* Esqido False Eyelashes

'The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.' - Audrey Hepburn

I was sent these gorgeous lashes to try out, so I'll start off by giving you a few facts about them.

• The pair I was sent are the 'Unforgettable' lashes and they retail at $32.00 USD.
  
• Cruelty free mink lashes.
  
• Worn by Victoria's Secret Angels. ♥
  
• A cotton band holds the lashes together.
  
• Recommended for those who have very little to no lashes due to their comfort.
  
• 'The World's most comfortable lashes.'

These 'Unforgettable' lashes are beautiful. I know one of the first things you will be thinking after reading the facts above, is how can Esqido use mink hairs for their lashes, yet still have a cruelty free stamp? This is because no animals are harmed to makes these lashes. Fact. All the lashes are 'handcrafted from the softest and finest naturally shed mink hairs' and because of this these eyelashes can be used more times than your standard pair of synthetic false eyelashes. I've worn mine daily for about a week and a half and they are still in really good condition, there is still plenty of wear left out of these beautiful lashes! Which, for false eyelash fans is fabulous news!

The style of the 'Unforgettable' lashes are one of the subtler options from the range that's available. But that doesn't make them any less dramatic. The length and thickness of the lashes increases along the band, with the most volume and length at the outer corner of the eye, creating a natural winged out effect. These lashes are incredibly comfortable to wear, so much so, that some days I completely forgot I was wearing them! Which, is really, exactly what you want out of eyelashes, you don't want to worry if they're going to fall off, or if they're going to ruin the rest of you eye makeup by pulling the eye down... you want lightweight and comfortable, which is exactly what I found with the Esqido brand.

Due to the lashes being so comfortable to wear and being able to get so many wears out of them, not only are they ideal for eyelash fans and makeup lovers alike, they are also suitable for those going through treatment or those who have lost their eyelashes due to other factors. You'll no doubt, like me, forget that you're even wearing them and if you're somebody who is self conscious about losing eyelash hair they're a perfect solution. If you want to have a look at the rest of Esqido's collection you can do so by clicking on this link... ESQIDO false eyelashes and start browsing! Esqido also sell an eyelash glue which is latex free, so for anyone with sensitive skin, or if you know you react to latex products, it is a worthy investment, which can be found here... ESQIDO eyelash glue.

If you have any more questions about the eyelashes then you can send me an email or simply drop a message in the comments box below and I shall be sure to get back to you. Also, if you want to see more of these lashes you can pop along to my Instagram account @emilyevaalice where I will be using the lashes in some upcoming makeup looks.

Why I took a break from blogging.

'There are moments which mark your life. Moments when you realise that nothing will ever be the same and time is divided into two parts, before this and after this.' - John Hobbes, Fallen.

My first blog post was in January 2014 and my last in November 2014. The same year I started my blog, I also stopped it.

There were a number of reasons for this, but the main one was that I needed space and time to think; to go over and deal with everything that had happened through the publicity of my blog. In just a few months of setting up and writing a handful of posts about my experience of having cancer, I was contacted by a press agency and not long after that my blog link and story was being published online by multiple newspapers. I was being contacted by radio stations and journalists wanting to hear about my experience first hand and along with this came emails filled with questions from others who had been recently diagnosed or who were currently undergoing treatment for cancer.

The hardest message I received was from a young woman, not much older than me and all she asked, the only thing that she wanted to know was how could she beat the cancer, how could she survive? She was a mother to a young child and she was relying on me to help her and I didn't even know how or what to reply with. Eventually I did and I was completely honest with her. One thing I learnt from having cancer is that it's toxic. It enters your body and it slowly tries to take over every little part of you, from your blood to the way you think and if, even for a second, you start to think that you can't do this any more, or that the cancer is going to kill you anyway... it just might. A couple of months later, I learnt that she'd passed away. I don't know who decides in this world who gets to live and who doesn't. Why should a young woman, with a child, with so much love to give and so much hope and trust to teach them, why should they not have the chance to live their life? I don't understand it and I don't think I ever will. But I hope that her child knows how brave she was. That she fought to stay in their life, but it just didn't turn out the way she wanted. 

