Stacey's Race for Life

Cancer is happening right now, which is why I'm taking part in a Race for Life Pretty Muddy to raise money and save lives. This is my reason for taking part... February 2006 I just arrived home from being at my dads for the weekend, I walked into the kitchen where my mum was and started having a chat with her. While talking my mum asked me to look up as she noticed something on the side of my neck. A lump. That was the start of my journey. My mum took me to the doctors where the first said it could be asthma, then a rare disease from the indoor birds we had at the time, then I was tested for tuberculosis and finally after they had tested for most things I was given a hospital appointment with a consultant to discuss a biopsy. July 2006 we went to the hospital for the appointment with the consultant and finally they decided to do the biopsy. September 28th 2006 came and it was finally the day for my biopsy. We arrived at the hospital at 7:30am but had to wait until 4:30pm for my operation as there were a number of emergency cases come in. October 6th 2006, it was a Friday and I arrive home from school to find my mum very red faced and upset. She didn’t look at me much and spent most of her time in the kitchen. I was due to go to my dads that weekend so as I said my goodbyes I got in the car with my dad and explained how something wasn’t right with mum. He said he would ring her and see if everything was okay but I said not to bother and we got on with the weekend. Sunday October 8th 2006. It was time to go back home for school the next day. Still not really understanding what had happened on Friday I got home and mum finally sat down and spoke to me, I could see she was upset however I didn’t ask what was wrong. She explained to me that I needed to get some bits together because we have to go to a hospital in the morning and I would be staying in for a while. I still didn’t understand why however I done what I was told and packed up some stuff. Monday October 9th 2006. Monday morning and time for us to leave to go to the hospital. Me, my mum, stepdad, nan and grandad got into the car and off we went to Leicester Royal infirmary. Never had I been there in my life. We got to the hospital and was taken to a ward. We had to wait outside the ward because they were getting things ready for me when I was told. My stepdad, nan and grandad went home and me and mum sat there talking. We were chatting away when I asked mum why I was there. I had a feeling it had something to do with the biopsy but wasn’t sure. She asked me if I really wanted to know. Of course I said yes. That was when she had told me, ‘you’ve got Hodgkin’s lymphoma, its cancer.’ All I said was ‘cool.’ Bloody cool! It dawned on me then that that was what was wrong with my mum on the Friday. I found out that mum had actually been told on the Friday afternoon while I was at school but didn’t want to ruin my weekend at my dads by telling me then. That week I went through a number of tests and operations to fit a Hickman line in (a line that goes directly into my heart for chemotherapy) and to check my bone marrow. I also started treatment. The following months I went through intense chemotherapy and steroids. I lost my hair and became pretty ill. I never let it get me down though! Through every chemo treatment, steroid tablet and tests I kept smiling! I started loosing my hair and decided to cut it short and take duct tape to my head to get the little hairs off! It was so much fun. My mum, brothers and sisters took face paint pens and drew pictures on my bald head. Thats the most amazing thing about my family and friends they were always there every step of the way cheering me on, supporting me through everything! After months of chemotherapy I finally got the all clear. I was cancer free!! February 2017 marked 10 years being cancer free! 10 whole years! However that’s not always the case for some people. Some people aren’t as lucky as I am. My amazing best friend lost her incredible dad March 2018 to lung cancer. After just a years battle with the disease he sadly grew his wings 🧡 she was just 24 years old when she lost her dad. No 24 year old should have to go through what she went through. We are kicking cancers butt in memory of my beautiful best friends dad Steve Gurnham and for all those affected by cancer 🧡