Today we are really pleased to welcome a new guest blogger for the Community News, Amanda-Jayne. Amanda-Jayne was diagnosed with Breast cancer in June 2019 and used poetry and journaling to diarise her experience throughout. Amanda-Jayne has very kindly sent through her poetry and writing to us here and we are going to be sharing it with you over the next few weeks. So, here is volume one of Amanda- Jayne’s journey through breast cancer in verse and word.
Amanda-Jayne with her husband Tristan, and parents in law, Sharron and David.
Little Tinker
Just a little while ago
tinker came to stay,
Hope she doesn’t get comfy
Wish she would go away.
She sits there just beneath my skin
Knows there’s nothing I can do,
'She can’t hide from the doctors
For her they’ll see right through.'
The worst is that it’s cancer
At best a harmful cyst,
I’m ready but I’m also scared
My life veiled in a mist.
Emotions soar and plummet
Can’t move on my life on pause,
If I could just fast forward to the
Tests find out the cause.
On the outside I’m smiling bravely
Inside I’m shaking with fear,
Just longing to hear from doctors
That yes, I have the all clear.
It’s so hard not to worry when
'The outcome is still unknown,
But I am glad that I don’t have
To face this ordeal all alone.'
19th June 2019
Today I was diagnosed with breast cancer, very shocked, feel like I have been punched and kicked in the stomach at the same time. I suppose I knew it might be, but still stunned to find out it is. Never felt so alone and scared, I know I’m in God’s hands but still anxious. Never thought this would happen to me, my head is spinning with all the info I have been given. My breast care nurse is lovely, she helped me calm down and explained a lot of things.
Diagnosis
'Cancer, a word I never thought
Would be connected to me,'
My mind spun and my body shook
But surely it couldn’t be.
Fear gripped both heart and stomach
I wanted to shout and scream,
For in that moment my life
Felt torn apart at the seam.
Surgery next to remove
lump and lymph node, but what pain,
So many questions, will I
Ever be the same again?
So much information my
Nurse has just given to me,
Struggling to take it all in
And the way ahead to see.
We want to thank Amanda-Jayne for sharing her story with us, we will be sharing more of her poetry and journal entries over the next few weeks. Poetry can be a really powerful way of expressing yourself, and if you have any poetry that you want to share with the Community on any subject, we have a group called ‘Express yourself’ where you can share anything you have created.
