Dear family and friends,

Please help raise funds to give me the gift of my lifetime - a beautiful glass photographic portrait of myself by world-renowned portrait and fashion photographer Robbie Merritt - and support the work of an incredible local charity - Cancer Support WA.

Please show your support by sponsoring my portrait.

Thank you,

Julie Owen

MY STORY

I worked in the Health and Fitness Industry for 20 yrs., over this time I’ was Manager, Personal Trainer, Fitness/ Gym Instructor, I also have 4 children. In my mid to late 30’s I struggled with tiredness, haemorrhoids, stomach pains, night sweats etc. (which could be put down to early menopause) and impact of life experiences. But deep down I knew that it was more, “an intuition” you could call it.

After multiple doctor appointments, in Aug 2010 I was sent for a colonoscopy. This is when my life changed in a way that no words can describe it. (Catastrophic) when I woke from the procedure the doctor told me he had found something and it has been sent away for tests, I would get the results in approx. a weeks’ time. This was a difficult week for my husband Gav and I, the fact was I felt overwhelming sure what the outcome was going to be and I wanted to discuss it with Gav so I could prepare myself for the news but this made him angry and frustrated because he didn’t want to hear it. We all deal with things differently.

It was a Thursday. I went to the doctors on my own because we were getting a quote on some home renovations we were thinking of doing.  I was sitting in the Doctors room as she walked in with my results. “Oh, this wasn’t what I was expecting but the results show cancer, I’m sorry.” She said.   Like I said “I knew it”.

Since those words confirmed what I suspected my world, the world of my children, my husband, my mum, my dad has never been the same again. I have Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs)  or carcinoid tumour, which is extremely rare and releases hormones causing the symptons. Cancer hurts in so many different ways, It broke my heart when I told my husband and parents.  The worst was having to tell my children, I saw alittle something die inside them, and  now watching them trying to grab hold onto any little hope or dream that there will be a cure. It’s a mental agony seeing the pain it has emotionally on all the people you love. I  don’t think my youngest child Lyncon 7yrs old really understands it, he just knows me as always tired, and not much fun.

I am being treated with Sandastatin, which is to help to keep the symptoms under control and try to prevent the release of the cells that spread the tumour. But often the body becomes immune to Sandastatin and unfortunately there is no cure for Nets. Once the tumour has become terminal there are trials of treatment which at this stage appears to be prolonging life. One good thing is that my cancer is slow growing so hopefully with these trials and time on my side they will find a cure. There are hundreds of people who you come across in your life, to look at they show no signs of cancer but they are dying on the inside, cancer can affect us or someone we love at any time. This is why it is crucial for us all to support cancer research. 

Please show your support by sponsoring my portrait.

Thank you,

Julie Owen