same any more. Without going through it, it’s almost impossible for others to understand – and even harder for me to explain.

I love you but I don’t think it’s enough to keep you with me and I’m sorry it came to this. It’s not what I wanted.’

Please speak to your GP or cancer care nurse (CNS) if you are experiencing problems after womb cancer – they should be able to refer you to a counsellor for help.

Love Rose x


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Sunday 9 December 2012

Department of Health Inactivity.


Today I’m going to direct you to the website of a good friend of mine. This lady has been campaigning for many years to improve services for women with womb cancer. Several months back she wrote to the Department of Health to find out what they have ever done to make womb cancer known. Their reply can be seen at the following address:


Please read it.

Love Rose x


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Saturday 8 December 2012

Morning all!

Just to let you know I'm still around. There seems to be a lot of upheaval in my life at the moment and I think, perhaps, the emotional rollercoaster ride cancer puts us on has been taking me round another lap. But the ride has slowed again now and I hope to be back to writing regularly again very soon.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Love Rose x



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Saturday 1 December 2012

Clinical Research Study Needs Your Help.

It's a frosty Saturday morning here in my part of the UK and today's post comes from Dr Isabel White, who is researching the possible sexual difficulties women face after surgery and/or pelvic radiotherapy for womb cancer and cervical cancer. Dr White writes:

'We are interested in how the possible effects of pelvic surgery and / or radiotherapy on women’s sexual lives are assessed by the clinical staff providing your care. Whilst this is a private and sensitive topic it is important to ensure that adequate information and support about this aspect of women’s lives is provided both during and following cancer treatment. 


Women and healthcare professionals who took part in stage 1 of this study have designed a questionnaire about women’s sexual recovery. Stage 2 of the study runs from July 2012 – 31st July 2013 and we would like at least 200 women to complete this new questionnaire so that we can test its suitability for use in oncology follow-up clinics.

If you have completed surgery and / or radiotherapy for womb (endometrial, uterus) cancer between three months and 5 years previously, and are aged over 18 years, we would like to talk to you about the study in person or on the telephone. 
  • You will be sent study information and the new questionnaire by mail to your address
  • The questionnaire should take about 20-30 minutes to complete
  • We will provide a freepost envelope for you to return the questionnaire 
  • All the information collected about you during the study will be kept strictly confidential
  • Your cancer care will not be affected in any way

Your participation will help women and health professionals to improve the discussion and management of treatment effects on sexual recovery.

If you are interested in taking part or have any questions about the study, please get in touch with the lead researcher at King’s College by contacting:



 Isabel White on 020 7848 3038 or via email: isabella.white@kcl.ac.uk


Chief Investigator: Dr. Isabel White.'




If you've had surgery and/or radiotherapy for womb cancer and would like to take part in this study, please contact Dr White direct. Many thanks on behalf of Dr White and her research team. 

Love Rose x


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Saturday 24 November 2012

From Well To Hell.

I've been offline for a few days due to ongoing technical problems, but today's post is one woman's womb cancer story and all I have to do is copy and paste, so here goes!

'I was bobbing along through life, minding my own business, when a few years ago I found myself turning fifty. It was only a number, it held no fear for me, no worries or concerns, I could do this. After all it was just another day, not so different from the one before or the one I was confident would follow.

I'd lived a clean life - non-smoker, teetotal, my only drug use being an occasional paracetamol tablet. Not meaning to sound vain, but I looked pretty good, I felt good and if I ever thought of death at all, it was only in the context that I wasn't looking to be facing it any time soon. My one concession to getting older was reading glasses - contact lenses weren't for me as I couldn't stand the thought of poking around with my eyes. I figured I'd got pretty good genes and I was grateful. As far as I was concerned all was well, but I went from well to hell in only a few months because I didn't know the lining of my womb - something I thought I was losing every month - could become cancerous.