Receiving emails like this and learning that you can't help people who are turning to you for help is and will always be one of the worst feelings I've experienced. But this doesn't mean that I don't want to know. I set up my blog to help others, to give a first hand, honest account of what it was like for me, from the diagnosis, to the treatment and finally to remission. There is no right or wrong. There's no one treatment that will work for everybody. There's nothing that you can or can't do that'll increase or decrease your risk of being diagnosed with cancer. So if you're reading my blog and you want to get in touch, you are more than welcome to send me an email, because there is nothing worse than thinking that there is nobody there. That there's nobody who you can talk to or simply talk at, because there is.

I will continue to carry on with my blogging, but there is no set number of posts I aim to put up in a week, it will be as and when. But I will be putting up a post about what's involved with a bone marrow biopsy soon.

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

At the beginning of the month I talked to a lovely lady called Heather. Heather is a pleural mesothelioma survivor and you can read about her story and more over on her blog... Heather's Blog

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer which affects the lining of the lungs and is only caused by exposure to asbestos. Heather got in contact with me to ask if I would be willing to share some important facts surrounding pleural mesothelioma during lung cancer awareness month and tips on how to keep your lungs healthy.

What is Mesothelioma?

• Mesothelioma is a rare cancer.
• ONLY caused by exposure to asbestos.
• 'Pleural Mesothelioma' is the most common type of mesothelioma.
• It affects the lining of the lungs.

Mesothelioma Symptoms...

• Early symptoms of mesothelioma are sometimes subtle and can be easily mistaken.
• Symptoms are usually present 2-3 months prior to diagnosis.
• Lower back pain.
• Side chest pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Muscle weakness.
• Coughing up blood.
• Persistent cough.
• Anaemia.

What Can You Do To Keep Your Lungs Healthy?

• Avoiding air pollution.
• Avoiding exposure to toxic substances.
• Not smoking.
• Avoiding exposure to radiation.

The purpose of National Healthy Lung Month is to increase awareness and promote healthy lungs. For more information, please visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance at...

http://www.mesothelioma.com/

*Blood Cancer Awareness Month!

'September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month. This month, it's your turn to make a difference.'

Today in the post I received this 'Blood Cancer Aware' awareness ribbon. Leukaemia Care have kindly sent this to me for September, which is Blood Cancer Awareness Month.

•  Around 34,000 people are diagnosed with a blood cancer each year in the UK, but two thirds of the British Public aren't aware of the symptoms.
  

34,000 is a very large number of people who are diagnosed and a lot of those diagnosed are also unaware of the symptoms that a blood cancer might present. Leukaemia Care want to change this fact by raising as much awareness as possible about blood cancers this September.

Anybody of any age can be hit with a blood cancer diagnosis, which is why Leukaemia Care want to raise awareness amongst the public and medical professionals about the cluster of symptoms that can indicate a blood cancer. By making people more aware of the symptoms associated with blood cancer, it can help doctors to pick up on the disease quicker, enabling an earlier diagnosis.

• You can get a ribbon from the website, simply by donating during the month of September at www.leukaemiacare.org.uk

The main types of blood cancers are Leukaemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma, however there are several other allied blood disorders. You can find out all the information you need on the three mentioned above and others by clicking on the Leukaemia Care link *here.*



'Leukaemia Care is a national blood cancer support charity dedicated to providing patients and their families with the right information, advice and support during their cancer journey. They provide support through a range of services including a 24 hour help line, patient information booklets, patient and carer conferences, nationwide support groups, cancer campaigning and individual advocacy work.'

#BeBloodCancerAware

NHS Hospital - Royal Sussex County Hospital

In the press recently there have been a lot of 'horror stories' and 'shocking' images of hospital food provided by the NHS. It isn't the first time either that I've read damning stories about the NHS, if it's not the nurses the press are getting at, it's something else... one thing I think that everyone should remember, however, is not to tar all NHS hospitals with the same brush.

