10 Years in Remission | My story with cancer

Today marks a huge day for me, it's something incredibly personal for me to write about, but I'm writing about it in hope that someone who might be in the same position as me may see this and it may give them some kind of comfort and hope. If that someone happens to be you, please don't hesitate to email me or reach out to me on social media - talking through these things is so, so important.

So ten years ago, not only was this around the time that I launched my first blog, I was also going through something very traumatic. At just sixteen years old I was diagnosed with cancer. Something you truly hope and pray, and don't expect will ever happen to you, especially at just sixteen - it really was the last thing on my mind. I was diagnosed with juvenile granulosa cell tumour - which is a very rare form of cancer.

I am incredibly lucky in that my doctors caught my cancer at such an early stage, which meant after two major operations I didn't have to go through anymore treatment and have been in remission ever since. When I talk about this - and I've noticed I'm doing it right now - I always feel like I play down the seriousness of my cancer experience. Because of how lucky I was, I feel like my experience isn't quite the typical cancer experience you imagine when someone mentions the C word. But I have to remind myself that this doesn't make it any less of an emotional and physical ordeal. My recovery was still tough, and mentally I've suffered for years afterwards with anxiety. It's effects still lingering occasionally now and again, every time I start feeling unwell or not quite myself. Once you've had cancer, which is the ultimate 'what if?' you can't help but wonder - if the worst has already happened, why couldn't it happen again?

Today I had my final check up at Ipswich Hospital, the specialist cancer ward which treated and cured me ten years ago. When I was told at sixteen I'd have to come back for check ups for the next ten years, it sounded like a lifetime away. But ten years have gone by surprisingly quickly, and it makes me stop and realise all the things that have happened in those ten years that I might not have got to experience at all. University, graduation, new friendships, holidays, moving out of home, first jobs, a career, and love.

Here's to the next 10 years whatever they may hold, and the biggest of thankyous to my Doctor, Dr Rufford for essentially saving my life. There are not enough words or actions that can possibly thank someone for that. ♥︎