It's been a while...

With new email addresses, computer changes and life in general, it has been a while since I blogged.  

I think I have managed to re set, and we should be back on track... safe to say you guys are still filling my heart with love 

Be back soon! 

The posh coaster

Why my pen pot sits on an Ivy coaster - And no one else sees it but me

Sometimes simple reminders are enough to push ourselves everyday. One of the great things about my job (European Event Director, Revolution Events - see if this page is still active - https://uk.linkedin.com/in/deborahpuxty ) is that if you work hard you play hard.

Now a few years down the line (nearly 10) I cannot play as hard as i used to, and i am expected to work harder than i used to - so when there are benefits for my efforts i will take them.

A simple coaster from a nice restaurant reminds me that if i put the effort in then i get rewards.

The Ivy restaurant coaster

5 days a week I encourage myself with a simple visual aid - if i put the effort in, i get benefits.  This is not just work, it can be attributed to all aspects of life.  I work at relationships, personal and professional - i work at my job - i work to stay (fairly) fit and so on.  The world doesn't owe anyone a living, so make your own luck and happiness kids. 

I'm part of the Lynch Mob

and what it really means...

Tuesday 23rd December 2014

This photo is in the box. Because it represents me.

I have Lynch - hypermethlyation of the MLH1 promoter gene to be exact. Yep, I didn't have a clue either.. here is a quote... 

Clinical Information

Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC), also known as Lynch syndrome, is an inherited cancer syndrome caused by a germline mutation in 1 of several genes involved in DNA mismatch repair (MMR), including MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. There are several laboratory-based strategies that help establish the diagnosis of HNPCC/Lynch syndrome, including testing tumor tissue for the presence of microsatellite instability (MSI-H) and loss of protein expression for any 1 of the MMR proteins by immunohistochemistry (IHC). It is important to note, however, that the MSI-H tumor phenotype is not restricted to inherited cancer cases; approximately 20% of sporadic colon cancers are MSI-H. Thus, MSI-H does not distinguish between a somatic (sporadic) and a germline (inherited) mutation, nor does it identify which gene is involved. Although IHC analysis is helpful in identifying the responsible gene, it also does not distinguish between somatic and germline defects.

Still not sure? Yeah, me too and I have had a couple of years to digest this. Basically Lynch Syndrome (LS) is a rare condition that runs in families. Conditions that run in families are known as familial or hereditary.

LS is named after the doctor who discovered it.

Lynch syndrome is the most common cause of hereditary bowel cancer. However, fewer than 5 in 100 (5%) of all bowel cancers are linked to LS. 

People with LS also have an increased risk of developing other cancers. In women, there is a higher risk of womb (endometrial) and ovarian cancers. Other cancers that can occur in people with LS include stomach, pancreas, small bowel, ureter and renal pelvis cancers.

Knowing about risk and having regular screening may help prevent some cancers. It may also help others to be found in the early stages, when they're more likely to be curable. So I get monitored when I feel I need it.  I don't get monitored as much as I would like, but that is because I am neurotic! But whilst at first I felt like I had been given a death sentance, I actually realise it is a life gift.  I am only too aware how quickly life can be snatched away, and serious illnesses can take years to recover from, so every day should be special. 

 You never know what personal demons people are facing, so you never know how your kindness can change their lives.  It's nice to be nice, it makes other people be nice, and one day, hopefully the whole world will join in. 

Kids - be kind, be happy, look after your bodies they are precious. And look after each other 

x

The Granddad that got blown up in a tank...

On the 70th anniversary of D Day, we will remember them.

6th June 1944

World War II (WWII or WW2), also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. 

My Granddad was deployed as part of the D Day Invasion -  among 100,000’s of other soldiers crossing the channel to land of the shores of Normandy at the start of the drive to Berlin.  Intelligence reports suggested that the Normandy region was less well defended than the area around Calais. The length of the sea crossing made it an unlikely landing spot for the Allies - this is what the Allies hoped that the Germans would think.

I always knew that Granddad was involved and part of the invasion - he was proud of what he did for his country and quite rightly so.  Growing up I was aware that he supported the Normandy Veterans Association whenever he could - going on marches, parades and also talking at schools. I'm not sure what he said when he went to schools, because he never gave me, my brother Pete, or cousins Vikki and Richard, much detail about it. 

