The News in Portsmouth feature my story and bid for publishing deal

This is the full text of the article published by The News in Portsmouth on January 4th 2011.

Journalist: Sarah Foster

Life got So Much Better

Michelle Jones got the tummy tuck she wanted, but had to battle breast cancer first. She talks to Sarah Foster about her journey and what she hopes it can teach others.

It could be the plot of a Hollywood film, featuring a motorbike accident and a brave fightback from breast cancer,

But this is Michelle Jones real life and she insists she's actually got a lot to be thankful for.

As she and her husband Phil were finally getting their lives back together after redundancy and injury left them broke and struggling, Michelle was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breats cancer.

'It sounds like a disaster story,' laughs Michelle. 'But it's not.'

Despite the gruelling chemotherapy and the fear that she might die, michelle says good things did come as a result of being told she had breast cancer.

Her illness has brought her family closer and it also provided the tummy tuck she'd always wanted, but couldn't afford.

In October 2004, what she longed for most was some cosmetic surgery to take away what Phil affectionately referred to as her 'baby bag'.

A month later she was about to start chemotherapy and had no idea her wish was on its way to coming true.

'I said to Phil "I'd do anything for a tummy tuck" and the universe heard me and granted my wish in a way I could never have imagined.' she explains.

The 49 year old had to have a mastectomy and a friend told her about a type of reconstructive surgery that could also involve having a tummy tuck.

surgeons used skin and tissue taken from her tummy to reconstruct her left breast-getting rid of the bulge of skin she'd always hated.

And the whole operation was done by the NHS so the family, from Waterlooville, didn't have to spend a penny.

'The surgery was absolutely fantastic,' she adds, 'I really was on cloud nine. all i wanted was a tummy tuck. Phil used to say it was the baby bag, but it used to hang in front. I went to sleep for nine hours and when I woke up I was in intensive care for three days on morphine.

I didn't realise I wouldn't wake up and be a size 12, but of course I wasn't.'

No-one would choose to have breast cancer, but michelle has used her own experience to illustrate a book she plans to write.

At the moment she's pitching her idea for 'The Answer.' in a publishing company's X-Factor-style internet competition. and if enough people view her entry and like it, she could see her book become a reality.

'we've had a series of what might look like disasters that have actually been really positive,' she says. 'I think I can really ciope with anything now. It's not an autobiography in the conventional sense. They like books that use your situation to appeal to other people about how you can help them to get over this.

'It's about using the positive in certain situations-even when you are at your lowest. It's about being careful what you wish for. The book shows you how to make your wishes-and that's to put them into a positive light.

'I would have wished i'd had a windfall so i could have paid for a tummy tuck, but I can't regret having had cancer, it's brought so many good things.'

Over the years, Michelle and Phil have had a lot of tough things to cope with.

In May 1995, Phil was riding his motorcycle on the A27 between Chichester and Bognor Regis, with Michelle on the back. The bike skidded on its side and Michelle suffered a fractured leg and severe bruising to her left leg and pelvis. She was on crutches for 18 months which meant she could no longer work.

'Our lowest point wasn't about the cancer, it was after the accident,' she adds. 'For five months we had no money, that was a really scary position. Phil was made redundant and things started to look pretty bleak. Three days later we got married. We went ahead with it because everything had been paid for. But we really didn't know how we were going to be able to keep the house. It sounds like a disaster story, but it's not.

'It's three months I would never care to repeat. We were both hoping for a miracle.

'If you wish for something hard enough, the universe will hear you. But you have to be careful what you wish for.'

Michelle thinks their request for a miracle was answered when an old friend got back in touch with Phil and offered him a job.

The accident also gave her time to become more creative and she started painting and writing. Things were starting to look up and they were finding their feet again. Phil had gone back to work and the kids, James, now 22, Matthew, 18 and 14 year old Holly-were growing up.

Michelle had decided to train as a holistic therapist and was all set to start a business from home when she found out she had cancer.

'Everybody kept saying "It's nothing",' she explains. 'There was no lump or bump. It was just a twinge in my shoulder that would come and go. You don't go to the doctor for a vague twinge. But then I went for something else and said "By the way, while I'm here".

'everyone said "It's probably nothing serious". Then we went and had the official results from pathology and this guy said "It's breast cancer, it's category three, it's aggressive, you'll probably need a mastectomy".'

Michelle started her chemotherapy in November 2004 and the treatment lasted until March.

The kids were obviously worried but Michelle says it was the thought of losing her hair that concerned her most.

