Go Gold for Childhood Cancer, because this shouldn't be something in our world

Top; Lily-Mae in full flight in the ballet studio earlier this year and bottom, a very sick Lily-Mae sleeping beside her brother Evan, as she tried to make her way through the horrible illness, which is Neuroblastoma (pictures courtesy of the Tiny Dancer, A Song for Lily-Mae Facebook page, with permission from Judith Sibley).



June 1, 2012 - this date may mean nothing to most, but to the Sibley, Morrison, Hayes and Quinn families in Ireland, it was the day that childhood cancer came crashing into our lives.

Childhood cancer, is, in and of itself, a term that should not exist, and it is one that should never be used glibly - it should always be accompanied by an ill feeling in the pit of your stomach, the knowledge that something, somewhere in the world has gone horribly wrong and that a parent somewhere is riddled with guilt, pain and anguish, which may never dissipate. 

On that awful day in June four years ago, we found out that adorable and care-free Lily-Mae had been diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma - a litany of furious Google searches ensued, but the results posed more questions than they answered and as a family, we suddenly realised that besides offering 'thoughts and prayers', there was very little that we could do to help Lily-Mae, her brother Evan and her parents Judy and Leighton. 

Nobody ever thinks their child will be sick, just as nobody ever thinks that their spouse or loved one will have to make a claim on their life assurance. 

Throughout the month of September, the Go Gold for Childhood Cancer campaign will be going strong and last year, if you recall, a number of landmark buildings from all over the world, lit up gold in support of the campaign. 

This year, those behind the campaign are calling on people to 'Go Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness' and the campaign runs from September 1-30. Funding for childhood cancer research and treatment centres is lagging far behind where it should be and just this week, this writer got a delivery from Crumlin to sell a book of raffle tickets (a car is up for grabs) to support fundraising for the Nazareth Unit in Crumlin.

While almost everyone is raising money for something these days, the thirty tickets were not hard to sell and were sold in a matter of days - not because there was the potential to win a car, but because it was a way to help sick children who need better healthcare facilities. 

In this day and age, with things like iPads for kids, TV's in every room and the internet on every device, it is a crying shame to think that people need to fundraise to upgrade something like a children's unit in Crumlin hospital. 

Anyone in Ireland who has been unfortunate enough to have a sick child, has probably darkened the doors of Crumlin hospital and while the reports of the friendly staff and wonderful doctors, are glowing, the hospital itself has come in for some harsh criticisms. 

When you support fundraising for things like Crumlin Children's Hospital or the Go Gold campaign, you are not only giving money, you are giving children and their families a tiny beacon of hope and a light of the end of their very bleak tunnel. 

Throughout this month, I will be writing about childhood cancer to raise awareness about the Go Gold campaign and I will be telling my story about childhood cancer, how we coped with Lily-Mae's diagnosis, how we saw the lively and bubbly little girl turn into a mere shadow of herself and how there were bleak days and weeks, but also moments of sheer giddiness, utter ridiculousness and tiny little drops of happiness in an otherwise unthinkable time. 

A few horrifying facts and figures; 

• Childhood cancer is the number one killer of children. 
• One in every 330 children will develop cancer before they reach the age of 19. 
• One out of every five children diagnosed with cancer, will die.
• Cancer in children strikes regularly, randomly and without mercy. 

For more information, Like the Go Gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. 

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Support the Hillwalking Radio Group sponsored walk

The Hillwalking Radio Group are a small voluntary group of dedicated volunteers who provide emergency radio communication for various events around the Galtee Mountains and Glen of Aherlow in Southern Ireland. 

The group members give up their time voluntarily and are all dedicated to the cause of making people feel safer on our mountains and while out enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer. 

"The group is mainly funded from our own pockets and from donations from hill walkers," group member Denny O'Dwyer from Ballylanders explained to Quinn's Quandries. 

To boost their fundraising efforts and to ensure that they can continue to provide this service, the group are holding a sponsored walk in Sliabh Riadh on September 21. 

The walk coincides with the Autumn Equinox and those attending are asked to gather at the Church car park in Glenbrohane in South Limerick at 7pm on September 21. 

Registration takes place from 6.30pm and costs €5. Those who cannot attend, but still wish to support the group, can do so online by secure donation through www.hillwalkingradio.blogspot.ie. 

On the day, there will be a selection of walks to suit all ages and abilities and the event is kindly facilitated by Glenbrohane Community Association (other clubs and groups will also be fundraising). 

There will be tea and much welcomed refreshments afterwards and all support would be greatly appreciated. 

Youthful skin - is it in the genes or in the potions?

I am 29-years-old - depressing I know, just one year (well actually a little bit less) away from being the dreaded 3-0.