I was admitted into the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton in June of last year (2013) onto the Haematology Ward and my first stay was for roughly 3 weeks, which meant hospital food every.single.day... and I honestly couldn't complain. The food I had was all completely edible. (Contrary to what the papers have been reporting lately.) There were two really lovely ladies, who would alternate with one another on different mornings, as to who would come round taking note of what each person wanted for their food that day. (Sometimes it would be a different person, but generally it was one of the two ladies.) Every morning one of them would appear, smile on face, with a choice of different meals I could have that day for lunch and supper and they'd also ask me what I would like for breakfast. (Toast, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, hot drink, cold drink... pretty much anything.) For lunch and supper, there was generally a choice of two/ three different hot options, but there was also the option of sandwiches/  fruit & yoghurt.

All the kitchen staff went about their day with a smile on their face and would always make an effort with me, starting up conversation or just making sure my food was okay whenever they popped in.

You can't fault the staff either. From the kitchen, to the nurses and doctors, they are all such wonderful individuals and it felt like they were always going out of their way to make sure I was okay. It must be really hard at times, (if not every day), working on the Haematology ward, where you're faced with patients who have received a life changing diagnosis, such as cancer. Personally, I couldn't do it. I wouldn't be able to hold it together, when a patient is falling apart. But every day the nurses would turn up smiling and laughing and go about their shift. Being an inpatient for as long as I was, you get to know the nurses and the rest of the hospital staff really well and I can honestly say they are an incredible bunch of selfless and caring individuals. If I was having a down day, they'd know and they'd try their best to cheer me up or talk me round, reassuring me that it wouldn't be like this all the time. They'd always go out of their way and make an effort, one of the nurses even tried to get me to do some origami, as I spent the majority of my days in hospital sleeping and not doing much else... but I'm pretty sure I just went back to sleep anyway, haha. 

I was incredibly lucky to have such lovely people looking after me, who still continue to every 3 months or so for my check-ups. 

Not all wards are as grim as they're made out to be, not all the staff are as heartless as they're made out to be and not all the food is as bad as it's made out to be either... so don't believe everything that the papers print.

Hair Growth Update - August

The end of next month will mark a whole year since I took the last of my hair off, after it started to fall out. For now, my hair isn't that different from my last hair post, I think it is slowly straightening out as it gets longer, but it is going to take a while and I don't think it will naturally be as straight as it was pre-cancer, without the help of a straightening iron.

It has reached a length now where I can get the top half into a little ponytail, which keeps it off my face, or the bottom half into a ponytail, but it doesn't all go into one ponytail... yet!

I'm still using Lee Stafford's 'Hair Growth' shampoo, treatment pot and conditioner which is the 'For Hair that never Grows past a certain length' range. 

Next September hair update (next month) will be my last hair update, as it will have been a year since the last of my hair was taken off. ♥

Urban Decay - Naked 2 Palette

The Urban Decay Naked Palettes, are definitely the most popular palettes between celebrity makeup artists, beauty bloggers and any makeup lover. I recently purchased my first Naked palette... Naked 2. Out of the three palettes, I thought this was the one I would use every single colour in as it has less pink/ purple tones and more brown/ earthy tones compared to the Naked 1 and Naked 3.

All of the shadows in this palette are usable, every day colours. The pigmentation of the shadow in the palette, is exactly what it will look like on the skin. It keeps the concentration and strength of colour when transferring from the palette to the eye... but then coming from the Urban Decay brand, you wouldn't expect anything less!

Below I've done swatches of each shade on my arm. There is a strong variety of shades ranging from light to dark, enabling you to create a more neutral toned down look with a mixture of the matte shades, or a dark dramatic smokey eye, combining the matte shades with the shimmery shades. It is a very versatile palette!

The palette includes 3 matte colour, (Foxy, Tease and Blackout) and 9 shimmery/ sparkly colours, (Half Baked, Booty Call, Chopper, Snakebite, Suspect, Pistol, YDK and Busted.)

