After being given a max of 6-9 months to live before undergoing:- 

• a 12.5hr operation, 
• 3 days on intensive care unable to breathe for myself, 
• 3 weeks in hospital learning to breathe, walk, swallow, speak and drink again (strange as it may seem these are not automatic reflexes), 
• 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy that burnt my face and neck inside and outside making it impossible to once again swallow, 
• 3 months of weekly physiotherapy learning to walk again
• 6+ months of learning to eat and drink again 
• 12+ months of therapy to mentally process and come to terms with my ‘new’ normal
• and having done all this (without the radiotherapy) only 3 years before (so yes I’ve done this twice!)

To be standing here today, having also completed an abseil for charity, I’m able to eat, drink and do most daily tasks again, for me is a miracle in itself!

If there’s one thing I’ve learnt in all of this is that the human shell can be manipulated, pulled apart, and stitched back together in an incredible way, but…It is the soul within that allows for all those small hurdles to be overcome.

It’s the soul that has the desire to carry on day after day when it feels like there is no end in sight.

It’s the soul that can enjoy the sunshine once it’s all done and can look back and realise WOW look how far I have come! I have made it farther than I realised.

• No, I don’t look the same as I did. 
• No, I don’t speak the same as I did. 
• No, I don’t sound the same as I did. 

BUT I made it through it all! 

If I can do that, what else can I do, what will I do next?! 

There is no limit to what is possible once you’ve gone through the worst life can throw your way and you are still able to get up each day and smile at the small wins every day!