Glittering a Turd: How surviving the unsurvivable taught me to live: The Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller

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NICE invites comments from the public on the draft guidance to not recommend the parp inhibitor talazoparib September 27, 2023

There can’t be a better title than this one. Glittering a Turd is the story of Kris Hallenga, CEO of Coppafeel the charity which encourages people to examine their breasts and pecs, twin sister to Maren, and a force of nature who by the way has cancer..Kris explains the choice of title much better than I could, but suffice to say being diagnosed with cancer at the age of 23 is pretty much * GUYS! You only went and funded my book in THREE DAYS. I am pretty sure that's some kind of record. I am truly flabbergasted by the enthusiasm, the love, the support and BELIEF in me. I was truly terrified to launch this crowdfunder (I genuinely very nearly postponed)but you've given me the biggest boost imaginable and OH MY GOSH *breathe* I AM WRITING A BOOK.I know she hates being called inspirational but she is. And not necessarily for all the cancer stuff but for the absolute zest for life that she has. She has inspired me to make want to make myself happy and what more do you need? This episode is sponsored by Calm. Calm is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a Calm Premium subscription at calm.com/glitter. But in my community (myositis), it seems like being a woman, and being a woman of colour, already makes you start with a disadvantage. You can buy Nastaha’s first fiction book ‘Toxic’ here - https://uk.bookshop.org/books/toxic-9781912979899/9781912979899 Kris was living a totally normal life as a twenty-three-year-old: travelling the world, falling in love, making plans. However, when she found a lump in her boob and was told that it was not only cancer, but also incurable, life took on a completely new meaning. She was diagnosed at an age when life wasn’t something to be grateful for, but a goddamn right.

This episode is supported by BetterHelp. Learn more and save 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/GAT Kris tells her story of how its changed the way she lives her life, from how she's surviving, despite many medical treatments, to information on the charity "Coppafeel" which she set up and raises money every year to support breast cancer sufferers. There is just so much I could say about this book but I won't. You need to read it yourself to really absorb the joy you get from it (yes, a weird word to choose about a book written by a wonderful human with Stage 4 cancer but you'll get it when you read it). For listeners of the Glittering A Turd, CALM is offering an exclusive offer of 40% off a CALM Premium subscription at CALM.COM/GLITTER And if you hop over to Patreon you can be a fully fledged member of the Turd Glitterati and get more fab content from Kris https://www.patreon.com/howtoglitteraturd

Rage at the egotistical, dismissive, offhand, "I know better because I'm a professional type" doctors who won't f**king listen to their patients who know their own bodies best!!!! This book just brings home how disparaging some doctors, particularly GP's can be, towards women with clear symptoms of cancer. For some reason there seems to be a "can't be arsed" attitude to even refer people for scans, biopsies, mammograms, ultrasound scans, MRI's. Everything is dismissed as "your hormones, your age, your lifestyle", with a definite leaning towards the "watch and wait" scenario. It's not good enough, nor has it ever been. Kris Hallenga is absolutely right in seeking second opinions, questioning her specialists, enquiring about the latest treatments. She has had to learn the incredibly shitty way of medical negligence and incompetence. I got this as a library loan and raced through it in under a day. It has taken me a while to review however as I was in a complete rage after reading. Unbound commissioning editor Joelle Owusu said: “I‚Äôm delighted to be working with Kris on such a unique and exciting book. She is a true inspiration and she puts her heart and vivacious personality into everything she does. This book offers a whole-hearted and funny perspective on the realities of living with cancer and she is not just surviving but thriving. It‚Äôs been a joy to bring the project to life.”

I rushed through it wrapped in my duvet and accompanied by mugs of instant coffee, and couldn’t wait to pass it on to a friend. Kris’s generosity of spirit is clearly contagious! Each week Kris will be joined by a very special guest to learn about their turds, how they came to be and what impact they had, and at the end of the day, how they found the glitter in spite of the turd.Hallenga founded Coppafeel!, which educates young people about the signs and symptoms of cancer, after she was diagnosed with Stage 4, secondary, incurable breast cancer aged 23. She was told she stood a one in10 chance of surviving beyond five years and Unbound said the launch marks 11 years since her diagnosis. I couldn’t put it down, Kris had me hooked straight away. It is funny and emotional and trustworthy, thoughtful and important and so real. She doesn’t hide away from the fact that having cancer, and knowing someone with cancer, is a real shit show (literally and figuratively), but she also doesn’t hide away from the fact it can bring joy into your life. You learn to live more if you know your time is numbered. Hallenga is a slightly controversial figure in the world of secondary breast cancer. She was diagnosed de novo with the disease at a scarily young age even for those of us who faced a diagnosis in our thirties, and yet she’s known for loudly banging the “early diagnosis saves lives” drum. Statistics aren’t exactly uncomplicated supporters of that statement… Around 30% of patients go on to receive a metastatic/incurable diagnosis and breast cancer is still the biggest killer of women under the age of fifty. Guys, there have been moments over these last few months that left me wondering if I'd ever get this thing submitted and I can happily say that as of 22.46 on 13th July 2020 my first draft (albeit pretty rough)has made it's merry way to Unbound to be read by my editor. I might cry.