I wasn't aware that starting my periods at an early age and not yet having reached the menopause were both putting me at risk of womb cancer, and nor did I realise that a negative smear test result didn't mean I was ok. I didn't know that breast cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer weren't the only women's cancers I should look out for signs of. And the reason I didn't know any of these things was because there had never been a womb cancer awareness campaign in the UK. Not once.

I thought the initial minor changes to my periods were due to my age; I thought that the 'hot flushes' were due to hormone changes. I didn't realise I had a cancer that would mean losing my womb, cervix, ovaries and fallopian tubes. That would put me firmly in menopause before I was ready to accept it. That would lead me to question my femininity and what it means to be a woman. That would take months, even years, of my life to recover from. That would leave me with side-effects and an ongoing sense of uncertainty about the future. And I'm one of the lucky ones. 

Don't just be breast aware, and don't simply take a negative smear test result at face value, be womb aware too. And make sure your female friends and relatives are also all womb aware, because finding womb cancer early could save your life and/or theirs.'

If you have a womb cancer story you'd like to share then please let me know.

Love Rose x



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Monday 19 November 2012

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

I mentioned a few posts back about the link between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and the risk of developing womb cancer.

If you've been diagnosed with PCOS then you might want to take a look at the following UK website for help and advice:




Verity is a registered UK charity support group run by women with PCOS for women with PCOS. The following page on their website sets out the long-term health risks from PCOS, including Type 2 diabetes which is also a known risk factor for womb cancer:




Love Rose x



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Sunday 18 November 2012

"Peachy Too" T-Shirts & Hoodies by DParry | Redbubble

 © Copyright Annette Parry
"Peachy Too" T-Shirts & Hoodies by DParry | Redbubble:

This t-shirt is the lastest design created especially to raise funds for womb cancer research. It's available to buy in various sizes, colours and styles from RedBubble. There is also a design of a single, large peach if preferred. Both designs can be bought as stickers too. As well as t-shirts and hoodies, there's also a range of specially designed Christmas cards. All profits from sales are donated to research into the genetic causes of womb cancer in women aged 40 and under.

If you're looking for gifts and cards then buying from this RedBubble store can help fundraise for womb cancer research and also help raise awareness of womb cancer. Why not take a look.

Love Rose x



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Saturday 17 November 2012

Recovery Takes Time.

I hope this finds you all in good spirits; my apologies that I wasn't able to post yesterday. Today has been a day for chores - a feat in itself, as it's taken time to recover physical strength and stamina since surgery in 2010.

Doctors seem to underestimate how long recovery can be. I was told up to 12 weeks off work post-op and expect to be tired for the first four months. In reality, it took me just over two years to feel almost human again. Summer this year was the most well I'd felt in a long time, so I was disappointed to be hit by colds during September into October and the recent fatigue which is, thankfully, now on the wane. On the whole I feel well and long may it continue!

It's early evening here in the UK so I'm off to relax. Have fun wherever you are!

Love Rose x


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Thursday 15 November 2012

Aging Gratefully.


I don’t know how other people who've come through cancer generally feel on the subject of birthdays, but since my womb cancer diagnosis back in 2010 I've had a healthy respect for getting older. I've been through three birthdays since my main surgery that same year - I only have one a year in case you’re wondering! – and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for many more.

If you’re reading this and it’s your birthday today, then happy birthday! Joyeux anniversaire! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Penblwydd Hapus! Feliz Cumpleaños! Feliz aniversário! Enjoy your day, whatever language you're celebrating in.

Love Rose x


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Wednesday 14 November 2012

We Need A Womb Cancer Charity!

In the UK there is no charity dedicated solely to womb cancer, but there is a petition pushing for one to be set up. If you've not already done so, please will you sign the petition to help it reach - or even surpass! - its target of 1900 signatures; one for every death from womb cancer in the UK each year:




Many thanks!

Love Rose x


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Tuesday 13 November 2012

Womb Cancer Signs and Risk Factors.

