Today would have been my Grandma’s 99th birthday. Sadly she passed away 4 years ago, but today I am paying tribute to her.

She was a breast cancer survivor herself and went on to live another 30+ years, now there is a bit of positivity to start the day!

It got me thinking how things were so different then, breast cancer was seen as a death sentence and treatment options were minimal.

In fact my Grandma was probably in a minority in terms of being a breast cancer survivor.  One thing that has also changed over the years, is people’s attitude to “talking about “. In fact the sad thing is I never knew she had cancer until she was very old when my mum told me.

She never talked about it once with me.

Back in my grandma’s day they just didn’t talk about it.   In those days there was no reconstruction or support networks.

I often wonder now what she must have gone through every day of her life. Who did she talk to about this? Where did she turn on her dark days?

I remember she used to drink a glass of warm water with lemon religiously everyday. Same glass, every day.  It’s something I started doing the day after chemo.  I had heard the juice in the lemon helps to fight against cancer.  Then the penny dropped, had the doctor told my grandma to do this?

I feel like I am carrying on in her footsteps, “I will be the breast cancer survivor like you grandma”

That lady taught me so many things over the years, she gave me my passion for baking and made the best Yorkshire puddings in the world!

I used to be able to make really good Yorkshire puddings but then as soon as I met my “cock-er-ney” husband they seemed to turn into Yorkshire “flatties”, maybe I was being cursed for marrying a southerner 😉

She also was so bloody superstitious, so much so she has passed one of them onto me.  You will never catch anyone in this family cutting their nails on Fridays and Sundays, nope never, not an option – I know she’s looking down checking on me too!

Thinking about my grandma actually fills me with tears. She died 4 years ago, I remember that day, it was the day Maggie thatcher died.  My grandma was a tough cookie like the Iron Lady herself.

I only wish we had talked.

She was so proud of her grandchildren, always sneaking us sweets behind my dads back and always sticking up for us.

“Leave them alone, Trevor” she would say when Dad was telling us off

I know she is looking down on me now still proud.  She would have been really proud of how open I am and what I did yesterday.  One thing I am so proud of myself for is being open from day one. We have always talked about it with family with friends.  I know it is helping them too, mum and I had a heart to heart the other day and I know my talking about is really helping her.

This journey isn’t just about me, it effects my family and friends, more than I can ever imagine

But that story is for another day, today is about my Grandma, my heroine, a true breast cancer survivor super Gran

Happy birthday Grandma 🙂