I remember he taught me how to do the Sherman tank salute (hold your hand, palm forward, against your forehead, just above the right eye - he always gave me a cheeky finger wiggle too, but pretty sure that was not part of the actual salute!)

I knew his tank was attacked, but again, my knowledge was pretty limited, and when I asked my mum what she knew it seemed hers was too. Those few days of his life were never really discussed. 

I lost my grandparents within months of each other and it was a sad time for my family. Granddads funeral was a military funeral, very emotional and there was even pride in his last goodbye to the world he so bravely defended. It was only many years later that I discovered that he had done an interview with the Imperial War Museum about his experience and so I went to go and listen to the archives. A great and interesting day, and emotional from the moment I heard that most familiar voice that had sung to me as a child and spoken caring words as I grew into adulthood. He visited Normandy often and had many friends there. A father and daughter came to England for his funeral and stayed with my Uncle Steve and Auntie Sue. The night before the funeral we all gathered at my grandparents house and they joined us. He did not speak much English so his daughter translated a letter he had written. He was thanking my granddad for all that he did to free them and us and to give us all the lives we now live - he was thanking him for having such strong and brave comrades that did not survive. He was thanking him for saving his life. With that line (most of us in tears at this point) he pulled out a little package. It was a small union jack flag folded up. He carefully unfolded one of the sides and showed us some earth. Earth that he had gone and collected from the graves of my granddad's tank colleagues who died in action and are buried in Aromanche - so that he could walk into the next life with these men by his side. 

When leaving the archive room, the man asked if the Mabel Tomalin interview was of interest... Was it?! I never knew my Nan had done one, and here i was listening to her telling the Poole stories of what happened to those keeping the country going. Amazing.

Just because we don't always talk about things we have done and experienced, it doesn't mean we haven't had our own hardships to face.  You never know what troubles someone may have in their life - therefore kids, be nice to everyone - you may just make their day.

Roy Ernest William Tomalin's audio can be heard on this link. 

http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80018709

Mabel Irene Tomalin's audio can be hear on this link

http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80018708

D Day - what happened... 