'I was mainly focused on the chemotherapy. I'd always had very long hair and the thought of losing it was making me panicky. If I put myself in control of my hair loss I would feel better about it so I had it cut into a very short style and we raised about £1000 for charity.

At the first dose of chemotherapy it started coming out so I had it shaved off. If the chemotherapy had taken my hair I don't think I would have been able to cope. By me doing it, I was in charge.'

A mastectomy was planned and it was while she was looking at her options for reconstruction that the TRAM flap was mentioned.

TRAM flap stands for Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous and combines mastectomy with abdominoplasty, or tummy tuck, allowing the breast to be reconstructed with the sufferer's tissues, instead of a foreign implant.

Michelle had the surgery on 26th April 2005, and although it's left her with a large scar, she says she's delighted she got her tummy tuck in the end.

'If you want something bad enough, then sometimes the universe will provide it,' she says. 'I want to share the message that you can be more happy and more content, it's not just about trying to win the lottery. it's about looking at what you've got now and being happy with that. seeing positive in everything.

'At the end of each days, you need to find something that you are proud of and feel positive about, especially now, when everybody is tight for money.

'You've got to be thankful for what you've got and try for what you want.'

She adds: 'Life is what you make it. If you think positive, life will be positive.'

The Book Proposal

Michelle Jones has used her experiences to submit a book proposal to publishing company Hay House, the world's biggest publishers of mind, body, spirit and self-help books.

From an initial group of around 170, she's one of only around 13 who have got as far as submitting their book proosal and accompanying You Tube video. The more people that watch the video, the better her chance of winning. But only one winner can be picked to have their book turned unto reality.

Michelle will find out if her book-called 'The Answer.'-has won on Friday*

*Actually Monday 10/01/12

She says "The phrase "Be careful of what you wish for" can be all too true. However, i have not just survived, but discovered that actually The Answer to your wishes can be simpler than you think.

Go to: www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4jE6KoS5DI

to watch Michelle's video.

You can also find out more by visiting http://www.michellejones.me.uk/

New Years Resolutions that last more than a month!

January can be a depressing month; the aftereffects of all that indulgence in December, plus generally grey and cold weather can lead us to despair-but it doesn't have to be that way!

Making New Year Resolutions is a traditional thing; but how many of those resolutions do you actually manage to keep?

I know from personal experience how hard it can be; my favourite failed resolution was one I made 20 odd years ago... I decided that I needed to lose some weight (which I did), but by January 3rd I had given up my diet and was back on the chocolate!

So why do many resolutions fail? It is really quite simple; nobody plans to fail, but we sometimes fail to plan!

If we start something, if we have a cherished dream, or an ambition, then in order to achieve, we need to plan how we are going to get there.

So this is my guide to making-and keeping, and achieving-those New Year Resolutions.

1. Make them realistic; it's no good resolving to be a brain surgeon by March!

On the other hand, you could resolve to research how to become a brain surgeon, what qualifications you require, what you already have and what your first steps would need to be.

2. The 'personal' resolutions: Losing Weight, Stopping Smoking, etc.

I did lose weight in the end; 4 1/2 stones of it...but I could not have done it alone, and for most folks, I think that is an important point. Find a local group that fits in with your personal circumstances and be prepared to have to work at it, after all where my weight was concerned, I did not put it on in two weeks, and therefore I could not expect to lose it in two weeks!

Make sure you can live with the diet you choose, and be prepared to make some sacrifices!

3. If you have a dream or ambition, remember they cannot come true unless you are prepared to actually work towards them...

If you want something badly enough, the universe will hear you, and you may find that things begin to fall into place to allow it to happen, but you still have to actually take positive action yourself.

For example...

In 2005, I desperately wanted to be a writer, but I did not have the first idea about how to actually get my meanderings into print!
In October that year, I was working at an Angel and Faery Fair in Penzance; the organisers did not realise that it clashed with a Festival of the Sea, and it was very quiet... On the second day, I plucked up the courage to talk to a lady who had a stand near mine; that was Jacky 'The Angel Lady' Newcomb, and she is now one of my closest friends...

She suggested I start by submitting articles to magazines; you might get rejected at first, but you have to keep on going and eventually someone will take one!

I bought copies of lots of MBS magazines and sent off articles, but heard nothing. Then, the following month at another event in Haslemere, I met a man who knew the editor of a new magazine looking for writers! I bought a copy, studied the articles, and wrote a couple of samples in the same style and to the same wordcount and submitted them-and Diana Jarvis, who was the editor, took one of them and published it!