• Foxy - Creamy/ yellow, with a matte finish.
• Half Baked - Golden/ bronze, with a shimmer finish.
• Booty Call - Creamy/ pinky, with a shimmer finish.
• Chopper - Coppery/ bronze, with a hint of glitter and a shimmer finish.
• Tease - Earthy/ brown, with a matte finish.
• Snakebite - Bronze/ dark brown, with a shimmer finish.
• Suspect - Light golden, with a shimmer finish.
• Pistol - Grey, with a shimmer finish.
• Verve - Pearly/ cream, with a shimmer finish.
• YDK - Light metallic bronze, with a shimmer finish.
• Busted - Dark brown, with a shimmer finish.
• Blackout - Blackest black, with a matte finish.

Comparing the colours in this palette to those in the Naked 1 and Naked 3, I definitely think it's the most usable and 'go to' palette out of them all. Purely because the other two palettes are dominated by more purpley/ pinky undertones, compared to the Naked 2 palette which is made up of more earthy and neutral shades, it is a much warmer palette, with a great 'basics' selection. ♥

Hair Growth Update - July

The end of July means that it is time for my monthly hair update! I took the last remaining bits of my hair off at the end of September... as it's now the end of July, I've had 10 full months of my hair growing back. I've religiously used Lee Stafford's hair growth range, which involves a shampoo, a treatment pot (which you use straight after the shampoo) and then the conditioner.

The pictures above show how my hair has changed within just a month. It's slow and steady progress and it's obviously not going to reach waist length overnight, but I think it's doing pretty well!

It is getting a tiny bit straighter with the length pulling down the curls, but other than that, there's not much else to say apart from that it's still growing, haha. I do run my straighteners through my hair on occasion and it does look longer compared to when it's left natural and wavy, as you can see from the pictures above.☺

*Metique - Tea Tree Oil Hygienic Skin Wash

* METIQUE Tea Tree Oil Hygienic Skin Wash

This product was sent to me to review after a lovely lady got in contact with me via Twitter. It's a Tea Tree Oil Hygienic Skin Wash from the brand Metique, which was originally produced and launched in Australia in 2001 by Steen Jorsal, then in 2008, husband and wife Jeremy and Jenny along with their team and the support of founder, Steen Jorsal, launched the Metique Tea Tree Oil range in the UK.

What I really like about this product is that it's gentle on the skin. There are no sulphates in the ingredients, which are known to irritate skin, (and can be found in many beauty products) and the tea tree oil that Metique use relieves and soothes irritated/ inflamed or infected skin.

I don't have acne, however I do suffer from breakouts on my skin, especially my t-zone area. The first time I used this skin wash on my face, my chin was extremely sore and inflamed due to a recent breakout, however I did notice a slight improvement after the first couple of uses. The spots on my chin didn't look as inflamed and sore and after only a couple of uses, my t-zone started to look clearer.

Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic, which is why I think I noticed a difference so quickly. I have quite oily skin in my t-zone, but for those who have dry skin, it does state on the bottle that it is a 'Non Foaming and Non Drying' formula, so it's not going to dry your skin out even more when you use it.

Overall I was very impressed with this product, it's full of natural ingredients which are beneficial to your skin and I saw a difference in my skin as soon as I started using it. It won't damage your skin as it's sulphate and paraben free and you only need a couple of pumps from the bottle to wash your whole face effectively. The formula itself doesn't lather up, which means you don't lose any of the product to foaming and you can really massage it thoroughly into you skin and then rinse off.

One thing I would say about this product is that the smell is quite overpowering, because it is a tea tree oil product and the tea tree has quite a distinctive smell. (Unfortunately for me this takes me back to when I was around 6/7 years old, sitting in an empty, cold bath next to my brothers, our hair lathered up with a tea tree nit treatment, waiting for it to take effect.) But once I got past the smell, (and the memories of having my hair treated in an empty, cold bath for head lice) the product itself is really effective at treating inflamed and sore skin prone to breakouts.


If you'd like to look at any of the other products in the Metique range, or find out more about the natural ingredients that go into the products, you can do so by visiting the UK site *here!*

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Before & After

One beauty product that has been doing the rounds on social media and with beauty bloggers for ages is Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. This is a creamy formula for your brows and is sold in 8 different shades. Every single review I have ever read on this product has only ever been positive, it's waterproof, doesn't smudge and glides on so smoothly and it is definitely so much easier than using pencils or powder... and I wasn't disappointed.