4.00	Dwight Eisenhower gave the go-ahead for the invasion. The plan drawn up expected 132,715 troops to be landed on five beaches with 23,400 paratroopers to be dropped further inland. 6,483 ships were involved. In case the invasion failed, Eisenhower prepared a statement that said: "Our landings in the Cherbourg-Harve area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. If any blame or fault attaches to this attempt, it is mine alone."
22.00	Five fleets of assault ships left their English port bases. "We slipped anchor and headed into the Channel to overtake the grey columns of troops transports and landing craft, which now stretched to the horizon and beyond. They filled the scene as far as the eye could see. Overhead, the sky was filled with an aerial armada of bombers."  John Gough, radio operator on board a destroyer.
22.56	Six gliders took off from Tarrant Rushton, Dorset, for Pegasus Bridge at the eastern end of the beaches. "No smoking till we were airborne; so to ease the tension we sang para songs to the tune of 'Knees Up Mother Brown', the end of the chorus going "I'll always keep my trousers on when jumping through the hole." I wondered if that might be true that night. Sgt Edgar Gurney, 5th parachute Brigade
June 6th
00.16	Three gliders landed just 30 meters from Pegasus Bridge. Commandos led by Major John Howard captured the bridge. "We were coming in at 90 mph on touchdown. I suppose that really was the most exhilarating moment of my life. I could see the bridge tower 50 yards from where I was standing. Above all, the tremendous thing there was that there was no firing at all. We had complete surprise, we had caught old Jerry with his pants down." Major John Howard
00.30	The Café Gondreé by Pegasus Bridge is the first building to be liberated in France. Allied troops there were given champagne by the owner. "Inside (the café) I saw a small French girl, ashen-faced and scared to hell. I gave her my bar of chocolate but she still did not smile." Albert Gregory, medic.
01.00	American paratroopers of 82nd and 101st Airborne make night jumps into the Cherbourg Peninsula at the western end of the beaches. Because of the cloud, a number missed their target and drowned in flooded swamps.
02.45	Men began to climb down from their ships into their landing craft. "The landing craft was rolling in every possible direction; the sea-sickness pills had failed. Lying still only made one feel worse." Eric Broadhead, Durham Light Infantry heading for Gold Beach.
04.30	St. Mère-Eglise was the first French town to be liberated.  "(American) paratroopers began jumping out by the hundreds. I saw one paratrooper land in the road but a German killed him before he could get untangled from his parachute. Another (paratrooper) was as killed near me. I will never forget the sight." Raymond Paris, resident of St. Mère-Eglise
05.30	Naval bombardment of the shore began. By 06.00, aerial bombing of German fortifications at Omaha andUtah started. "As we reached Omaha beach, all 40 aircraft dropped their bombs. More than 100 tons of bombs exploded in a few seconds. This was the only mission over Europe when I felt the concussion of our own bombs." Henry Tarzca, on a B-17 of 8th Air Force
06.30	American forces landed at Omaha and met stiff opposition. They suffered heavy casualties. 'Swimming' tanks, on which the Americans had placed great faith, sank out at sea due to the unexpected swell and because they were landed too far out.
06.31	American forces landed at Utah. The landing craft landed a mile south as a result of the tide, but the landings were a success.
07.10	US Rangers  (US Army 2nd Ranger Battalion) started an assault on Pointe du Hoc.
07.25	British landings began on Gold Beach. The success of the landing was aided by 'swimming tanks' (Duplex Drive Sherman tanks) that did get ashore. British troops landed on Sword Beach. Commandos led by Brigadier Lord Lovatt joined up with the men at Pegasus Bridge.
07.30	Canadians landed on Juno Beach, again aided by DD Sherman tanks.  "The German machine gunners in the dunes were stupefied to see a tank emerge from the sea. Some ran away or just stared, mouths wide open." Sgt Leo Gariepy
09.15	General Omar Bradley thought about abandoning the landing at Omaha because extra men could not be landed as the beach and sea was crammed with dead bodies.
12.00	The Americans had made successful advances up Omaha Beach aided by gunfire from small naval vessels that sailed as close to the beach as they could.
22.07	A ten-miles deep and sixty miles wide bridgehead had been established

Understanding Crocodiles

Meeting inspirational people. Then buying their mouse mat.

January 2006

Travelling to Australia had always been a desire of mine, but due to the expense I just never thought it would happen.  I'd started saving but it would take a long time as I was already trying to pay off debts at the time. Any sensible person will tell you - there is no point having savings if you have debts!

My trip became reality when my maternal grandparents funded it. I would much rather that they were here to enjoy, but the sad situation was that they died within 48 days of each other in 2005, leaving all of the grandchildren (in age order you have cousin Vikki, brother Peter, cousin Richard and then me - all 1 year apart) some money to spend on something we really wanted to. This for me was to see Australia. My grandparents helped me realise a dream, I wish they had been around to see it. I still talk to them though, no one is ever truly gone if they are in your heart. 

So off I flew, across the world,via Shanghai, (an experience!)

 and spent time with my university friends Clare (who was living in Sydney) and Anna (who was also visiting Australia) - two of those dearest friends that you know will be in your life for a long time (hold on to those people). Christmas and New Years was spent in the company of these amazing girls and many good times, including a trip to Hunter Valley to taste wines... ah perfect!

I then made my way up the coast to Port Douglas in Cairns, to realise one of my bucket list items of scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef, then made my way down to Brisbane, with the sole intention of visiting Steve Irwin's famous Australia Zoo... 

Steve Irwin was an absolute champion of his time, a legend in the world of conservation, animal welfare and life, and was just a character that was undeniably one of the best campaigners for animal rights the world has seen. Starting working in his families zoo in the 1980's he led it to a worldwide status that was held in high esteem - and all of the monies were ploughed back in to helping animals. This guy was a hero. So to visit his zoo was a dream come true, to see Steve there was beyond my expectations!