I can still remember the excitement I felt at seeing my writing in print for the first time!

The point here is that whilst the universe will do what it can, it is up to us to take those opportunities and make something of them.

4. The 'I want...' resolutions...cars, holidays, homes, etc.
These are the resolutions requiring money, sometimes lots of money! You have to work out where it will come from, and it is no use relying on the lottery!

If you need more cash, it may mean getting another, better paid job, which brings another set of questions of course!

5. Back to the Brain Surgeon!

If you want or need a new career, but are not sure what sort of job you would be suited to or like, then there are lots of online resources these days, but you can always start by writing a list of all the things you are good at, and like to do...and discover which career choices would play to those strengths.

I started out as a clerical trainee, something I was completely unsuited to! After a very uncomfortable 18 months, I was made redundant and got a job in a busy town centre newsagent/record shop which I loved!

Make your New Year Resolutions count!

This year, make not stern sounding 'resolutions' but rather kind and gentle 'promises to yourself'; things that you know you can keep to, that you can discover how to reach, and above all promise that you will make the effort!

Happy New Year!

How Doctor Who is not doing us any favours

Don't get me wrong here, I love Doctor Who (although I must confess to preferring David Tennant), but from one perspective, the writers are really not helping us on a spiritual level.

How many of you have seen the episodes concerning the 'Weeping Angels'?

...And how many of you find them extremely creepy at best, and downright terrifying at worst! I am most definitely in the second category there; in fact my daughter has had a job on her hands just to get me to watch the latest episodes with them in! How completely ludicrous is it for a woman of my age to be hiding behind the sofa (again)!

But seriously, I wonder if they have really thought this through?

By turning angels into something to be feared and shunned, we are closing our minds into the incredible support, love and help that is there just a heartbeat away for every single one of us.

It's quite clever really, and just a bit sinister. If you plug 'Angel Statue' into Google Images, you will get thousands of pictures of them, some in overgrown graveyards, stone figures covered with creeping lichen, black mildew, sightless eyes and reaching hands that would induce nightmares in the most sane of us... A vision of decaying guardians over our dead. Lovely.

The fact that the Weeping Angels are in a recognisably human form, only move when we are not looking, and have nice, sharp, pointy teeth, makes it all so much more plausible; when I was hiding behind the sofa in the 1960's, I was hiding from daleks (only had to go up a flight of stairs to escape them!), things not remotely like humans!

The reality of course that whilst none of us know what an angel really looks like, we have been programmed, through art and religious texts, to visualise them as something in human form with wings, from cherubs to archangels.
If you are lucky enough to have had an angelic experience, a visitation in which an angel has shown themselves to you, then that is probably what you saw, as they tend to show themselves in a way which we are used to, so as not to seem threatening, or alarming.
(Off the wall thought here; what if angels were really 20 foot high spiders? Scary or what!)

We need to be opening our hearts and our minds to the possibilities that actively inviting in our guides, guardians and angels can offer, not scaring our children stupid and potentially seriously harming their spiritual development.
They cannot 'interfere' unless we invite them in, I have had oodles of proof that they really are there, (that I am not just a mad old bat!) and that they really can throw those opportunities in our path that we need. I shall tell you all about them some day!

If the Weeping Angels had featured on Doctor Who in the 1960's, when I was growing up, I am not sure I would be quite so comfortable with my guardian angels now...

Little Doubting Me...

Even when you have an unshakeable faith; you can still have moments of doubt...it is only human! I sometimes feel as though I am constantly asking for signs from my guides, guardians and angels help me prove to myself that I am not just plain nuts!

...The amazing thing is, that they always answer, with something I cannot ignore.

The other day, I got into my car and the radio did not come on. No amount of fiddling with the switches helped, so I resigned myself to driving without music and got going.

As I didn't have any music to distract me, I decided to have a chat to my guardian angels about what was on my mind and to (somewhat sheepishly) as for yet more signs that they were really there helping me...

I had just got to the end of this rambling monologue when the radio blared into life with Aretha Franklin singing the line 'I say a little prayer for you'!

I'll take that as a yes then!

Your guardian angels do a great job all the time, whether you believe in them or not, and they want us to achieve our full potential...and if that means giving us signs every five minutes, then so be it-just remember to look out for them!

Incidentally, the issue I had been rambling on about was resolved as we had hoped; another sign that they really are working in my highest and best interests.

Until next time...

The problem with elementals...

