It’s nearly two years to the day since Alice was first diagnosed and although she finds herself in a similar situation treatment wise, she is more determined than ever. As radiotherapy on her head does its job, Alice’s hair begins to fall out until she can’t bear the itch any longer and gets it all shaved off. Race for life day arrives as Alice and her mum proudly walk the walk for Rhabdo and successfully reach the finish line, an achievement in itself! Pain in Alice’s back causes concern until a series of scans reveal the underlying problem- a tumour in her spine and frustratingly, it’s back in her bone marrow once more. Never one to stay down for long, Alice isn’t looking forward to more chemo, but is eager to start treatment and start fighting again. As Alice talks us through her treatment plan, she explains how frustrated and shocked she feels at the thought of the cancer being back in her bone marrow and can’t understand why it keeps coming back. Instead of a Hickman line, this time round Alice has a portacath fitted in preparation for chemo and starts to get ready for her time in hospital, which surprisingly Alice is looking forward to, mainly so she can get it done and get on with her life once more.

Race for life day has finally arrived and team Bonnie are out in full force and raring to go! With their legs stretched and their trainers on both feet, the 5k race begins with Bonnie at the front leading the way and giving us a running commentary of how her race skills are shaping up. As they near the end, it’s tempting to stop, but Bonnie just keeps on going until she reaches that finish line! Back at home, the chocolate is out and the legs are resting as everyone, including Bonnie feels worn out after their active morning, which has raised a staggering two and a half thousand pounds for Cancer Research. With the race completed and everyone recovered, Bonnie gives us a summary of the past few days, including a trip to the hospital to have her stomach drained, in which 3 litres of liquid were drained, an amount Bonnie represents with three cartons of fruit juice! As her holiday approaches, Bonnie looks forward to having a break away from home and rejuvenating on a boating holiday. We get a tour around the boat in question and some of the beautiful surrounding scenery as Bonnie has a well deserved break from normality and enjoys herself surrounded by her family, her friends and the sunshine.

The second part of Bonnie’s April diary sees her eagerly awaiting her latest CT scan results amongst dealing with some not-so-nice side effects including tiredness and a few crazy dreams! The race for life fund is steadily rising as Bonnie prepares her costume for the big day and tries to focus on some positive times ahead including coming off medication and sailing with the CLIC Sargent team. A call from the hospital informing of a drop in Bonnie’s haemoglobin means an impromptu blood transfusion, a process which she advises is best endured with lots of magazines and a tempting selection of comfort food! Bonnie also explains how she is experiencing a host of different and new emotions as her body shape begins to change and sickness prevails. Never one to stay down for long though, Bonnie manages to fit in a lively ballet lesson with friends….even if it does mean another early night!