It’s a busy time for Alice as she prepares for various up and coming events, including a charity ball, in aid of her cancer, Rhabdomyosarcoma. Chemo is delayed so Alice can complete her packed social diary and feel in good spirits whilst doing so, however the pain soon becomes too much to bear. The day of the ball arrives, the fancy frocks are on, the champagne is waiting… and after a lot of hard work, all goes to plan and a wonderful night is had by all. With the generosity and effort of everyone, over £5,000 is raised for the research appeal, dedicated to supporting new scientific findings and maintaining and improving necessary treatments. Despite being in a great deal of pain, Alice keeps going, even if she has to contend with annoying pain relief machines!

Alice’s 18th has finally come, which means only one thing in the Bullock household…a party! Cue jazzy candles, music and lots of cake as she celebrates surrounded by friends and family. Post party and now an official adult, Alice reminisces on her childhood, looking through old photo albums, from sitting on Santa’s knee to her first day at school…and displaying some interesting outfit choices! Feeling tired and energy less, Alice explains how frustrating it is not being able to do anything without feeling worn out, a problem soon helped by having one very large blood transfusion!

Next to take to the stage is Rachel Gilbert, who was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer when she was 15. Now 22, Rachel is about to celebrate, as she calls it, her “cancerversary”! Like Hannah, Rachel was a keen gymnast before her diagnosis, and explains how difficult it was to adapt to life with cancer, especially with the absence of friends, after many of them did not stay in contact during her treatment.

Hannah Merridale bravely takes to the stage to share her story, starting with a series of breathing problems and culminating in the discovery of a cancerous tumour in her lung, ultimately leading to its collapse and then removal, after five years of misdiagnosis from doctors, stating it was simply asthma. Hannah talks about the fears she experienced at the discovery of the real problem, stating how frustrating it felt to be told of the news when they had requested an X-Ray all along. She goes on to explain in detail the unimaginable misconduct she had to endure at the hands of some truly awful nurses, whilst still recovering from her operation and trying best to regain normality.

The inspirational and courageous Nicole Dryburgh shares her incredible story, starting when she was first diagnosed at age 11 with a peripheral nerve sheath tumour, a rare type of cancer. After a series of devastating relapses over the years, Nicole has been left deaf in one ear, profoundly deaf in the other and unable to see. However, this has not stopped her from achieving incredible things. Talking about the release of her book, “The Way I See It”, Nicole explains how she hopes it can help people going through a similar situation to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel, no matter what the circumstance.

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.

In this second fantastic instalment of Alice’s relapse diary, we follow her progress as she travels to Birmingham to meet the surgeon who will be performing her operation and also gets a surprise trip to Cadbury World where, surprisingly much chocolate is consumed…. Get ready for a hat fashion show too, as her and Kev model the latest in designer purple Cadbury merchandise! Alice explains how she is feeling during the countdown to the operation, which is mainly excitement at the thought of finally having the tumour removed from her foot. Even the thought of being crutch bound for a few weeks post surgery doesn’t deflate her spirits, and she still manages to smile throughout it all. And to top it all off….in true Alice style, the first thing she wants after surgery? A nice cup of tea please!

After being chemo free for just over a month, Alice is told the news that no-one ever wants to hear- she’s relapsed. Always with a smile on her face and determination in her voice, she explains how she is coping with the unexpected news and constantly manages to stay positive, whatever the weather. With the tumour back in her foot, albeit very small, she has a strong plan of attack- to get to Birmingham as soon as possible to have it removed and then undergo an intensive course of radiotherapy until the damn thing is gone!