Feeling under the weather? Never mind. Sick bug? So what, the kids still need to eat. Unwell? Chin up. Soldier on.
We mums battle through injuries, viruses and feeling like dirt, because .... well, we have to. But what happens when you get really sick and suddenly you have to stop rushing around at 100 miles an hour so you can focus on getting better again.
In today’s episode of Mum-to-Mum Monday we talk about dealing with a serious illness, the toll it has on your emotional and physical wellbeing, and accepting help when you just can’t go it alone.
My guest today is SuperMum, Lisa Turner.
Lisa and her husband live in London, UK with their son and daughter who are 9 and 4. In 2013, when her youngest child was just 14 months old, Lisa discovered a lump in her breast. She put it down to the affects of breast feeding, but it turned out to be far more sinister. Grade 3 breast cancer.
In the year that followed, family life was turned upside down with a rollercoaster of mastectomies, chemotherapy and dealing with the reality of her illness. The journey was painful and exhausting as Lisa and her family endured the dark times of fighting her illness and raising a young family at the same time.
Lisa is open and honest about the hardships of fighting cancer. The heart-wrenching inability to pick up her children following her double mastectomy. Not having the energy to be part of family life after debilitating chemotherapy. And wondering whether she would live to see her children grow up.
But fast forward 4 years, and Lisa is in remission and living a better life. She now looks back at the experience and draws on the positive things that breast cancer brought with it. The friends and community who rallied around to lend a hand. The love and support her husband gave her and their children. And the new perspective to life that her illness has given her.
But most of all, Lisa wants to share the message that examining your breasts and catching any problems early could save your life.
In today’s episode we learn of Lisa’s incredible strength when hearing the worst possible news and how she helped her children understand what was wrong with mummy. We laugh about the perils of wearing a wig in public and even compare the marvels of Lisa's pert reconstructed breasts verses my saggy post breast-feeding ones.
I am delighted to have Lisa on my show today. She bravely shares her story of dealing with serious illness when you have a young family, the importance of being raw and honest in your darkest hour, and how to see your experiences as a way to add value to your life as a mum so you always hold dear every precious moment.
You can find the full write up from this episode including the Show Notes at www.Lisa-York.com/083
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Go Conquer Motherhood!