Tonight I'd like to share with you a leaflet from Womb Cancer Support UK (WCSUK). This leaflet lists some signs to look out for with regard to possible womb/endometrial/uterine cancer, also some of the possible risk factors for developing womb cancer:


Please click on leaflet to enlarge.

As well as the signs listed above, any unusual discharge, spotting or bleeding after menopause should be reported to your Doctor/General Practitioner (GP) for further investigation; painful intercourse, bleeding after intercourse, a frequent need to empty the bladder - or difficulty doing so - should be reported both before and after menopause.

As well as the risk factors listed above, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is also considered a risk factor for womb cancer.

Please remember that pap/smear tests are designed to detect changes in the cells of the cervix rather than cells higher up in the womb cavity itself, so a negative smear test result does not rule out womb cancer. If abnormal symptoms persist after a negative smear test result, please ask for further checks to rule out the possibility of womb cancer.

Please remember that the information in my blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for medical advice - please always consult your Doctor/healthcare provider.

Love Rose x


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Monday 12 November 2012

One Team, One Goal!



Womb Cancer Support UK (WCSUK) has released some exciting news today - under their Twitter name of Womb Cancer UK, they have recently become partners in the worldwide One Team One Goal (OTOG) campaign! 

The OTOG project is a 'worldwide, coalition-building campaign that unites all gynecologic oncology practice and advocacy groups' and aims to 'help bring awareness to the global cancer burden.'

Please will you take a moment to sign the Union For International Cancer Control's (UICC) World Cancer Declaration and to register your signature on behalf of Womb Cancer UK:



Love Rose x


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Sunday 11 November 2012

All Around The World.

I've been looking at the number of page views for my blog and I'm amazed how many of you out there are reading this. Thank you so much, merci beaucoup, vielen Dank, diolch yn fawr, muchas gracias, muito obrigada (muito obrigado to any male readers!) with my sincere apologies to anyone whose language I've left out this morning!

I'm having a sneezy Sunday, so maybe the fatigue this week was the start of a bug - though hopefully not, as that'll be the third cold I've had since late September this year! I'm surprised how well I've been since the major surgery I had for womb cancer in 2010. This year is the first time I've been hit by what ails everyone else at work since I went back just over two years ago, but rather than think my immune system is compromised I'm taking the view that the bugs have mutated so I'm now building up further immunity. That way I don't mind so much when I end up looking like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer!! Fingers crossed for a sneeze-free, illness-free remainder of today...

Hoping this post finds you all well and enjoying your weekend.

Love Rose x



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Saturday 10 November 2012

Have You Tried Cell Slider?

It's a cold, wet Saturday afternoon and time for today's blog post!

I recently read about the new Cell Slider website from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) that allows members of the public to take an active part in breast cancer research. Samples of breast tissue have been uploaded to Cell Slider for users to assess and potentially flag up any that might need further investigation. There's a tutorial to explain what you need to look out for and you can spend as much or as little time assessing samples as suits you. It's an intriguing idea and, if this breast cancer model works, CRUK will look at extending it to other types of cancer.

I've already spent some time on the Cell Slider website and if you'd like to get involved too you can find the site here:




Helping to research a cure for cancer is only a click away!

Love Rose x


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Friday 9 November 2012

Fatigue Follow-Up.

Well, here I am, still feeling tired after my recent early night - I had to lay down before I fell down! - but certainly better than I was. Do you get days like that?

Over the last two years or so, the post-cancer fatigue has gone from crushing to manageable. Every cancer patient I know seems to experience fatigue and I recently read that researchers at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Care Help Center in the US have found it can last for up to ten years!! That thought didn't exactly make my day, but it certainly helped explain why the medical Registrar's 'you should expect to feel tired for the first four months after surgery' hasn't quite cut it for me. And it seems I'm not the only one.

I'm not complaining - I can now walk to work in record time every morning, when cancer once had me shuffling along slower than Mrs Overall from Acorn Antiques. I'm grateful to have reached this point and, as I keep reading, exercise is apparently a good way to combat fatigue. So maybe it's a self-fulfilling prophecy, that the better I feel the faster I walk so the better I feel....