Now, I am not one of these big party, let's celebrate people and as it happens, will be a bridesmaid for a bestie just a week after my birthday, so I think I'll just take the foreign wedding as a chance to celebrate with my nearest and dearest and weather pending, may rope the family into a familial barbecue at home, but that will be it. No balloons, no party, no cake (OK maybe I'll have cake, but like a baked Alaska or meringue with fruit,  not a cakey cake).

Anyway, I have gone off topic. This post is about youthful skin, as I am 29 as I said, but I still get asked for ID when out for a night, at the cinema and on buses, I sometimes get offered a kids ticket (something I cheekily would avail of given half a chance) and when I have to cover school events, I often get mistaken for a wayward student.

This isn't something that most people would see as a complaint, but it does often lead to people assuming I am on work experience or am a child and this can lead to people thinking I am not capable etc.

Anywho, getting back to point - my skin is particularly clear and youthful, or so I'm often told and this is a blessing that my dear Mam has as well (she is in her late 60's - sorry Mam, your vague age is now in the public domain), but people often think she is up to twenty years younger and while this was a scourge when she was younger, she welcomes it with open arms now.

So, what is the secret, is it in my blood or is it in the presses with the lotions and potions that are painstakingly applied each morning and evening? The short answer is that I don't know, but Mam washes her face with water (not sure if she uses soap), showers each morning and has been using Oil of Olay since she was in her twenties and got married.

She never wears foundation, rarely wears make-up, I don't think she's ever been to a beautician for waxing, plucking, threading etc or any of the preening or grooming that many women get done regularly.

Mam whips out a tweezers very occasionally, does not own a razor as she doesn't need one and has less than 10 products I would think.

On the other side of the scale, I have cupboards full of potions, lotions, oils, creams and serums.

My skincare regime is relentless, I have been doing it with conviction and dedication since I was about 14 or 15 - I can still hear my late father telling me off for applying creams and toner from such a young age, pooh poohing the ritual, as he said that I didn't need them and it was a waste of time.

So every morning begins with a cleanser, wiped off with a cotton pad (I'm a fan of the Aldi cotton pads, as they are cheap, come in a double pack and don't shed and are soft - also great for babies bottoms I have been told), then toner, then a fantabulous bee venom cream from New Zealand that the beautiful and youthful Jane Seymore (Dr Quinn Medicine Woman and the main reason I will eventually get a doctorate so that I can be Dr Quinn - I will add the medicine woman part for effect) and then a moisturiser, or a sun cream first if it's sunny.

In terms of the cleansers and toners, I go for a rotation system and at the moment, I'm using the Boots own brand cucumber ones, but the last ones I used were from Aldi and I use a facial scrub and little scrubby brush face massager thingy once a week (the small grains in the scrub tear your skin so best to just use it once a week, as the cleanser and toner will remove any toxins or dirt).

I am fussier with my moisturisers and use one with 15-30 SPF from April until October, then a regular one and favour Lancome, Oil of Olay or Boots No7. I have tried others, but I like a thick cream and they are hard to come by.

About once a month or when I feel like a bit of self-pampering, I use a variety of masks, treatments and potions.

My favourites are the clay mask from No7 (I use this on my nose, T-zone and chin to prevent spots), when I get a spot, I use No7 Beautiful spot cream and it is a miracle worker, I also love the Soap and Glory mask that has little blue beads in it, a No7 hot cleanser which you wipe off with a hot muslin cloth (such a treat) and there are a few others in the cupboard.

When it comes to masks, I go for the more expensive trusted brands, as I have had reactions to the cheaper ones and you just can't trust the ingredients in my opinion, but do feel free to try out ones you like the look of or that appeal to your wallet, but do patch test them first.

So, I think this post has possibly raised more questions than it has answered and I don't actually know if my youthful looking skin is because my Mam has good skin or because I preen, primp and groom myself with far too many products, but you might find have found some interesting nugget or useful morsel of information in this (well, that's the hope anyway).

#nofilter

An image (taken on Samsung S6) from the forrestry near where I grew up. Copyright Sandra Quinn, Quinn's Quandries. 

#nofilter #Speakingmymind #Thinkonlyofmyself #Hurtingothersbutstillblaseaboutit

These are just some of the self-centred and ridiculous hashtags, which make their way into things like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram regularly and yet because there is a hashtag, it seems ok to be a bit of a plonker.

Why is it that everyone has decided that the little hashtag is suddenly magical and allows you to say whatever pops into your head and you don't have to filter, be nice or considerate or think about how the awful things you are saying might affect others.