We have been living with fairies for many years now; it was my own fault really, you have to be so careful when dealing with any of the elementals, but having comprehensively failed to follow my own advice, I have nobody but myself to blame!

They are mischievious creatures, making their way in life like any of us...but with a completely and utterly different set of ethics and morals that can seem alien to us.

Take the other day for example; I was sorting out a heap of laundry for my family and as usual, I had a number of odd socks. I said out loud that the 'Sock Fairy' must be the one who continually pinches socks from the washing machine! I expect most of us have said something similar over the years, whether it's the sock fairy, the earring fairy or the biscuit fairy who has sneaked in behind your back and taken something...

After all it could not possibly be that your daughter has borrowed your earrings, or your son who has eaten all the biscuits!

Ok, so some of the time-most of the time in fact- the missing items will reappear, or someone will own up. But what of those other times, the times when everybody swears they had nothing to do with it? What about those times when you have the gut feeling that they are telling you the truth!

...And back to the missing socks, what about the undeniable fact that socks do go missing, in every household up and down the country...where on earth do they go, and who is responsible for it?

This is the bit when you call the men in white coats to have me sectioned, because I do believe in fairies...but they are not cute and cuddly little people dressed in floaty clothes with pretty wings, oh no...I believe they are something still with us from the dawn of time...crafty cunning elemental beings who have become used to us humans and for some, beings who have become attached to us.

There is a danger that if we imagine a 'type' of fairy, then that fairy is there...

Is that a little too far out for some of you?

You think up a sock fairy, and a sock fairy exists. You think up a biscuit fairy and your biscuits vanish quicker than ever!

Never underestimate the creative power of thought; to quote Shakespeare, 'There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy'...

There are a million and one books out there talking about the power of thought, the law of attraction, positive thinking, cosmic ordering etc., so is it such a leap to believe that we could bring an elemental energy into being just by thought?

Isn't that worth considering...?

So having said all that, why do I still 'think them into being'? Actually, we quite like having them around...in a self inflicted frustration sort of way...lol

Our most compelling evidence for our little playmates occurred a few years ago.

My husband was sorting out some papers, and placing them into plastic sleeves; there were around 200 sleeves, spread all over the floor behind the chair where he was sitting and as I was back and forth across that area of the floor I kept on sliding on them!

In the end, I cried out 'Will you please move those sleeves before I slip up and do myself a mischief!'...less than a minute later, he called back to me 'where have you put those sleeves...?'
'I haven't touched them!' I replied
'You must have!' came the retort...

But I hadn't...and they had all completely vanished into the ether...and they have never come back! We did all the usual things, imagining one of us had somehow picked them up and filed them away somewhere and then immediately forgotten about it, as you do, but to no avail.

They were gone, for good...and what other explanation but fairies can anyone come up with?

So be careful what you wish for, if it is a fairy, it might just come and live with you!

The Angel Blog
Tuesday 15th June 2010

It's been a very long while since I started this blog, time and events just got in the way. It happens. Move on...

I really did not want five cats...I was more than happy with the original two...but a combination of the ‘aaaah’ factor when faced with kittens and a very soft hearted husband who worried about leaving ‘the other kitten behind’ (twice!) have meant a house full of kitties.
I am not complaining mind, they provide an endless source of entertainment...and this little episode really made me laugh, although it cost me dearly!

It happened on Saturday evening, just before England’s first World Cup 2010 kickoff.
Amber had been watching a particular spot by the steps leading from my courtyard garden for most of the day, and whilst watering the plants, I noticed that Pumpkin had joined in her vigil, staring intently at some crumpled compost bags I had been meaning to dispose of.

‘Probably a mouse,’ I thought, putting the hose down and walking up the steps to where the cats were crouched. I pulled the plastic gently back, and there, whiskers a-twitching, was a young rat, about 5 inches long.

Now I know we don’t want them near us, but I cannot kill them. I find it difficult to kill anything if there is another way out (upstairs windows, doors, cat flaps, I have thrown all kinds of wildlife from these!) and I was certainly not going to send this poor creature to its maker!
Neither did I particularly want him to be caught by the cats...I have cleaned up the entrails of so many dismembered and regurgitated animals and birds (yes, I know, cats are killers, live with it or get another pet!), so I gave his tail a bit of a twitch and this sent him scurrying out from his hiding place...straight up the steps to where Amber was waiting!

Mr Rat calmly walked up to Amber...she watched him...he put his little twitchy nose right up to hers, as though they were kissing-and then, she gave a huge yowl, jumped about three feet in the air, turning herself nearly inside out in the process, and then ran as though the hounds of hell were after her! I could not believe it, but worse was to follow...