I had already learnt a lot about crocodiles and their behaviour from reading articles and seeing programmes from Steve, but to be there and learn from the master himself was awesome! He took to the central demo area (the crocoseum) with his wife Terri and team and taught us and showed us behaviours from the crocodiles that made you see them for the beautiful creatures they are. Yes they have big teeth and look scary, but looks can be deceiving,these guys have been around for centuries, they needed to be built hardy! It was just an amazing time, that involved chatting with Terri, cuddling a koala, and walking a wombat on a lead.  Most importantly, the chance to see one of my idols in action just blew me away, and inspired me to talk... what ever you are passionate about, and if you can help people see things in a less daunting and scary way, then do it.  

Perceptions are all very individual, but you can help widen them.

So thanks Nan and Granddad, you helped realise a dream even bigger than I had imagined.

The spiritual adventure I went on

Ayahuasca leaflet

Peru, December 2012

One of the things I have learnt as I have got older is that I like a challenge. It helps me to set goals and I enjoy working towards them. This particularly works in the "keeping fit" stakes for me.  If I set a challenge that is going to push me, it means I scare myself into doing it - hence planning to trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru with Elly. 

I met Elly on a girls surfing course in Croyde years back, when Louise and I hit the waves. Elly and Lorna were also there as a pair, and there was something really attractive about the pair of them - mainly their laughter i think, especially in light of Elly's poorly foot, she was still seeing the positive side of things - they showed good heart and Louise and I jumped at the chance of meeting them in the pub that evening.  A night at the Thatch in Croyde with 3 ladies who are darn good fun was fabulous!  I knew these ladies were keepers and i am so pleased that they are both still in my life.  We don't see each other often, but that doesn't matter, sometimes you just fall in love with someone because and you don't need to be there all the time. 

The whole trip to South America was not just about the trek though, there are so many ecosystems just within Peru that we wanted to travel around during the time we were there. We spent time at the beach, doing some surfing, in the City of Lima doing some sight seeing, of course trekking and also we went to the jungle to stay with my dear friend Caroline, who has now been living in Peru for about 5 years. Visiting her home in Tarapoto was an honour and a joy. Caroline and I became firm friends when at Highsted Grammar and she has always remained dear to me. We have our own trials and tribulations through life, but she has always been a loving soul and I hope I have been a touch of support to her that she has been to me. 

Tarapoto is the commercial center of the District and one of the larger metropolitan centers in the Amazon Rainforest.  Caroline has been doing a variety of work there - including legal translations, nature work and crystal healing and massages. Through her work with the massaging she has been working at a retreat HAMPICHICUY , (pronounced Hampi-chee-coo-ee), whose name in Quechua means "the place that heals" led by a native american shaman, Javier.

"Currently, the individual needs to "relearn" the manifestations of his conscious and unconscious, regain sensitivity to themselves, to their environment and awareness of the human condition that is linked recover their other senses to emotions, such as intuition and spirituality, so lacking in recent times."  Hampichicuy promotes spiritual development, taking in the world Indigenous Amazonian medicinal plant, an approach to the spiritual dimension that all living owns, develops and improves perceptions coexistence with the natural and social environment, generating communication and a balance between the rational and intuitive. Some of these medicinal plants are considered masterpieces "visionary" because while "cleanse" the body and "cure" the soul, reveal our essence as instinctive and intuitive sidelined by the intellect. They are also considered "sacred" because they represent the wisdom of various indigenous peoples and because through this know their traditional doctors have the "gift of healing".

With things that had happened to me over the last 6 years, I felt like I had lost a part of me, that it had shut down to block things out. I was aware that to "be" me , I needed to accept me, I just didn't know how to do it. Caroline, Elly and I spent many an hour discussing Ayahuasca, and how this may help me regain my own spiritual self as well as the scientific research that has links to altering genetic mutations... Since being diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome my fears of illness and death have elevated to levels that were affecting my every day. There were times when I began taking risks and trying to block pains out with alcohol and constantly being on the move, but this was taking its toll on me and becoming a vicious circle. I met Javier and we discussed the experience and it seemed right, albeit daunting... 

For centuries, Amazonian shamans have used ayahuasca as a window into the soul. The sacrament, they claim, can cure any illness. I had been struggling in my own body, not sure how to be Deborah, looking but seeing nothing,the idea of light seemed inconceivable. 

