your test results

31st December, 2008. New Years Eve...


mobile phone: ring, ring!

Me: Hello?

Mr Herod: Hello, is that Samantha?

Me: Yes?

Mr Herod: Samantha, it's Jonathon Herod, consultant gynaecological surgeon, oncologist and clinical director at Liverpool Women's hospital here. I understand you've been stuck in a plane on the Isle of Man going nowhere for a few hours due to freezing fog...

Me: Yes, yes sir, we have.

Mr Herod: Samantha, I'd like to tell you we're not going to re-schedule an appointment here for you. There's no point. You see, the results of the tests from your surgery are excellent. There was no evidence of anything that we would consider to be cancerous in any of the specimens removed and hence the procedure should be curative. No further treatment or follow up will be neccessary. Samantha- my advice to you would be to go home and get on with your life. And have a happy new year.

Me: (crying) Oh, oh, this is wonderful... thank you, thank you so much.

Mr Herod: Our pleasure. Goodbye!


~*~
Before and after the surgery I had some time to think about what it meant to me. I decided that I wanted to help a charity that raised awareness of ovarian disorders, as I'd been misdiagnosed by one of my local doctors and in those two months when I was trying to find other answers, the cyst grew considerably. I also wanted to live and really take advantage- and never take for granted- my healthy body again.

With my love of exercise, all things food, and helping people, I retrained as a Personal Trainer on the Gold Coast of Australia early this year.

(here's me training... ahem, resting, at Capital Hill, Canberra)




P.S. Would you like to share your story? Email me and I will publish it, anonymously, if you desire, on a post here.

57 days to go!

I am so excited putting together The Great Manx Bake off that I can barely sleep at night! Visions of delicious cakes swirling round my brain...

We have devised such a wonderful event on Saturday 26th September 2009, as part of the Isle of Man Food & Drink festival, to raise funds and awareness for the Eve Appeal!

Of course more details of prizes offered by our super sponsors and details of how to enter will be here soon!

And for now...

click on the image to discover more about the event!

R.O.C.C Isle of Man press on Manx.net

Over the weekend, Manx.net highlighted the presence of The Eve Appeal on the Isle of Man for women. Here's part of the information on their news page:

New local charity
coordinator for Isle of Man women.

Isle of Man women affected by cancer have found a champion as Samantha Honey-Pollock has been appointed as the local representative of charities The Eve Appeal and Ovacome,
who are working together in a pioneering partnership to raise awareness of
ovarian cancer across the UK.

The Eve Appeal in partnership with Ovacome regional network of volunteers is supported by a major donation from Boots as part of its ongoing partnership with The Eve Appeal,

“I will be looking for supporters to help me spread the word about ovarian cancer
and the signs and symptoms women should look out for,” said Samantha. “New guidance has recently been published by the Department of Health on signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer and it’s important that we make these as widely known as possible.”

The Eve Appeal in partnership with Ovacome runs a telephone buddy service for women affected by the cancer and raises money for vital research. Samantha is one of the first 234 of an eventual network of 50 regional ovarian cancer coordinators that will cover the
whole country.

Samantha, who had a scare with ovarian cancer last year and subsequent surgery at Liverpool Women’s hospital said; ”Every year 6,600 more UK women find out they have this cancer and 4,400 will die. Some of them may be from the Isle of Man.

“The Eve Appeal in partnership with Ovacome is determined that they should have better
support and information delivered through regional representatives like me.”

If you can help Samantha or would like more details please
call her on 07624 455666 or email theeveappeal@manx.net

Many thanks to Manx.net!

The Hairy Bikers and good news for The Eve Appeal on the Isle of Man!

How exciting! We are hatching a very special fundraiser for The Eve Appeal on the Isle of Man at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival on 26th and 27th September. All manx cooks, dust down your aprons! We will be inviting all scrumptious, creative cakemakers on the island to shine for The Great Manx Bake-off!

The final on Sept 26 will be judged by BBC stars, cooks and Isle of Man enthusiasts, the Hairy Bikers, and our semi-final judges include highly-esteemed Isle of Man individuals with public health and food & drink responsibilities.

There is lots going on at the Isle of Man Food & Drink festival in September! As well as the Great Manx Bake-off will be the I Love Manxchef live cooking showdown.

And if you are in town - ie Castletown showgrounds, 12.30pm- tomorrow, please come cheer me on in the South island semi-final! I will be cooking a delicious energy and health filled lunch special; a manx-produce based recipe of course, which is the criteria!

More details of The Great Manx Bake-off for The Eve Appeal to come! please email if you'd like to be part. Women's gynae cancers are part of many of our lives and the Isle of Man is such a big place to spread this message to.

a lovely summer

"Find joy in the creation of what you want in life, as well as it's completion"

It still rains most days for a few hours, big, heavy, wet drops- almost tropical!- but we are enjoying the most deliciously warm and generally sunshiney summer here on the Isle of Man.

With Husby, have been enjoying push-bike rides late into the evening. It still isn't dark til 11pm- such a wonderful treat. Riding my bike makes me feel like a little girl again. It's fantastic.

pic 1. from blog A Cup of Jo, pic 2. from Martha Stewart

Cucumber & Martini- auction!

"Very few things pair better with a long balmy afternoon of lazing about the cucumber patch, performing acrobatics in the rumpus room, or playing croquet in the park than a sparkling, cool g & t garnished with a cucumber slice. While the cucumber garnish is certainly an unusual take on the usual, life is simply too short to limit one's cocktail consumption to the ole stalwart, standby gin drink."

Very few things indeed!

There were no acrobatics in the rumpus room, but there were some shenanigans in the kitchen a few evenings ago when we decided to test the infamous theory of cucumber drastically changing the taste of gin. Mixing tall glasses of icy Bombay Sapphire with tonic, then adding slices of various fruits- and vegetables!- the decision was unanimous- this urban myth happens to be true.

After the tastings, we mixed our personal favourite, and auctioned off the glasses. In aid of The Eve Appeal, of course!

You can visit Hendricks Gin for some great fun ginny frivolities!