At £15 the little pot may seem quite pricey, however, it will last you for ages. I've had mine for 2 months now and have barely made a dent in it. The tiniest bit of this creamy formula goes a really long way and a quick brush through of your brows with an eyelash comb or a spoolie, will even out the product and make sure it's properly dispersed through the brows. Due to it's creamy consistency, you can use it to define the brows with a sharp line, or use a smaller amount to gently fill them in with a lighter touch of the brush.

You can choose to use a powder on top, if you want a bit more coverage, but if you don't want to it doesn't matter as this product does it all!

Above, is my before and after. At the moment, in their natural state, my brows are thicker at the front, but then they thin out at the sides, using the dipbrow pomade means that I can create a defined end to my brows, in turn giving a more defined and prominent arch, which is shown in the photos.

Anastasia Beverly Hills in an American company, however there are a couple of sites in the UK that you can purchase their products from. I purchased mine from Cult Beauty UK and the colour I bought was 'Dark Brown.'

Makeup - Neon

At the end of last month, I went up to London to IMATS, the International Makeup Artist Trade Show. There were so many different brands there and there were talks spread out over the two days from leading industry artists, as well as live demos throughout the day on the majority of the stands.

I purchased a lot of makeup brushes and eyelashes. But I did pick up some loose neon powders from the Stargazer stand. The other night I finally got around to using them and this was the outcome. I chose to put them over a black base, because it really makes the colours pop! These pigments are also UV reactive, but I don't own a UV light, so I couldn't test that out. However, used on their own, without the aid of UV light they are still super effective and really bright. This has to be one of my favourite looks I've done, as it's really simple, but the outcome looks really effective!

A list of all the products used is down below...

Products Used:

• Sleek Inkpot in 'Dominatrix' to tightline my eyes.
• Mehron Paradise Makeup AQ in Black.
• Stargazer Neon Eye Dust in Green. (201)
• Stargazer Neon Eye Dust in Yellow. (202)
• Stargazer Neon Eye Dust in Pink. (205)

Makeup - July 4th

Today is July 4th and in the United States, today celebrates the anniversary of the publication of deceleration of independence from Great Britain, also known as Independence Day. It is a patriotic holiday and is celebrated all over America, so I chose to do a stars and stripes theme for this makeup look, a list of products used to create this look can be found below. If you want to find out more about Independence Day, you can do so *here!*

Products Used:

• MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NC15
• Anastasia Beverley Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown
• Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix for liner.
• Eldora Lashes
• Kryolan Supracolor 'B' Palette. Colours - Blue (091) Red (079) and White (070)
• Blue Gems from Hobby Craft
  
   

Hair Growth Update - June

Hair update! Finally my mop of hair is starting to straighten out a tiny bit, granted it's not that much, but it is getting a bit straighter on top where the length is starting to weigh it down, the ends do still kick up into little curls, but, as you can see from the pictures it is getting a tiny bit straighter!

The pictures above I've washed my hair the night before, so it's dried naturally and just does what it wants to. Obviously, when I get straighteners through my hair, it does go much flatter, which I will do a post on during July to show the full length it has reached to date.

Other than my hair getting that tiny bit straighter, (and there being that little bit more on my head) there is not much to add from my last update. I'm still willing it to grow down to my waist overnight... but that's not likely to happen... at all. I'm still using the pink hair growth shampoo, treatment pot and conditioner from Lee Stafford's hair products range, which you can pick up either online or in Boots stores! ♥

Makeup - Giraffe Inspired

I bought myself some massive lashes a while ago and have been trying to come up with something creative to include them in. The other night, I got thinking about giraffes... and then I thought, why not do a giraffe inspired makeup.. they have really beautiful, long eyelashes and they also have really nice patterns over their body. So this is what I came up with....

I started off by using the browns in the Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Palette to give myself a darker base colour on my face and blended the colour down my neck. I then moved onto the eyes, tight lining with a black kohl eyeliner pencil, apply black eyeshadow for a smokey eye, then applied mascara and false lashes.
I then started to add the pattern of the giraffe to my face and neck, using the browns in the Kryolan Supracolor Palette, once I'd finished that, I then went back in with Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation to highlight around some of the brown shapes I had created, to bring forward and emphasise the pattern.

