Woah!!!! Wait- what?
Yes, after a rather long time since I released my debut album, ‘Memory Lake’, I am going to be releasing an album, ‘The Backyard Wonder.' 
This is a celebration album. 

Many of you who follow me on facebook or instagram will know that on the 19th of July 2023, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer (TNBC for short). This obviously changed my entire world. Music was put on hold while I went into a rather tough treatment. I did 5 months of neo-adjuvant chemo, which made me lose my hair after the first dose. The dexamethasone (steroids) that I was taking gave me a round face and made me gain weight, so I also didn't look like myself. Not that I cared about how I looked. All that I wanted was to get that bloody tumour out!

During all of this, I was tested for any genetic mutations and bingo! I have the BRCA1 mutation. This means that I had an 85% chance of breast cancer and a 45% chance of ovarian cancer.

So then, on the 13th of December, I had a double mastectomy with immediate DIEP reconstruction (look it up). It took the entire summer to heal from that. 

Because there were trace amounts of cancer in the tissue they removed, I had to do another 5 months of chemo. 

Once that was done, I had another surgery (we're now in June 2024) to remove my ovaries and uterus. 

At this stage, I started noticing my energy levels going up again and a new lease on life. What matters to me? What doesn't matter?

So much had changed and yet, some things stayed the same. 
I was ready to do some more music, so into the studio I went and onto the stage again with Momo on keys and harmonies.

I had an amazing ride for 4 months, feeling normal, but not taking anything, or any day for granted. 

But then, in October, I noticed that the scar tissue in my right armpit felt different. I had a battle with the New Zealand health system to get taken seriously and be seen and tested- this takes us up to mid January!!  And then came the news.

The cancer is back.
It was in my armpit- a growth on the scar tissue from the previous mastectomy surgery, and suspected lymph nodes too as there were 3 that were enlarged and the biopsy results were positive. 
So in for another surgery to remove all of the lymph nodes in my armpit and the scar tumour. What I didn't realise would happen was that they would have to remove nerves and leave me semi-paralysed in my right arm.
While all of this was going on, I noticed that I had quite bad pain in my right shoulder. I went to a few doctors about this as well as my surgeons and I was given a cortico-steroid shot and diagnosed with frozen shoulder. I was given morphine for the pain and exercises/ physio. 
The morphine wasn't cutting through the pain and I ended up having to sleep sitting upright in the lounge, crying and beside myself in pain. When Alex (husband) thought it was time to go to the ED, we rang a local friend who is a GP and asked what we should do. He said, “double your morphine dose and come and see me tomorrow.” He ordered an X-ray and by the end of the week, he called us in to tell me the news that the cancer is in my bone. 

That means stage 4. Metastasised. Incurable.
 

My armpit radiation was cancelled and I had 1 dose of strong radiation to the shoulder to try to alleviate the pain and started on chemo again.

When looking forward, I don't know what I have got as far as time is concerned. What do I need to do? What are the things that make me ‘me’?  Well - music. teaching. my family and friends.

I got in touch with a few friends and asked if they would like to take on a project of learning my new songs and playing my guitar parts -because yes, I am paralysed and can't play- while I sing. They all said “yes”- love them so much for this. 
So we're rehearsing  and we are going to do a mini album release tour From September - October. 

I'll tell you more about the album and the title etc soon.

Thanks for reading. Hope you can come and see one of the gigs.

Colette x