 | | Sally in December 2005 |
This is me just after Christmas last year. I hardly recognise myself, which is good because it's not a pretty picture is it? I'd just finished nine months of chemotherapy and the treatment had taken its toll on my body. I had no hair, a swollen face and a nasty eye infection that made me look like I'd been in a punch-up. In fact, that's how I felt.
 | | On yer bike Sally! |
A month later, and the picture tells a different story. I had enough strength to attempt my first bike ride on the canal path near our house in Rodley. When I ride a bike I attach my artificial leg onto the pedal with a cleat to keep it in place. The only problem, as I discovered that day, is that if I start to veer to the right I can't put my foot out to stop myself so I fall off. And it hurts!
 | | Sally's 'rather fetching' auburn wig |
In February we went on our first break away since I was diagnosed. We went to Glasgow, I wore my rather fetching long, auburn wig and indulged in a glass of wine or two. You can see the colour is starting to come back to my face. In May my hair was just about long enough to go without the wig, which coincided nicely with my wedding.
 | | Getting married |
Getting married to the man who supported me through everything was the best feeling in the world. Here we are on honeymoon in Tuscany. We found a secluded beach and I swam in the sea while my artificial limb sunbathed on the beach on the towel!
 | | On honeymoon |
In July we decided to throw caution to the wind and booked a last-minute trip of a lifetime to Australia. We rode horses along the beach in Warnambool, watched the sun set over Ayer's Rock, scuba dived with the stingrays in Port Douglas and cuddled a koala in Brisbane. Since then I've gone back to work, moved house, and re-homed a dog called Cuddles from the Dog's Trust.
 | | Cuddling a koala down under |
It's been an amazing year and I've got some fabulous photos and memories that go some way to erasing the utter misery of the year before. But there has been a lot of heartache in between the good stuff. Getting used to living life on an artificial limb is a huge adjustment and I have long-term health problems following the chemotherapy.
 | | More cuddles... for Cuddles |
I do have more melancholy moments than I used to and I worry about the cancer coming back every day. But when I get down I pull out that photo of me taken just twelve months ago and think just how far I've come. I only have one wish for the new year - good health. | 
