Lobe Yourself

First of all...I would like to apologise for my absence as I have been on bed rest for four weeks feeling quite different on codeine!  About 6 weeks ago I was at a party and intended to slide into the splits but instead my leg impaled the floor before I had the chance to show off my dramatic skillset: this resulted in a traumatic fracture to my knee and a patella dislocation. Ouch! For me this was really bad timing as it was the day before I was due to start my dream role on Harley Street! Luckily, they were really kind about the whole situation and unfortunately six weeks later I'm still on unpaid sick leave...but my job is waiting for me when I get back on my feet. I had reconstructive surgery four weeks ago to repair the damage and in true Chantal fashion: this is genuinely the second time in ten years that I've done this so I'm a bit of a professional now. I have found that I've been going slightly mad not knowing what to do with myself over the...

I am so pleased to say that for 2019 I will be officially working with The Brain Tumour Charity as a Young Ambassador. The Young Ambassadors are a group of handpicked 18-25 year olds who have been affected by Brain Tumours and subsequently utilised the resources of The Brain Tumour Charity and want to show dedication and passion to ultimately finding a cure! This role is something I never thought I'd be doing this time last year but it is absolutely my calling! Just 10 months on from my own diagnosis I feel like a completely different purpose bound individual and I will work hard in this team to help secure a cure for all people with Brain Tumours young or old. My journey will begin later this month as I go to an Ask The Researcher event in London to find out what the current projects are for Brain Tumours and ask a few more specific questions. If you want to attend this event you can still buy tickets here:  https://asktheresearcher2019.eventbrite.co.uk/ If you cannot att...

As a Neurosurgical Anaesthetic Practitioner I don't often get to see the post-operative side to the patient journey. However, I know that while my Neurosurgery Consultants give good pre-operative information to my patients, not all are as thorough when it comes to preparing for a hospital stay. Utilising my own knowledge and some fantastic online support groups I've devised a list of ways you, or a family member, can prepare for a hospital stay, whether it's surgical or not. Pre-stay: As much as you are comfortable to do so, inform your family, friends or work about what you're going through , ideally direct them to a charity information page to ease the explanation. Let them know which hospital you'll be in and the duration of the stay . Ideally arrange for someone to check on you ! If you have children then please contact the school and let them know what is going on. So many measures can be put in place to ensure they're cared for while ...

As part of the Positive Stories series I wanted to do an in-depth introduction into how other Brain Tumour Warriors are promoting positivity beyond their own experience.  I work closely with Daniel, who is a Social Entrepreneur and the Founder of New-Fin . New-Fin is a company that seeks to help teenagers with the mental and spiritual aspects following Brain Surgery. At only 19 years old Daniel has survived major brain surgery and is thriving with his new found lust for life, working hard in college and with building his company. Below is a series of images of Daniel's journey. New-Fin was born when Daniel noticed that his integration from hospital to home was something that didn't go so smoothly; I think this is something a lot of people resonate with. When you leave the four walls of the hospital you no longer have that continued specialised care and guidance; this lack of care leaves a lot of teenagers and young adults without the confidence to re-enrol in school,...

My sweet friend Christina, who also has a Brain Tumour, got in touch with me at Christmas to see if I had altered my skincare brands following my diagnosis. I responded with a resounding no as I'm quite stuck in my ways when it comes to my regime! This outreach of love from Christina got me thinking- if I'm spending so much time and effort into putting non-toxic, vitamin rich, organic food and supplements into my diet then why would I continue to cleanse, moisturise and pamper my body with chemical rich cosmetics? I'm not truly getting the 100% detox I'm after! She introduced me to Tropic Skincare , whose  formulations are supercharged with innovative ingredients, such as bio-retinol and plant ceramides, embracing the latest green technologies and 100% Vegan.   Christina sent me the Discovery Kit which you can see in the image above. It's a methodical starter kit to change your morning and evening cleansing routine with ease and she also threw i...

I am filled with joy to be writing that my suspected Astrocytoma is 6 months stable! With every scan and result I can feel myself becoming more brave and more trusting in my body. I am more confident than ever that I will be able to heal myself through my positive attitude, alternative treatments and faith. Watch this space! By 2020 I am aiming to have raised £5000 for The Brain Tumour Charity to help #FindACureSooner and ensure continued support and readily available resources for patients and families of those who have Brain Tumours. Please click on the link and donate, if all of my readers donated £1 I would have met my target already! https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/moneyforbrains

Seeing loved ones go through cancer: At the age of seven, I watched both my Nan and Granddad end their battles with cancer just a year apart from each other. I didn’t anticipate watching any other loved ones go through the same.   In the June of 2014, a couple of days before sitting my A-Level exams, it felt as though my world came crashing down. My dad was diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer. I cannot even begin to underpin a single emotion I was feeling but it was an amalgamation of sadness, fear and anger. I remember asking my dad how he was feeling after he had been diagnosed and I was taken aback when he responded with “ok”. He said that receiving a diagnosis was much better than not knowing what was wrong, despite me feeling like this was the worst possible scenario.     My dad’s strength throughout his chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery is definitely the reason why he is still with us today. I believe that his positive mental attitud...