Without a doubt, this has been the most difficult year I have endured but as always I look back in reflection and stand tall with what I have learnt to take me into the next year with great anticipation.

I had grade one Melanoma confirmed on the 19th of December. The official diagnosis is Invasive Superficial Spreading Melanoma BUT the Surgeon did a good job carving my thigh up and took a big enough hunk that they are confident they got all the tumor. Phew! Yes, I had cancer and its the 3rd biggest killer in NZ but it hasn't got me. I'm not out of the woods yet as I still have to have every millimeter of my body checked for more. I am realistic in that statistically there will be more and I'll take each one in my stride. I will be religious in my quarterly skin checks, and I'm paranoid about the evil sun rays so staying in the shade or smothered in 45 SPF sunscreen with my sunnies and hat eases my mind.
It was a huge fright, and I had all sorts of worries running through my mind waiting on the diagnosis but the biggy was I really wasn't ready to die or even be slowed down with treatment. I re found my energy moving back down here and I would have been bummed to have been shot down as I was getting restarted!

My mothers terminal illness and the love my father shows her is bitter sweet. I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else but here, and me and my Labrador pooch are enjoying being back.

Thank you to everyone who has been so amazingly supportive of us here, in Christchurch and around the world. You are what keeps me smiling, and looking forward to a new year with all it's swings and roundabouts with all of you. Because life is for living, rip into it!

Good riddance 2013, and rock on 2014 :-)

Happy New Year Everyone! x

On Monday I went in for my IPL treatment to zap the sun damage on my shoulders and chest. So, there's reason #1: Sunscreen is way cheaper to prevent sun damage than lasering is to remove it!

Luckily for me the normal nurse that does the treatment was away so the Dr did my treatment.

Lucky because as she covered me with the towel she noticed a mark on my thigh and said "oh honey!".

Next thing I know the room is being turned into a surgery and a local anaesthetic is administered (man they sting!). The Dr took a wide excision around my dodgy freckle and has sent it to the lab.

It takes 5 working days to diagnose a normal sample, and if its confirmed as Melanoma then it is sent to a 2nd specialist- so another 5 working days.

The Dr is confident it's Melanoma and says she will get me back for a full body check and I will need scans once the diagnosis is confirmed.

10 long days + 2 weekends= 2 whole weeks to wait. So, that's Xmas Eve and a phone call I CAN wait to get.

So please, stay out of the sun!!! It's really not worth it is?

My new commitment to my spraytan business is getting educated about skin cancer so that while I'm up close and personal wih you- if I notice anything dodgy I will tell you to get to a Dr.

Get a healthy glow on the go- be Suntan Savvy!