Products used:

• Black Kohl Eyeliner
• Black Eyeshadow
• Mascara
• Kryolan Derma Color Camouflage Creme 'A' Palette. Colours - Brown (D11) and Light Brown (D6)
• Kryolan Supracolor  'B' Palette. Colours - Brown (046) and Darker Brown (101)
• DUO Eyelash Glue
• Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 01
• Stargazer Feathered False Eyelashes in 54
  
  

All of my makeup looks, once I've completed them I pop up on my Instagram, before I get round to writing up a products used list on here. So if you'd like to you can visit and follow my instagram account by clicking on this link... My Instagram! Or alternatively, you can search 'emilyevaalice' into Instagram.

Guest Post - Erin's Eyebrows

Recently I have been talking to a lovely girl called Erin who lost her eyebrows. Whilst they grow back Erin has been trying and testing out different techniques to recreate natural looking eyebrows and I thought this might be something that would interest a lot of people. Although I didn't lose my eyebrows during treatment, I know that there are people who do and there are other treatments and skin conditions that can cause loss of eyebrows, so I asked Erin if she would like to write something for my blog, including pictures and here's what she has written...



"The saying, 'you don't realise what you've got until it's gone' is so true. You really don't realise how important eyebrows are to the overall look of your face until you don't have any. They frame your eyes and without them people do look rather strange. So I know from experience that losing your eyebrows is very stressful. In my opinion, just as stressful as losing your hair.

When I began losing my eyebrows I would fill in the gaps with a brow powder. Then as there was gradually more to fill in I would use a pencil too. When I lost them completely I experimented with ways to see how I could make them look most natural. Pencils can give too harsh a line so they look too solid unless you do light strokes to look like hairs. Powder is great when you only lose parts of your eyebrows, or if they are just thin, however if you have no brows at all there is nothing for it to stick to. I experimented with putting on wax first, then powder, but it became patchy throughout the day and looked silly. I settled on a combination - pencil first, then powder over the top. I found this worked best for me and looked the most natural, however everyone is different and it's kind of a process of elimination until you find something that works for you.

The pencil, followed by the powder was a great technique for me, until it came to exercising or swimming. My eyebrows didn't stay looking good if I was sweating and obviously they didn't stay on in water. That's when I did some research online and found my saviour! Beauti-Full Brows! These are temporary tattoos that apply quickly with water. They are so easy to apply and I wear mine for three days before they start to need replacing. They don't smear and are waterproof so you can swim and shower without worrying. They come in loads of different shapes, colours and styles so you can choose the ones that best suit your face. You get a sheet of 8 pairs when you purchase them. I have the 'Dark Aaliyah' ones from the Brunette Brows section (pictured above) which cost $4.79 (about £2.82) If you have lost your eyebrows, they are thinning or you just want the illusion of thicker brows, check out their website... Beauti-Full-Brows!"


As Erin said in her post, eyebrows do frame the face and it must have been awful losing them. The picture of Erin, (above left) shows that the Beauti-Full Brows look really natural and to be honest nobody would ever know that they weren't real!

Lots of love to Erin and a big thank you for writing this post all about eyebrows!

Makeup - Zombie

I wanted to try out a zombie look on myself and also wanted an excuse to whack out my special effects kit. Liquid latex looks really effective when teamed with layers of cotton pad fluff and more layers of latex, to create the look of broken/ holey/ infected skin. Combine this with a bit of food gelatine that looks like pus for a more gory effect and I think my finalised zombie look turned out well.

To create the grazes, I used scab dark and an eyelash/ eyebrow wand.

It's a simple look, but there were quite a few products that went into creating it...

Products used:

• Black Kohl eyeliner.
• Mascara.
• Kroylan Supracolor 'B' Palette. Colours - White (070) and Purple (082.)
• Skin Illustrator 'On Set FX' Palette. Colours - Bruise Tone, Blood Tone and Aged Blood.
• Ben Nye Liquid Latex.
• Cotton Pads.
• Scab Dark.
• Gelatine.

