Why I’d love some nominations in the 2014 Brilliance in Blogging Awards

Last year, I was honoured to be a finalist in the Inspire Category of the Brilliance in Blogging Awards. The ceremony was a lovely evening and the winners, all thoroughly deserving. 

The 2014 BiB awards have just opened for nominations and I would really love to be a finalist again (or even win… imagine that?!).

I am eligible in many categories (writer, family, health, etc), but the ones I’d most like nominations in, are the INSPIRE and COMMENTARY categories. 

Last year, when I made the finals, I didn’t know why, as I didn’t think myself inspiring to anyone. Many of you told me I was inspiring for blogging my way through Cancer and for keeping a positive attitude throughout. 

So I decided to focus on that, and continue writing those blog posts. After the BiB awards, I ran Race for Life and raised over £1300 for Cancer Research UK. I then hosted a Battle of the Bands competition to raise over £300 for MacMillan Cancer Support. I wrote blog posts about both of these charities and also about the fabulous work of Maggies Cancer Centres and several posts about the psychological help they gave Bunny and I, during a very difficult year. 

I blogged about the low-iodine diet and I even blogged a low-iodine chocolate cake recipe as well as tips and advice for other people who might have to endure the same treatment as me. I blogged all about my surgery, my radiotherapy, isolation, and our families financial and emotional struggles, as I was sacked from my management job for having Cancer. Some guest bloggers wrote about their battles with Cancer too and I wrote many posts about trying to stay positive for my family, despite the onset of depression in November. I blogged about my scan and the long difficult wait for results and I did what I could to raise awareness of thyroid cancer and the importance of getting all lumps and bumps checked a doctor.

In December, just a few days before Christmas, I shared the greatest Christmas present of all, with you… my all-clear results!

And then, I started #EmmasArmy against Cancer, in which I am working hard to try and find at least 100 people to walk 10 miles or more, of the Cotswold Way with me. I am walking all 104 miles of it, over 10 consecutive days in May, for Cancer Research UK. I put a hugely ambitious target of £50,000 as a collective team fundraising target. I will do my best, to make that a reality.

I also posted about skin cancer and what to look for when checking moles, after a scare with one of my own, in the middle of everything we were already going through.

My husband also had a cancer scare with a mole, only last week, but thankfully the hospital decided it was not cancerous. And we are SO thankful for that.

I blogged about the Saatchi Bill. I did what I could to change the future of British medicine, in order to help people with terminal cancer to be allowed innovative treatments, as a change in law, could save their lives. I provided a platform for you all to have your say and choose whether or not to vote for the bill to be passed.

I also went to a research lab in Manchester and learnt all about the possible new cure for cervical cancer, and I blogged about that too.

Soon I will be blogging about that dreaded “abnormal smear test”, having the high risk Human Papilloma Virus and the tests and treatment that follows. Why? Because that is what I am currently going through now – I had a high risk abnormal result, come through the post, just a few days ago.

I used poetry, humour and tears to write those blog posts. And it’s not down to me, to say if they inspired you or not? But I worked hard on them and I’m not finished by a long way. I still have so much more to blog, more awareness to raise, more charitable funds to raise, more people to hopefully help find an earlier diagnosis. 

But if you do think, my efforts have been worthwhile and deserve a BiB award, in the Inspire, Commentary or Health categories… please nominate me by clicking here.

My Twitter handle is @crazywithtwins and most of my Cancer related posts can be found here.

Much love and thanks, to everyone who voted for me last year.