Rebuilt - After Her

30/05/2026

I packed four emergency spew bags for our Whitsundays holiday.

Four.

Just in case.

The kids thought I was being ridiculous. 😂

Then came our first trip to Whitehaven.

Let's just say I felt pretty good about my level of preparedness after that.

The funny thing is, holiday photos only ever show the beautiful bits.

The turquoise water.
The white sand.
The sunsets.

What they don't show is the giant waves, the questionable life choices and the moments where you're trying very hard to keep your lunch exactly where it is.

And looking at photo 2, you'd never believe I nearly lost my lunch getting there. 🤢😂

A few days later we went back for Round 2.

Thankfully the ocean had calmed down, we snorkelled the reef, explored Whitehaven properly and finally got to enjoy what we'd travelled all that way to see.

Turns out some things are worth having another crack at.

Even if they nearly finish you off the first time.

💚

29/05/2026

Less than a week ago I was watching sunsets in Hamilton Island.

Today I'm refreshing a school camp bus tracker like it's the State of Origin scoreboard 😂

Bronson is finally on his way home after three days of Sunshine Coast rain.

I haven't seen him yet, but I'm fairly confident his bag contains:

🌧️ one very wet sleeping bag
🌧️ several kilos of mud
🌧️ socks that should probably be disposed of immediately
🌧️ at least one item of clothing that left home clean and will never be the same again
🌧️ and a mysterious collection of somebody else's belongings

What it probably doesn't contain is everything he actually left home with!

At this point I'm fully expecting a note saying:

"Has anyone seen a..."

because Bronson has a remarkable talent for leaving things behind wherever he goes 😂

I'm also mentally preparing myself for whatever emerges when that camp bag is finally opened.

Wish me luck 😂💚

28/05/2026

Well… apparently I accidentally disappeared into full holiday mode for a week 😂🌴

Somewhere between Hamilton Island, approximately 47 cockatoos taking over our balcony, stealing sugar packets off the kitchen bench, giant waves at Whitehaven Beach, getting spectacularly seasick, then somehow convincing ourselves to go back out snorkeling a second time…

RAH briefly left the internet 😂

Honestly though?
I think I needed it more than I realised.

Now I’m home, slightly tanned, still finding sand in random places, back to school lunches, swimming lessons, camp drop offs & collecting Mac from the kennels like holiday mode never happened ☀️

And...pretty sure those cockatoos are still wreaking havoc 😂🦜

21/05/2026

We’ve now:

☀️ melted ourselves at Catseye Beach
🦜 been harassed by cockatoos at lunch
🐊 seen a crocodile the size of a small car
🐨 met Matilda & her joey
🏖️ and somehow ended up bringing approximately 7 kilos of sand back to the house

After catching the local free bus, I’m fairly certain the cockatoos actually run this island too 😂

20/05/2026

RAH has officially left the building & all the Brissy rain 🌴✈️

Travel day to Hamilton Island & somehow we survived airport chaos, ferry rides & a kitty cat attempting to stow away in the suitcase 😂

But the real highlight?

Turning off every alarm, reminder & notification on my phone for the first time in a long time.

Now it’s family time, sunshine & full on, level up holiday mode ☀️

17/05/2026

Cancer changes your perspective on the little things.

Not in a “live laugh love” kind of way 😅
Just… in a very real one.

You stop sweating things that once felt huge.
The washing basket.
The messy house.
The changed plans.
The small inconveniences.

Because when you’ve sat in hospital rooms wondering if you’ll get your life back at all…
ordinary life starts to feel pretty extraordinary.

These days I’m just grateful for the privilege of worrying about normal things again 💚

13/05/2026

This wasn’t part of my treatment plan
It wasn’t medication
It wasn’t written in my notes

IIt was a handwritten message on a paper towel from a nurse at the RBWH who wrote this before she finished her nightshift.

I woke up to this first thing in the morning, before my discharge that day

The kind of care you don’t see
but never forget

This is what people don’t understand about cancer treatment…
it’s not just the medicine that carries you through

If you had someone like this during your treatment…
you’ll know exactly what I mean

Did anyone else have a moment like this during treatment?
Something small… that stayed with you?

💚

13/05/2026

The scars people don't talk about enough.
The mental health impact of cancer doesn't end when treatment does. It stays.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. 💚

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a reminder that emotional well-being matters just as much as physical health. For those impacted by ovarian cancer, the journey can bring stress, grief, anxiety, and uncertainty for both survivors and caregivers.

The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition is here to support you with mental health resources designed specifically for the ovarian cancer community, offering guidance, tools, and care for every step of the journey.

Find support here:
https://bit.ly/46j7shC

13/05/2026

I didn’t expect that part to hit so many women

The messages
The comments
The quiet “me too” from women who’ve been feeling this… but never said it out loud

That line - “I don’t know what I am anymore…”

Yeah… that one

It’s a strange place to sit in
Not who you were before
Not quite sure where you fit now

And for a long time… I thought I was the only one

Turns out… I’m not

Neither are you

If you saw that post and felt something - even if you didn’t have the words for it

This is me saying

I see you

You’re not broken
You’re not “less than”

You’re navigating something most people will never have to understand

And you’re still here doing it

That counts for more than people realise

💚

If this is you too… just a 💚 is enough
You don’t have to explain it

10/05/2026

Mother’s Day looks different for all of us 💚

Yesterday, I walked the Mother’s Day Classic with my kids - something I don’t take for granted

(And yes… there were a few complaints, I'm hungry, my legs are tired and at least one “are we done yet?” 😅)

But underneath all of that… was something much bigger

Because not every mum gets that chance
And not every child gets to walk beside theirs

For some, Mother’s Day was full and joyful
For others, it may have felt quiet, heavy, or complicated

However the day looked for you - I’m thinking of you 💚