Story
Cancer has affected nearly every person as it is now 1 in 2 people diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Whether it is being diagnosed with cancer, fighting cancer or losing a loved one to cancer, we all know at least 1 person. Me and my mum have lost many people to cancer. With both my nans, my granddad and my auntie all losing their fight to cancer. We also have members in the family who have thankfully battled through cancer like my cousin and auntie. Although the story I am now telling may seem very familiar it does not make it any easier when it's your loved one. Through my bad experience with losing people to cancer I now work for cancer services and hope to make a big difference with this horrible illness. My nans were both inspirational to me, my mums mum lived until the grand age of 90. The only pain killers she ever took were paracetamol and that was on a really bad day, unfortunately we lost her to pancreatic cancer. My dad's mum was very unlucky with cancer, she started with bowel cancel which she had extreme chemotherapy for. 5 years on from getting the all clear with her bowel cancer she found out she had breast, this was a huge shock as she had no lumps or changes to the breast, it was attached to the breast bone! She refused chemotherapy as it badly affected her quality of life. She lasted 14 years after having radiotherapy when we found out the breast cancer had reoccurred with a vengeance. It had spread to her lungs and bones and there was no helping her unfortunately. Both nans were at an age were they was forgotten about when it came to any type of treatment which was devastating for our family. I now work for the Urology department as an Early Diagnosis Navigator, fighting for patients to be diagnosed and treated faster. Working in this department has fully opened my eyes, I would never have guessed how common prostate cancer is and how misleading it is to be diagnosed. I am fighting for an easier way to know of the symptoms of prostate cancer and what warning signs to look for Please donate any money you can to fight against these horrible illnesses. Any penny counts, thank you all so much X