I purged... Never thought I would say I was in a room with a french man drinking a potion from berries that would make me vomit over 2 litres into flower pots... purging is to cleanse the soul, to be pure and hold no negativity before your experience. The ceremony began, 4 of us (and Caroline for translation). The shaman prayed, sang, smoked, covered us in tobacco smoke and then we drank.  I lay down, my mind swirling down a tunnel of light,oh the colors, the images, the things i saw! The emotional charge was high, especially some of my past that I saw, but it went, I SAW and more importantly LET it go.  I floated along the most beautiful colors and ribbons of light, I could feel the vision fading, i was returning to my body, in  a hut, in the jungle. A shaman smiling peacefully at me.

All the while Elly was watching Pirates of the Carribean eating cheetos, a night i would have liked too! 

Many things I learnt from this experience, that are too personal to say, and this experience was all natural and STRICTLY controlled. No illegal drugs were taken, nothing I did was damaging to my body or mind or breaking any laws. I will share with you, that in my opinion, the spirit and soul are precious, look after them and nurture them so that you can be true to yourself, because then you will find peace. 

The mountain I climbed

Challenge yourself...

October 2011

"Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of Africa.

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet)."

http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/kili.html

So, what else would you do with a mountain like this? Well.. Climb it!

In my official remission year, to make sure mentally I knew that bowel cancer had NOT beaten me, I want to do something BIG. So found a mountain!

I got myself so excited looking at challenges that my friends Sarah and Clare decided they were going to join me - for what was originally planned as trekking the Inca Trail in Peru (later this happened the Christmas of 2012) changed to climbing Kili due to the organisers not having enough people for Peru. It was very humbling to realise that I have friends that were willing to cross the world, take on a challenge and spend pocket money for a charity that I really believed in.  Friends are what makes your life valuable so don't forget them. 

It was a very scary prospect, and I remember shaking as I rang my parents to tell them when I had booked it. Mother was a little dissappointed when she realised my big news was not that I was pregnant! The trek took loads of effort & training before we even left the UK - it meant long walks, finding hills and going up and down them repeatedly (there are not that many big hills in Kent) and basically pulling on my hiking boots whenever I had the chance. This did however, lead me to realise that I enjoy walking - it gives me quiet time, time to think, reflect and work through things that in the normal day to day life we may not have time for. Life is so very busy, remember to take time to "stop and smell the roses"

It also wiped out my bank account, but I figured I would have spent an equivalent amount of money on a beach holiday so it was not totally extravagant.  It genuinely was one of the hardest physical & mental challenges I have ever experience. But also one of the best things I have ever done in my life, and wouldn't change a thing! Family Kili together created such an amazing life experience.

A group of people from different walks of life, with their own reasons for the challenge, came together as a nervous bunch stood in Heathrow departures, but by dinner time in Africa we were all engaging and getting on well, raring to go the next day to climb the Machame Route

The Machame Route climb can be done in a minimum of six days (five nights) on the mountain. The trek begins at Machame Gate, located in the southern base of mountain, within its lush, fertile rainforest. The route heads toward the Shira Plateau, before circling along the southern circuit halfway around the mountain, exposing the climber to great views from all angles. The approach to the summit is made from the east, and the descent follows the Mweka trail. The Machame Route is approximately 62 km/37 miles from gate to gate. It is designed for physically fit people with some hiking experience. It was tough.

Support came from virtual strangers; we bolstered each other when we struggled. We cuddled each other when we cried. We laughed with each other when we succeeded. Getting to the point when you physically and mentally think you cannot carrying on - but holding hands and keeping on moving created feelings of great satisfaction and achievement. I was also supported by Vicki - who researched the route and wrote me notes to open for every day of the trek. Motivational letters to keep me going and help my morale. Accompanied by a little doggie teddy from Lennon, who was there to look after me. Apparently Postman Pat was too precious to come ;)These were so thoughtful and kind that they took my breath away. 

You can achieve most things that you really want to kids, so never be too scared to try.  I mean don't try to fly with your arms as wings, that won't happen. But most things are definitely worth a go.