Side effects of surgery – what goes unsaid

Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, has had two significant surgeries at different points in her life. Here, she shares some of the hidden side effects in a bid to raise awareness and normalise what others may be going through… When it comes to the surgeries I’ve had, I tend to speak in terms of things …

Royal Marsden Exercise Oncology Study Day 2024

Horsham-based female personal trainer, Becky, is a cancer exercise specialist, and recently attended an exercise oncology study at London’s Royal Marsden hospital. Here, she shares her thoughts on the experience… Exercise oncology is a rapidly expanding field of work and study, which is operated by a huge range of professionals, from academics and exercise physiologists …

Cancer survivor’s guilt: how to handle it

At a Christmas party, I had a conversation about cancer survivor’s guilt. I know, festive. I was sat next to someone who’s been through cancer treatment, we already knew this about each other. And among the buzz of a raucous party, we had a quiet and important chat. This person had recently struggled with their …

Strength in the Face of Adversity: How Fitness Empowered My Recovery from a Desmoid Tumor

In 2018, my life took an unexpected turn when I was diagnosed with a Desmoid tumour – as September is Desmoid Tumor Awareness Month, it feels like the right time to discuss this issue. For those unfamiliar with the term, a Desmoid tumour, also known as aggressive fibromatosis, is a rare type of cancer, forming …

Learning from a scare

Last week, I shared that I’ve recently been through the whirlpool of a potential tumour recurrence. Thankfully, there was nothing to be found and I was cleared again – see last week’s post for details. The experience taught me some valuable lessons, and I wanted to share them in case they can be of benefit …

Medical advocacy: a beginner’s guide to the language of medicine

I’ve always considered myself fortunate that languages come naturally to me.  I studied French and German at school, and although I’m by no means fluent, the knowledge I gained over 20 years ago (eek!) works solidly with some practice.  That, in turn, has allowed me to pick up some Spanish and Italian in the last …