Dr. Julie Smith

I think when uncertainty is, I mean, that's the big thing about something like that. And when it happens as well, it's not like this sort of big dramatic moment where you suddenly, you know what the diagnosis is, you know what the plan is, you know what the risk is. It doesn't really happen like that. It's all in stages.

So there is this sort of big period of being really uncertain about everything and not knowing what to do with that. And then not knowing who you can really share that with because you don't want to scare the living hell out of everybody else that you love.

So there is this sort of big period of being really uncertain about everything and not knowing what to do with that. And then not knowing who you can really share that with because you don't want to scare the living hell out of everybody else that you love.

So there is this sort of big period of being really uncertain about everything and not knowing what to do with that. And then not knowing who you can really share that with because you don't want to scare the living hell out of everybody else that you love.

And so when there is such uncertainty in that way, the way that I dealt with it and would do again in the future is just narrow everything down. Narrow your focus down. What's the next move? What's the next step? And let's take that, get that bit done, take action.

And so when there is such uncertainty in that way, the way that I dealt with it and would do again in the future is just narrow everything down. Narrow your focus down. What's the next move? What's the next step? And let's take that, get that bit done, take action.

And so when there is such uncertainty in that way, the way that I dealt with it and would do again in the future is just narrow everything down. Narrow your focus down. What's the next move? What's the next step? And let's take that, get that bit done, take action.

Um, so actually it was a really kind of strange experience where the day I got diagnosed, the day after the consultant I was under was about to go on holiday for two weeks. And then we had a holiday booked for two weeks after that. And, um, and once he went, um, uh,

Um, so actually it was a really kind of strange experience where the day I got diagnosed, the day after the consultant I was under was about to go on holiday for two weeks. And then we had a holiday booked for two weeks after that. And, um, and once he went, um, uh,

Um, so actually it was a really kind of strange experience where the day I got diagnosed, the day after the consultant I was under was about to go on holiday for two weeks. And then we had a holiday booked for two weeks after that. And, um, and once he went, um, uh,

Some more tests came back and the treatments or the recommendations were changed, but the team wouldn't tell me what they were because that was his role to do that. So I was sort of thinking, okay, they're not going to tell me, so it must be something bad. Do I cancel my holiday? What do I do? And there's all these kind of...

Some more tests came back and the treatments or the recommendations were changed, but the team wouldn't tell me what they were because that was his role to do that. So I was sort of thinking, okay, they're not going to tell me, so it must be something bad. Do I cancel my holiday? What do I do? And there's all these kind of...

Some more tests came back and the treatments or the recommendations were changed, but the team wouldn't tell me what they were because that was his role to do that. So I was sort of thinking, okay, they're not going to tell me, so it must be something bad. Do I cancel my holiday? What do I do? And there's all these kind of...

you know uncertainties around what to do and and I could feel myself I was sat there trying to edit the book and and it was just consuming me and and and rightly so right my brain saying hang on a minute let's sort this out and I could feel that sort of sense of just being in turmoil not being able to affect anything or control anything and just waiting and I thought, I'm not doing this.

you know uncertainties around what to do and and I could feel myself I was sat there trying to edit the book and and it was just consuming me and and and rightly so right my brain saying hang on a minute let's sort this out and I could feel that sort of sense of just being in turmoil not being able to affect anything or control anything and just waiting and I thought, I'm not doing this.

you know uncertainties around what to do and and I could feel myself I was sat there trying to edit the book and and it was just consuming me and and and rightly so right my brain saying hang on a minute let's sort this out and I could feel that sort of sense of just being in turmoil not being able to affect anything or control anything and just waiting and I thought, I'm not doing this.

There's no way. So, you know, my husband came home from work and we just, we started doing lots of research on surgeons and consultants. And, you know, we're lucky enough that we were in a position to go and pay to go and see someone. But, you know, I started asking medics I know for recommendations, found someone who That was nearby, made those calls, got those appointments.

There's no way. So, you know, my husband came home from work and we just, we started doing lots of research on surgeons and consultants. And, you know, we're lucky enough that we were in a position to go and pay to go and see someone. But, you know, I started asking medics I know for recommendations, found someone who That was nearby, made those calls, got those appointments.

There's no way. So, you know, my husband came home from work and we just, we started doing lots of research on surgeons and consultants. And, you know, we're lucky enough that we were in a position to go and pay to go and see someone. But, you know, I started asking medics I know for recommendations, found someone who That was nearby, made those calls, got those appointments.

And in the process of just doing that, you know, nothing's changed in theory, but I am moving forward and taking action. And it felt just fundamentally different to, you know, I wasn't sitting there. shaking and weeping. I was, okay, what's the next call we can make? How much does that cost? What can we do? Who can we see? And we did. And it actually helped the process.