I’m officially NED (no evidence of disease)

Last week I had my PET-CT scan to check that the immunotherapy had done it’s job. My body came back clear. Therefore I’m officially NED! I can’t explain the feeling I had. It was more overwhelming than my last treatment day. I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I could finally breathe out a sigh of relief. I know I’m not out of the woods yet, melanoma is sneaky. It can lead you into false security; I’m fully aware of that. But for now I will happily take this news.

Not only did I breathe a sigh of relief, so did my children. My girls are 7 and 8 years old. I’ve never had a discussion with them about ‘cancer’ but they are aware of ‘melanoma’ and that mummy needed some surgery and medicine to make this go away. Telling my children that I didn’t need to go to hospital no more was wonderful. My eldest gave me the most loving hug. I can’t even imagine what she has been going through over the last year. We considered counselling for her, but we decided against it. I wonder how much this has affected her emotionally and psychologically. I’m hoping one day she can look back on this blog and really truly understand the extent of this disease. I never ever want my girls to have to go through this. It’s my job now to educate them and protect them from this awful disease. They need to understand how important it is to protect your skin from the sun. I’m currently trying to educate them that sunblock is just as important as cleaning their teeth everyday. I’m also educating them to know their skin. Look for changes. The earlier these changes are detected, the more options are available. It’s also important for YOU to know your skin too. Please don’t neglect your skin, get those skin checks!!!!!

Finally, a few weeks ago (just after my last treatment) I gathered a small group of amazing women here in Hong Kong who have supported myself and my family throughout this journey. It was my opportunity to celebrate THEM and thank them for their amazing support. We had the most wonderful brunch. Here are a few photos from the event. Xx