Guest Post - Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL): From Diagnosis to Treatment

We are the blood cancer charity Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. We work to improve the lives of patients with blood cancers such as Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia (APL). Our research aims to stop people dying from blood cancer and even prevent people developing blood cancer in the first place. For over 50 years now we have been working to beat blood cancer and we won’t stop until we do. We’re honoured to have heard Emily’s story and see the people that she has inspired through sharing her experiences in dealing with APL.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia or APL is the M3 subtype of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). Although the symptoms of APL are similar to the symptoms of AML the treatment is usually very different. Many of the symptoms of APL are a result of cancer cells interfering with bone marrow and the production of healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

APL can develop at any age and usually develops very quickly, with symptoms appearing in a matter of days or weeks - Emily was diagnosed at age 20 after she developed symptoms that could be confused with tonsillitis.

The most common symptoms of APL include:

• Unusual bleeding and bruising – bleeding is a serious symptom of APL and needs immediate attention

• Paleness

• Tiredness and breathlessness

• Frequent infections and difficulty in fighting them off

Other less common symptoms for APL:

• Bone pain

• Swollen glands

• Abnormal pain

• Occasionally some patients may develop chloromas, which are small lumps under the skin caused by leukaemia cells clustering

Treatment

The treatment for APL is begun as soon as possible after diagnosis to combat the excessive bleeding (caused by the lack of platelets which clot blood) that is so common amongst patients with APL.

Chemotherapy

The main treatment for APL is Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy will consist of a combination of anti-cancer drugs, these drugs are administered in a precise order depending on the patient’s age, general health and the severity of their condition.

Stem Cell Transplant

Patients who are generally in good health are considered for stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant is a very strenuous form of treatment that is only recommended for patients who have relapsed or have an aggressive form of APL. Older or weaker patients may be offered a less invasive form of the treatment.

Supportive Care

As infections and treatment complications are quite common amongst patients with APL, supportive care is a key factor in a patient’s recovery. Supportive care for patients with APL most commonly includes treatments for anaemia caused by lack of red blood cells and treatments for Thrombocytopenia which results in excessive bleeding.

Prognosis

The likelihood of being cured is very much dependant on factors such as the subtype of APL, how far the disease has progressed before diagnosis and treatment, age and general fitness.

Although younger patients with good fitness levels are likely to respond better to treatment, the prognosis for patients with APL is one of the best within the AML diagnosis. Following the correct treatment over 70% of patients with APL were cured.

In the spirit of National Cancers Survivors Day, which was on the 1st research has helped in adding more success and inspirational stories such as Emily’s. Charities like us will continue to invest in research to beat blood cancer. If you are struggling to deal with blood cancer, visit our website for patient support resources to help you get through Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia and other blood cancers.

National Cancer Survivors Day - June 1st

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE ALIVE.

Today is National Cancer Survivors Day. A day to celebrate life. This time last year I hadn't even been diagnosed yet... little did I know that a couple of weeks later I'd be sitting in a hospital bed being told I had leukaemia. When I look back to when I was diagnosed, being admitted into hospital, all the tablets, the chemo, the sleepless nights... all of it.. it seems like one big whirlwind. However I understand that it all could have ended so differently for me, had I not been sent to A&E after my third visit to the doctor. Which makes today (and every other day) something that I'm extremely thankful for. There were (and still are) a wonderful bunch of people who looked after me during my diagnosis and treatment, who continue to look after me now that I'm in remission and being monitored for the next couple of years.

However it's not just a day to celebrate those who have survived. It's a day to remember those who we've lost to cancer, those who fought so hard to stay with us and those who are still fighting against cancer.