If you're struggling with fatigue, then maybe the following site can help:





Love Rose x


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Thursday 8 November 2012

Fatigue - drat!

Apologies for the lack of a post yesterday but, even though I'm not showing any evidence of further cancer, fatigue has been a huge bug bear since surgery in 2010. Yesterday was one of those days and there is nothing else for it but to do as my body tells me and go to sleep! So forgive me for an early night and, all being well, normal service should resume as soon as possible.

Love Rose x


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Tuesday 6 November 2012

Endometriosis.

In an earlier post on adenomyosis I mentioned endometriosis. As explained by Endometriosis UK, a charity that supports women with the condition, endometriosis is 'a gynaecological condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other areas of the body, most commonly in the pelvic region. This tissue responds to hormones in the same way as the lining of the womb but with no outlet it can cause inflammation, scarring and adhesions, leading to severe pain and many other symptoms.'

If you'd like information about endometriosis, the Endometriosis UK website can be found at the following address:





Love Rose x


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Monday 5 November 2012

Employment and Cancer.

I returned to my job just over two years ago and have been very lucky to have an extremely supportive employer, but I know that's not the case for every cancer patient. So for anyone based in the UK who's reading this, if you have questions regarding how your treatment might affect your ability to work or about your employment rights as a cancer patient, please take a look at the Macmillan website to learn more:




Love Rose x


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Sunday 4 November 2012

I hope you're all having a relaxing Sunday. 

If you're looking for blogs about womb cancer then pop along to the Womb Cancer Support UK (WCSUK) official blog written by WCSUK founder Kaz. Worthy of a special mention are all the guest writers who shared their womb cancer story with Kaz during September's Womb Cancer Awareness Month. I admire them all for helping to make womb cancer more widely known. 

The WCSUK blog can be found at the following address:




Love Rose x


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Saturday 3 November 2012

Adenomyosis - are you aware?

Many women may have heard of endometriosis but, as with womb cancer, perhaps not so many have heard of adenomyosis. A friend of mine - a wonderful lady by the name of Danielle - was eventually diagnosed with adenomyosis and, in a bid to raise awareness of this benign yet debilitating oestrogen-fed condition, set up a website and campaign to tell women more about it. Here is an extract from Danielle's website over at the Adenomyosis Advice Association:

'Adenomyosis is defined as the presence of endometrial glands that appear within the tissues in the muscle of the uterus. The old tissue and blood cannot get out of the muscle and flow out of the cervix as normally occurs. The blood and tissue saturate the site, swelling and causing intense pain in the form of menstrual cramps. The strength and intensity of these change as the condition develops. At worst, it can feel like sudden labour pains, or the feeling of a weight pressing down on the bladder and bowel. Monthly uterine bleeding is often heavy as some of the blood finally escapes the muscle and results in prolonged spotting to the point in the worst cases of anemia and low iron store levels. It is often misdiagnosed as fibroids but can appear with other conditions such as ovarian cysts, prolapse and even gynecological cancers that can cause pelvic pain.'

Please take a look at Danielle's website and help make adenomyosis more widely known:




Remember to always report any abnormal bleeding to your doctor.

Love Rose x


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Friday 2 November 2012

I'm later than usual with today's blog post because today was check-up day. Thankfully all went well and I'll continue to be monitored at my local hospital until I'm five years post op. I was lucky in as much as my cancer hadn't spread so major surgery was the treatment. I'm acutely aware that my surgeon told me, "In this game we never say never," but my philosophy is there's now nothing wrong with me unless I'm told otherwise. It's a view that helps keep me sane - those who know me might argue that's debatable...

On another positive note, friends in the US are safe and back in contact so, all in all, it's been a good day today.

Love Rose x


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Thursday 1 November 2012


Morning all! It’s a bright, sunny day so far after the winds and rain of yesterday. No news from friends in the US yet, but hope springs eternal.