The snipey remark about how an outfit makes someone you don't know all that well, look a little frumpy or fat, could be the comment that makes them fall into a pit of self-pity and despair.

The mean comment about how a couple aren't suited to each other could be the reason that one of the them spends their night crying, while the other has just walked away from their life together.

The cruel hashtag about people being too honest and divulging too much on their page could be a callous response to someone's cry for help and you have just very horribly shut the door on their public plea for someone to listen to them and truly care.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not slamming social media, as I am an avid user of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (I'll admit that I'm a recent convert to this one, but loving it so far) and most of you will actually see that this blog is available through those very mediums.

Social media is great and it has its uses, but it also shouldn't be used as an excuse, to be, as I said above, a plonker (I can think of much worse terms, but they are not blog friendly, to be fair and would, I fear, lower the tone of Quinn's Quandries and we can't have that).

However, I do feel that at the end of the day, we are all people and as Mam used to say when we were kids, if you can't think of anything nice to say, don't say anything and I think that's a piece of advice that should go back into general circulation.

Rant over, please like, share, retweet and spread the love, if you enjoyed reading this :-)

Oklahoma to light up Mitchelstown stage

Excitement and anticipation are building in Mitchelstown, as the countdown to this year's musical by the Mitchelstown Musical Society begins in earnest. This year marks the society's tenth show and they are celebrating in style and flair with a production of Oklahoma from February 16-19.

The much loved musical and theatre classic is set in Oklahoma in 1906 and it follows the confusing, hilarious and endearing love tangle between a cowboy and farm girl and there is also a parallel romance between another cowboy and his flirty fiancee.

The show will see some familiar faces like Elaine Lee Murphy, Mike Breen, Paul Finn, Declan Herlihy and Siobhan Barry joined by newcomers to the society, Ali McCormack and Patrick Kirwan, all coming together on the stage of the CBS Secondary School in Mitchelstown for what the director described as a "true tribute to the original".

There are a lot of musical numbers, which people will recognise and will be able to sing along to, while there are great dance routines, which will get people bopping in their seats and the show is suitable for all the family.

With nearly forty people in the cast and many working behind the scenes, as well as a lot of support from local businesses, the show is a true reflection of community spirit, people working together and unyielding support for local artistic creativity and vision.

Mary O'Callaghan and Rachel Lawton are heading up the production team and everyone on the stage, behind the scenes and within the community are really looking forward to the curtain going up on February 16.

Tales of victory, tales of woe, stories weaved from friendships and threaded through love, new lives and the premise of new beginnings - Oklahoma in Mitchelstown is not to be missed.

To ensure that you don't miss it, Quinn's Quandries have four tickets (two pairs to be won) to give away for the opening night on February 16. See the Facebook page Sandra Quinn Avondhu to enter by liking and commenting, or comment here to be in with a chance to win. The competition is open until this weekend and final entries will be accepted until Saturday, February 13 - the winners of the two sets of tickets will be announced on Sunday. Best of luck!

Tickets are €15 and are available from The Favourite and Hyland's Book Shop in Mitchelstown, the show starts at 8pm and runs from February 16-19.

It's a new year, but only the numbers change

This is an entry from my own personal journal that I wrote on January 1 of this year, so please indulge me.

So, it's that new year, new you craic time of year, but I've never really been one for resolutions, high faluting ideas that will never materialise or daft false promises.

It's a new year, there is one different digit at the end of the date, but otherwise, it' s the same as yesterday and I'm sure tomorrow won't be drastically different either.

2015 wasn't a great one for me health-
wise, so I'm hoping that 2016 will be an improvement. 2014 was when my health decided to throw itself down a steep cliff and the clamber back up has been gradual, depressing and trying, with little light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, let's be honest.

In a proactive move, I took six months (planned and scheduled) off work and returned to my little office in The Avondhu in September, but alas it was not to be and I had another really bad flare up on November 8 and I'm still off work with it and I am in almost constant pain.

Now, I'm seriously assessing my health and taking a good long look at what 2016 might hold and how I can erect a good strong barrier to protect myself from plunging into the black hole off the side of this terrifying and crippling cliff.

Arthritis is, in many ways, an invisible disease and it's hard for people to get their heads around it, because to the naked and untrained eye, I seem fine, if a little incapacitated.

I'm a very upbeat and chirpy person and I do try not to let this horrible, potentially soul-crushing disease get to me, but like everyone, I have my moments, I have my hours and sometimes I even have my days and weeks.

To an ignorant stranger, I am a young, successful, career driven, happy and healthy woman.

To the people in my inner circle, I am a 28-year-old with a debilitating disease, which poisons many facets of my life.

