My Diary
(Music
by the New Traffic Islands)
Monday
17th May 2010
Nicole Dryburgh (21), author and Teenage
Cancer Trust fundraiser died suddenly on Sunday 16 May after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
Nicole's extraordinary battle through
cancer, losing the use of her legs, her hearing and her sight was fought with
grace and humour and at her 21st birthday in February 2010 she celebrated three
years in remission. Nicole’s
wit, enthusiasm for life and drive to change the lives of young people with
cancer inspired many.
Nicole authored two books, received a
Diana Award in 2009 and was a treasured member of Teenage Cancer Trust
staff. Most recently, she received
the inaugural Anne Frank/Miep Gies award, given in recognition of people who
perform the most courageous acts in the most frightening situations. She was a massive fan of Coronation
Street, chocolate and all things pink.
Nicole was a passionate and dynamic
fundraiser. Through Nicole’s
Fund, set up to fund a Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital
in Surrey, she raised over £74,000.
Prior to this she raised £43,000 to fund ‘Nicole’s
Sweet’, a paediatric neuro-rehabilitation suite on Lion Ward at
King’s College Hospital.
Nicole was supported in her life and her
fundraising by her mum Jackie, brother Lee and her much loved dogs Daizy and
Molly.
Jackie and Lee Dryburgh, said: “Nicole’s
website and Justgiving page will remain open, true to her spirit."
*************************************
Wednesday
5th May 2010
Lots of links for you this week!
I got my latest MRI scan results last
Monday, and I’m very pleased to say that I’m still in
remission! It’s been three
years and two and a half months now (and counting…), and my oncologist
said this is the longest remission case he’s known for my type of
cancer. He’s really pleased
with my progress, and said my scans can now be annual. This is a really good sign, if a bit
scary for me too. I don’t
like having the scans because they involve needles, but the results put my mind
at rest knowing I’m still in remission. I’m now going to start going to
see the pain team at the Marsden to try and help the pain in my back. It’s really, really bad now and
nothing seems to be helping. The
painkillers I take aren’t strong enough, physio often makes it worse and
the injections I had last year did nothing but give me nightmares…
surgery is an option, but my oncologist isn’t keen for me to have this,
so hopefully the pain clinic can help.
Well, Julie ran the London Marathon last
Sunday in 5 hours and 45 seconds, and her husband, Andy, also ran in aid of my
fund. Andy got a stitch during the
marathon though, so finished an hour after Julie. She ran with my photo on the back of her
T-shirt, and two people recognised me and told her to say hello to me. I didn’t expect to be recognised
seeing that there were 37,000 people there, but I was!
If anyone is interested in running the
London Marathon next year in aid of Nicole’s Fund, please click on the
link below to enter for a place.
You’ll be improving the lives of young people with cancer. The public ballot is open now, but
places go quickly, so please get in fast!
Also, this year was the start of the
Brighton Marathon which is the same distance as the London Marathon (26 miles),
and it will now be held every year as it was such a success. Keep checking the link below if
you’d like more info on this marathon.
Thank you!
I’m keen to get more people to
join my fan club on Facebook to help spread the word about Nicole’s
Fund. If you’re a Facebook
member - please join!
Thanks!
Finally, I’d just like to remind everyone again of the fab website: Post Pals which supports seriously ill children by ‘posting a smile on their faces’. In the last month they’ve lost four little girls and one little boy from cancer, and three of those passed away within the same week. I wanted to mention Post Pals again in the hope that some of you will visit the site and write to a child to cheer them up while they’re ill. I used to be a pal and it really does make a difference.)
That’s all for now!
Love Nicole xxx
*************************************
Monday
19th April 2010
I will be running the Flora London
marathon this Sunday… but only as a photo on the back of someone’s
t-shirt! My brother’s friend,
Julie, is very kindly running the 26 mile course to raise much needed money for
Nicole’s Fund. If you’d
like to sponsor her, and help improve the lives of young people with cancer,
then please visit: www.justgiving.com/nicolesfund
Thanks so much Julie for doing this, and
to everyone who sponsors her.
I get my latest MRI scan results next
week, so hopefully they’ll confirm that I’m still in
remission. Will update again after
then.
Love Nicole xxx
*************************************
Monday
5th April 2010
Happy Easter everyone!
Just a quick update for you all: my book
signing at the beginning of March went pretty well, and luckily a good crowd
turned up so I wasn’t sat there looking like a billy! I arrived fifteen minutes before the
time I was due to start signing books, and there was already a queue of people
waiting, so I started straight away!
Thank you to everyone who came along, and especially to those who
brought me some lovely gifts. My
books page on my site has been updated with some reviews of ‘Talk to the
Hand’, so please check it out if you’d like to read them.
In mid March I went to an award ceremony
in London, where my first book ‘The Way I See It’ was shortlisted for a Sense EXPRESS YOURSELF! creative writing
award. It was a competition set up in
2008 by Sense, the charity that supports deafblind people, and someone
nominated ‘TWISI’ for this year’s awards. Mum, Lee and I went to the ceremony, and
it was really nice because loads of people there knew how to sign, so were able
to ‘talk’ to me personally.