If you'd like to know more about National Cancer Survivors Day, how it came about, events and latest news. You can pop over to their website *here!*


On a separate note, last week (Wednesday 28th May) I went up to London to help promote Race for Life, which helps raise money for Cancer Research UK. There were 50 of us altogether and we all donned a fluffy pink gorilla costume each! We then went round London having group photos taken in different locations and doing the 'Cancer Slam' dance routine. The whole purpose of the day was to raise awareness of the events going on, like Race for Life, that help to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Money which is vital into researching cancer further, improving on current treatments and developing new ones. It was a really fun day and the outcome was many funny photos, a lot of pink fluff and a video which you can view by clicking on this link... *Race for Life - Pink Gorillas in London!*

If you'd like to sign up for a Race for Life event near you (or a different event, as there are many!) You can do so by popping over to the website *here!* You can also read my original Race for Life event post, which my sister and I will be taking part in next Sunday *here!* ♥

How My Friends Reacted To My Cancer Diagnosis..

HARD TIMES WILL ALWAYS REVEAL TRUE FRIENDS.

This statement is incredibly true. It's during the tough times that your true friends will be revealed and you will fully understand what it means to have those friends there for you.

As I mentioned in my previous post 'How I Told My Friends I Had Cancer' I pretty much dropped my leukaemia diagnosis into conversation like it was no big deal. I didn't really know what to expect from my friends. I was a bit of a mess over the whole situation so I genuinely had no idea how they'd react, or what they'd say.. if anything. The majority of my friends were so lovely about the whole situation, yes it upset them, but they all wanted me to know how much they loved me and really.. if I was going to be okay. I had lots of cards and little presents arrive with 'get well soon' wishes and lovely messages from my friends and family friends. It always brightened up my day when I had an animal themed card delivered to my room! Haha!

But, all the caring and genuine messages come with bad and the maybe not so genuine... I received messages from old friends who I hadn't heard from in a while, which was lovely of them to get in touch. However there were people who I classed as my 'close friends' who I heard nothing from. There was no message, no phone call, no anything and they still haven't spoken to me much since my diagnosis, or since being told I was in remission.. it's weird how people you classed as your best friends, people who you thought would be there for you suddenly vanish. I know that suddenly finding out that someone you care about has cancer is tough, it's hard to deal with and some people can't deal with it and push you away instead, so maybe that was it. But it was a hard realisation that people who I thought would always be there, suddenly weren't. As well as this sudden realisation, I also received messages from people who hadn't made my life easy in the past. People who had been really horrid to me and had ultimately caused me to move schools.. saying that they couldn't believe what had happened, (news which they'd heard through mutual friends) and they were now 'thinking about me.' Now don't get me wrong, maybe their intentions were genuine when they chose to get in contact and maybe they genuinely couldn't remember how rubbish and hell like they'd made my life in the past. But these messages I chose not to respond to. I wasn't going to let myself get drawn in by them.

I will never understand why when someone becomes seriously ill, those who hurt them before will suddenly pop up, acting like nothing ever happened. They never hurt you. They were never mean to you. They act like everything is just peachy. It's a behaviour that baffles me now and probably always will.

Having cancer has taught me a lot. It's taught me who I can and can't trust. Who will always be there when I need them... and those who are only there when it benefits them. It's a hard lesson to learn when you're extremely ill, however I'm glad I now know who the genuine people are in my life.❤

'FRIENDS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE RECIPE OF LIFE.'

Hair Growth Update - May

Every month I do one of these posts, and each time I take the photos I think that my hair hasn't grown at all... then I compare with the photos from the month before and do a little happy dance.. because it is growing! There isn't really much to say growth wise, because it's growing.. which means it's getting longer haha. But it is still super curly as you can see from the photos, with a thicker texture, really... it's just a mass of hair! I'm still hoping that as it does get more length on it, it will start to straighten out a bit and not as tightly curled and out of control! But I'll just have to wait and see!

My hair care routine is still the same as it has been since my hair started growing back October time last year. I am using the Lee Stafford 'Hair Growth' range, which has a shampoo, treatment pot (that you use after the shampoo) and a conditioner. There is also a leave in spray bottle in the hair growth range, which you can spritz onto your hair after you step out the shower, however I have only used this little bottle a couple of times since October. I normally just use the other three products I mentioned first.

Overall, I am still really happy with how quickly my hair seems to be growing! I just can't wait for it to be back to its pre-cancer length!