On a good day, it's like the blight of arthritis isn't in my life - I can walk, run or jog if I feel like it, carry things, write endless articles and run around working overtime to get events covered and keep the public informed.

Unlike many arthritis sufferers, I do not have a base line of steroids or pain killers (I usually only take panadol for a headache), but I do inject myself once a week with two disease modification drugs and I have a medicine cabinet that would put some pharmacies to shame.

Then, when I flare up, simple little things liks putting on socks, lifting a mug of tea or turning the pages of a book, all seem like insurmountable hurdles.

Some days, the pain is so bad that I can't do anything but writhe in agony, lie in a heap and let the tears roll.

Other days, I will have an epsom salt bath (if I can get in and out of it) or a foot spa, I'll go to the pool, jacuzzi and steam room and maybe do a foot spa or do ten minutes of Tai Chi, all in an effort to reduce the agony.

I'm a whinger by my very nature, but I do not, as a rule, complain or whinge about my health, because I don't think it's fair to lump my burden on others.

Psoriatic arthritis, as I've explained before, is the best of the arthritis' believe it or not, but it's still a bitch and it's not quite as innocent or baby faced as it would have you believe.

As a coping mechanism, I am more chatty, smiley and funnier when the pain is at its worst, because the alternative is simply too grim.

I refuse to be defined by my disease.

I refuse to let arthritis become me, because it is a monster that would consume me if I allowed it to. And so, I stifle it, I smother it, I break it down one morsel at a time and some day, I hope to look down at it in a dishevelled heap in that black hole down the side of my cliff to be able to say;
"I won,
I beat you,
I am Sandra,
I am not Sandra, the journalist who was no more because of her arthritis."

This was intended as an uplifting piece, but it didn't quite pan out that way.

Anyway, I hope you can take some kernel of comfort, solace or wisdom from these furious scribbles and please remember that you never know what's going on inside someone's mind or life.

Their demons may not be visible, but their battle is all too real.

When lightning strikes...

Just before Christmas, Niall Breslin, more commonly known as Bressie, the heartthrob and generally nice guy from The Blizzards and more recently a judge on The Voice of Ireland, broadcast his new series aimed at getting people to focus on their mental health by overcoming physical fitness challenges.

‘Bressie’s Ironmind’ is precisely the kind of programme that is needed on mainstream State TV to remove the stigma, across the age groups, around the topic of mental health, depression and those who are at risk of suicide.

Ireland is a terrible country for fostering the mentality of ‘If I don’t mention it, then it’s not happening and the problem will simply go away’.

This couldn’t be further from the truth – just like a harsh word can mutilate into a cutting monologue if left to fester, ill feelings can manifest into depression, mental ill health or even suicidal ideation, if they are left to bubble away under the surface.

This is one of the things that Bressie aimed to address with his new series and his frank and open way of talking about his own difficulties is honestly quite refreshing, not only on television and in the media, but in a new series, aimed at people of all ages from all walks of life.

The first episode introduced us to Jade, Colm, Mark and Orla.

“This challenge was one that I took on myself [...] it’s not a physical challenge but a mental challenge,” Bressie explained and the idea is to arm people with coping tools for life’s more difficult moments.

Using the expertise of health and fitness experts, as well as those who specialise in mental health, mindfulness and wellness, Bressie pushed people to their maximum without going too far or risking injury, while also using exercise and physical fitness to combat the onset of mental problems and issues.

The stories of the four people who took part in the show are very real and quite raw and they will no doubt have helped people to relate to the show and will perhaps help them to shine a light on a problem they are having themselves that they hadn’t given due consideration to before now.

The hope is that this will get people talking openly about their feelings, emotional well-being and to talk to people if they are struggling. Suicide is something that can be prevented, but that cannot be done if we are not open, transparent and talking to each other about what is going on inside our heads.

Problems will not go away if they are brushed under the carpet – instead they will manifest themselves in physical  symptoms such as bowel problems or IBS, headaches, vomiting, self-mutilation in the form of pulling out hair or mildly hurting oneself, as well as things like putting yourself down, having low self-esteem or even exhibiting signs of self-loathing.

If you broke your leg, you would not hesitate in telling somebody what had happened, how much pain you are in and what the recovery time will be.

On the polar opposite end of the scale, if you were feeling down or were having an off day, a lot of Irish people in particular, tend to hide those feelings and feel ashamed.

As people get older and particularly people of my generation (late twenties and almost thirty, well I'm 28, I’ll begrudgingly admit), they begin to realise that everyone else is the same as them.

Everyone worries, everyone stresses out over ridiculous things and everyone has those irrational fears and woes.

It is how we deal with those problems that set us apart and makes some people the strong people and others those who crumble and fold under the pressure and strain.