There were different categories, and I was in the category of
‘best piece of writing by a deafblind adult’. They read out bits of everyone’s
entries, and Miriam Margolyes from Harry Potter was
there too. She read out some
extracts from my book, and once all the other people’s entries in my
category had been read out, she then announced that the winner was TWISI! I’m really pleased as it’s
the third award for my book.
Last Sunday I went to the Royal Albert
Hall to see Lemar and JLS perform. This was one of the concerts that Roger
Daltrey organises every year to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust. This year was the 10th anniversary of
the concerts, and the line-up was great!
I didn’t know I was going to one of the concerts until late Friday
night. My boss at TCT knows
I’m a big Lemar fan, so managed to get me
tickets to the show. It was a great
surprise - I didn’t know Lemar was actually
doing the concert as the headlined act for that night was JLS. We were in one of the posh boxes too on
the night, which was fun. Although
I couldn’t actually hear Lemar’s lovely
voice, I could hear the music and feel the vibrations from it, and because I
know lots of his songs from before I went deaf, when Mum told me which song he
was singing I was able to put the lyrics to the music, if all that makes sense!
I’m busier than ever with work -
but I love my job and am really enjoying it. At the moment I’m still quite
involved with schools which are raising money for my fund and TCT. I’ve lost count of the number of
talks I’ve already given this year in schools and at other events! I’m also starting to organise my
next ball which will be in November.
I’ll keep you posted on that!
Love Nicole xxx
*************************************
Monday
1st March 2010
I forgot to mention a huge thing in my
last update - I’ve now been in remission for 3 years!! I have my next MRI scan in 6 weeks time,
so hopefully that will confirm it.
Some of you will remember that a couple
of years ago, my gorgeous dogs, Molly and Daizy, made the shortlist for the
Dogs Trust Honours. They went to a
swanky award ceremony in London and got the recognition they deserve. Dogs Trust have just launched this
year’s honours, so if you know a dog who is worthy of an award, please nominate
them. All details can be found on
the link below:
Just a quick reminder that I am doing a
book signing this Saturday at Waterstone’s in St Margaret’s Street,
Canterbury, between 3 and 4pm. Hope
to see some of you there!
Love Nicole xxx
*************************************
Sunday
21st February 2010
Well, last Tuesday (9th) was my 21st
birthday! I had a really nice
day. Friends and family kept
arriving during the day with presents, so it was pretty busy. My Nan had a brilliant cake made for
me. It was a lovely chocolate
sponge in the shape of a handbag, and was covered in pink icing. On the tray around the cake were little
things made out of icing, including a little laptop with my website on it, two
little books with my front covers on them, but best of all was a mini Molly and
Daizy! I refuse to eat the dogs
though, I’ve kept them instead!
At night I went out in Canterbury for cocktails with the girls. Some of the names of the cocktails we
were drinking are far too rude to mention - tasted great though! Needless to say, the next morning I felt
rather rough…
A couple of weeks ago I had a blood test
to check everything’s ok before my operation. I was very good about it - didn’t
even use ‘magic’ numbing cream, valium or anything! I just stuck my arm out and let the
nurse do what she had to. I fainted
afterwards though. I just
can’t help it, I think it’s the relief of it being over, but
it’s really annoying when it happens. The day after the test, we got a call
from my GP to say that the nurse had taken three samples, but they needed a
fourth to check for something else.
Therefore I needed to have another blood test. I wasn’t too happy but said ok. Then
last Thursday, we got another call from my GP to say that my blood test results
had come back and I have an iron deficiency and am anaemic. The next day when King’s College
Hospital, where I’m having the op, heard about this, they called us and
guess what? My operation has been
cancelled! It was supposed to be on
Tuesday this week, but my surgeon needs me in top condition for it, and at the
moment I’m too weak.
I’m not surprised with the results. I haven’t been feeling right for a
long time, always tired, breathless etc, and a few weeks ago while I was at the
Marsden for a TCT meeting, I fainted twice. We had just arrived and I stood up to
get into my wheelchair, and just fainted and went all funny. It then happened again, so I ended up
missing the whole meeting and spent the day on the children’s ward under
observation. Typical me huh? I’m now on iron tablets and trying
to eat healthier. I’ll have
another blood test in a few weeks time to see if things have improved, and if
so then my op will be booked again.
I was really disappointed when it was cancelled because I was looking
forward to having it done, and getting an answer at last, so hopefully I will
get better soon and be able to have it.
I hope if you’ve got my new book
that you’re enjoying reading it - I’ve been getting great feedback
on it so far! This week I’ve
been doing some interviews to promote the book. I had an interview and photo shoot with
The Daily Mail (the article should be out later this week), and I’ve also
been interviewed by BBC Radio Kent which will be aired tomorrow. Also tomorrow, I’m talking to BBC
South East news, so keep watching the channel as it will probably be shown the
same day.
That’s all for now. Will keep you updated on how I am.
Love Nicole xxx
*************************************
Thursday
4th February 2010
My new book is officially out now!! You can buy it from Waterstone’s
and online at Amazon. It’s
called ‘Talk to the Hand’ and costs £5.99. I really hope people enjoy reading it!
I will be doing a book signing at
Waterstone’s in St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury, on Saturday 6th
March between 3 and 4pm. Please come down if you’d like me to sign your
copy!
Love Nicole xxx
