Amy Owen Hakuna-Ma-Tatas

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.


So here we are!! I never thought I'd be setting up a Caring Bridge site just before my 43rd birthday...but I suppose no one ever thinks it will be them! So...last week I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.  It is an aggressive form of cancer that has spread to some of my lymph nodes but no where else which is really good news!! I have a second opinion scheduled for Monday and will likely be moving my treatment to the Royal Marsden Hospital in central London which is one of the world's leading cancer hospitals. I feel extremely lucky to be able to access this type of care fully sponsored by the NHS and that I can start treatment within weeks of finding a lump. 


I start chemo in about 10 days and will have between 4-6 rounds, lasting four to six months, followed by surgery.  The type of surgery will depend on how the tumour responds to the chemo and may possibly be followed by radio therapy.  The good news is that the tumour is ER+ which means it is oestrogen fuelled which is a cancer that responds well to treatment and the doctors feel very positive that with this treatment I will make a full recovery.  


I will do my best to post updates on here as I move forward through the process.  Thank you all for being part of my tribe and supporting me through this process.  Admittedly it is harder to be going through this without family close by but my friends and church community have been amazing and are stepping in to help fill the gap and walk this journey with me.   There will be many times I will need people to accompany me to hospital visits, sit with me during chemo, bring me food and pray with me and for me and I am so grateful that I know I have so many people to help do this with me.


I believe that God is a good and faithful God and that He is journeying with me along this path as he promises all of us.  


Isaiah 40:29-31 

He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.