According to Cancer Research UK more than one in three people in the UK will develop some type of cancer during their lifetime of this 1% occur in children, teenagers and young adults up to the age of 24. The first thought when hearing the word cancer is death, but this is not always the case. In fact figures from Cancer Research UK state that if you look at all cancers combined the survival rate in women has reached 56% and in men 43%. We spoke to a survivor who not only beat cancer but also completed a university course to become a nurse during her battle.
27 year old Shelia from London was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in January 2006. “I had kept feeling unwell and constantly had cramping in my stomach, so I went to the doctors who referred me to the hospital for tests” she told me. “When they finally gave me the results and told me that I had cancerous tumours in my cervix I was distraught. It felt like my whole life turned upside down, I was so scared.”
According to the cancer research UK website healthy living does not guarantee against cancer however it douse reduce the risk of the disease. After Shelia got over the initial fear and shock of her diagnoses she became angry “I felt that it was unjust I never smoked or drank, I had only had one sexual partner, ate healthily and exercised regularly.”
“I had 4 months of radiotherapy, it was horrible I was moody and lethargic my skin felt like it had been burnt and came up in blisters, all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I was also on steroids and hormone replacement pills and got the all clear in July 2006”. Her illness made her re-evaluate her life “I always wanted to be a nurse and the help and support I received encouraged me to take the first step to fulfil my lifelong dream to become a nurse.”
Whilst she was still sick she applied to London Southbank University to become a paediatric nurse. “Unfortunately I had to defer the course for a year as the cancer returned in the Christmas of 2006. But after a bout of radiation I felt well enough again to start university in September 2007.”
She thrived at student life, “I enjoyed every minute and couldn’t wait to be fully qualified and start working.” In the third year of her course while she was on work placement at University College London hospital her six month check up came back positive for more tumours in her cervix. “They told me that one of the tumours had burst and I was rushed in to hospital for an operation. They had to remove some of my cervix and 8% of my liver; because of this it’s unlikely that I can ever have children. That hurt and made me want to continue to finish my course so I could at least help sick children.”
So she continued to study and work during her five months of chemotherapy. “I felt sick all the time, my whole body ached and I lost the use of my taste buds, that still hasn’t returned. I had loads of support from my tutors and all the hospital staff that helped me fight the pain and exhaustion to reach my goal. They spread out my shifts so I had breaks to recuperate.”
Today Shelia works as a paediatric Nurse at one of London’s leading children’s hospitals. With hard work and pure will power she passed her university degree and graduated late last year. “I had to keep going it was the choice I made, to fight. I don’t feel that it makes me a better person I’m still angry that it happened to me, I have lost my faith in god and I have depressive Emo moods sometimes. I’m happy that I am still here and I’m just thankful to my friends and everyone who gave me help and support to get where I am today."
(Name has been changed to protect sources)
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