Pumpkin now walked up the steps to Mr Rat; gave him a contemptuous glance and a half hearted bat with a paw, which Mr Rat treated with disdain (a sort of ratty ‘Come on if you think you’re hard enough’) and then my big brave ginger cat, calmly strolled past him and off up the drive...with Mr Rat trotting after him!

I so wish I had had my phone, or a camera with me; there is the cat being chased by a rat!
They walked on up to the wall and then Pumpkin turned and sat down so that he could have an emergency wash (have you notice how cats do this? In the middle of playing, walking across a room, whatever...quick stop! I need a bit of a bath, now!) and Mr Rat, having caught up with him, just stood there as if deciding what to do next...

I couldn’t stand it any longer, I gave the little fellow’s tail another twitch and sent him scurrying into the big pile of bricks and roof tiles left over from our extension...at which point, from across the entire nation, I heard the mighty roar of ‘YE-E-E-SSSSSSSS!’ ...and knew I had missed England’s opening goal...bugger.

Never Give Up...

About three years ago (2004), my daughter - who was then 7 - started complaining of pains in one of her toes; this was on the left foot, the one next to the big toe.

There was no immediately apparent reason for the pains, but they certainly seemed to be severe, so when she went to the doc's, we mentioned it. There was nothing to see on the toes, no bashes or bumps we could remember, and the pains only lasted a few minutes, so we all thought whatever it was would just heal in time.

But over the years, the pains have not gone away, and I have mentioned them every time we have gone to the doctor - but no doctor ever thought it worth pursuing.

Then, in June this year, she had a prolonged episode of pain, during which she was screaming and sobbing for an hour. I took her straight to Accident and Emergency...where we were patronised and sent away with a dose of paracetamol and a flea in our ear, so to speak. The young lady doctor I saw reacted to my pleas for an x ray with a curt 'I am certainly not going to irradiate your daughter unnecessarily'!

We went on holiday - it happened again in Helsinki, we were just walking around when she began crying and screaming in severe - and obvious - pain, which continued for a hour whilst we sat in a cafe; she was unable to walk during the attack.

We decided that we were going to get to the bottom of this once and for all...

So to cut a long story short, I have just returned from the hospital. We paid to see a consultant who has just confirmed (after x rays...) that she has a tumour under the toenail. It is a Glomus Tumour, quite rare and nearly always benign ( nearly!!!?), but it must be removed asap so that they can look at it and make sure - oh and relieve that terrible pain of course.

She will have the surgery within a couple of weeks and will need a general anaesthetic. She is completely unfazed by all of this; having watched me go through the various forms of treatment for breast cancer over the last couple of years, she is confident in the capability of the doctors and surgeons and her own capacity for recovery. As her mother, I just wish she didn't have to go through this - and I am so cross that nobody would take us seriously.

A rare condition is no excuse for not checking things thoroughly...and as for that young lady in Accident and Emergency...

So my message for today is 'Never Give Up'

Never think you are 'bothering' your doctor; they are there to help you
Never be afraid to keep on 'bothering' your doctor if something does not go away

The same message applies when we are trying to develop a new skill - or our connections to spirit.

If things do not move as swiftly as you had hoped; if you find it difficult to meditate, or to open up, don't give up.

Ask for the help of your guides guardians and angels and trust that you will succeed - but that sometimes, we are not ready , or we need to prove that we are prepared to put in the effort, or take responsibility for the consequences of that development.

'Ten minute Tip'

If you feel frustrated about the ways things are going - no matter what they are...
Take three long, slow, deep, breaths.

In through the nose, and out through the mouth...

Now return your breathing to normal...
As you breathe in, imagine that you are taking a bright golden light in through your nose...and exhaling dark smoke from your mouth.

As you continue to breathe, the golden light becomes brighter and with each out breath, the dark smoke fades and becomes golden light, until you are filled with that light.

After ten minutes, you will feel much better, I promise you; the action of breathing and concentrating on your breathing has a measurable physical effect. You fill your lungs with oxygen and that is transmitted to the brain via the blood circulation. More oxygen in the brain equals more focus, sharper thoughts, more concentration - and that of course means that you are more able to deal with whatever is the issue.

And don't forget to ask your guardian angels to help you whilst you are carrying out this exercise; there is a long held tradition that says that angelic intervention must be asked for, so take advantage of their help!

Michelle x