Today I’d like to tell you a little about an online womb cancer support group that brings hope to many women - Womb Cancer Support UK, or WCSUK for short, whose website I featured a link to in my blog a few days back.

WCSUK began in April 2011 after an online conversation between Kaz and Debra, the two women who run it. Both women are womb cancer survivors who struck up a friendship on Facebook. Both realised they had similar questions and wanted similar information about womb cancer but both were drawing a blank in their online searches. If ever you speak to Kaz, she’ll always tell you that a remark from Debra inspired her to set up the WCSUK support page on Facebook. She invited Debra to admin with her, they tweaked the name and - hey presto! - team WCSUK was born, with Kaz as its founder.

If you're looking for support for womb cancer here’s that website link again:

Or pop on over to the Facebook page at:


Support page for women with womb cancer. Whether you are newly diagnosed, going through treatment, a survivor or know someone who has been affected by this cancer, then please join us and share your experiences. Created on 11th April 2011 by Kaz Molloy, and run jointly with Debra Parry. We are base...
Page: 545 like this.


I can guarantee you’ll receive a warm welcome.

Love Rose x


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Wednesday 31 October 2012

Two posts in one morning I hear you cry! But I just had to share with you this link to a very personal blog entry by a young man whose late mother was diagnosed with womb cancer at the age I am now:




Love Rose x


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Another day with no news from friends in the US who’ve been hit by Hurricane Sandy. My thoughts are with everyone over there, not just the people I know.

Love Rose x


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Tuesday 30 October 2012


This morning I'm hoping for good news from friends over on the east coast of America. Sometimes life decides cancer isn't enough, there has to be even more to contend with. But the resilience and positive attitude that get many people through cancer also prevail at other difficult times. I’ll keep you posted.

Love Rose x


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Monday 29 October 2012


To blog or not to blog? That was the question I’d been asking myself for some time and finally I decided yes, so here I am on Day 3 and pondering what to write... It’s not easy being a blogger!

My ponderings are peach because I've been on an unexpected journey with womb cancer as my travelling companion. I can’t say exactly when that journey began because who knows when the cancer joined me. Maybe it took a long time to introduce itself, maybe not, but when I finally found out I had a companion I didn't recognise its name, I knew nothing about it and I didn't know anyone who’d been through it. How ironic that, as a child, I was taught never to talk to strangers and yet there I was harbouring one and taking it with me wherever I went. I’d picked up a hitchhiker without realising.

I've since found out that approximately 1900 women die from womb cancer each year in the UK and around 8000 annually in the US. I also know that, far from being alone, there is support out there for women who need it and that support is being provided by other women who've been through womb cancer. It’s no longer like it was when I was diagnosed and it doesn't have to be like that for you either.

If you would like support for womb cancer, please take a look at the following sites to get you started:


For the Philippines -



Help and support for women with Endometrial/Uterine/Womb Cancer. ENDOMETRIAL CANCER SUPPORT PHILIPPINES Community Page is dedicated to all the brave women who passed from, are fighting, or have survived ENDOMETRIAL CANCER.
Page: 43 like this.



Good luck with your womb cancer journey, I hope you ditch your hitchhiker too!

Love Rose x


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Sunday 28 October 2012


When I was diagnosed with womb cancer I’d never heard of it before, so here’s a link to the Macmillan womb cancer page with links to all their info about it – I hope you find it useful:


Love Rose x


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Saturday 27 October 2012

Welcome!


Hi, I’m Rambling Rose, welcome to my Peach Ponderings. You might be wondering why peach – or you might not, but I’ll tell you anyway. Peach is the colour for endometrial cancer, otherwise known as womb cancer or uterine cancer, and I’m a womb cancer survivor so it seemed a fitting name. I’m not sure what I’ll be sharing with you on this blog but I thought there should at least be something on the page and this paltry first offering is it!

Love Rose x


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