CANCER JOURNEY SO FAR

 IT ALL STARTED WITH A COUGH ON THE 2ND OF APRIL 2022 AND I WAS COUGHING LIKE NOBODIES BUSINESS AND MY MOM RANG 111 AND THEY TAKE SO LONG TO GET BACK TO YOU SO AT 9:00 IN THE EVENING THEY RANG BACK AND TOLD US TO GO TO THE MERLYN VAZ AT 2:30 IN THE MORNING AND MY MOM WAS LIKE YOU CAN GO DO ONE CUZ I'M NOT DOING THAT SO THEY SUGGESTED GOING TO THE A&E SO AT 10:00 SHE RANG A RANDOM TAXI COMPANY AND WE WENT TO THE A&E BUT HE WAS DRIVING QUITE ROUGHLY SO IT WAS A TERRIFYING JOURNEY TO THE HOSPITAL. WE GOT IN THE ADULT A&3 AND REGISTERED AND A REALLY FUNNY THING HAPPENED THE RECEPTIONIST THOUGHT MY MOM WAS THE PATIENT WHEN IT WAS ME AND SHE WAS LIKE NO IT'S FOR MY DAUGHTER. THEN i WENT INTO A ROOM AND GOT ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW URGENT IT WAS AND THE LADY WAS BEING SO RUDE AND IT WASN'T GREAT. THEN I HAD BLOOD PRESSURE AND BLOODS TAKEN AND A CANNULA PUT IN MY RIGHT ARM. AFTER THAT IT WAS A WAITING GAME AND WE SAT THERE IN THESE HORRIBLE UNCOMFORTABLE WAITING ROOM CHAIRS FOR THE WHOLE NIGHT AND MY MOM HAD TO ASK FOR FOOD SINCE SHE WAS FASTING THE NEXT DAY. THEN AT AROUND 9-10AM THE DOC CAME AND CALLED ME TO CHECK MY CHEST AND LISTEN TO IT AND AFTER THAT HE SENT ME FOR A CHEST X-RAY AND THE RESULTS CAME BACK AND  HE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A LOT OF INFECTION IN MY CHEST AND A MASS THAT SHOULDN'T BE THERE. I WAS CRYING MY HEAD OFF CUZ I WAS REALLY WORRIED BUT AFTER THAT I WAS SENT FOR AN EKG OF THE CHEST AND THAT AND I WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND I HAD TO BE IN A BED IN A BAY AREA AND IT WAS REALLY NICE AND COMFY. AFTER THAT I HAD A LOT OF BLOOD PRESSURE TESTS AND I GOT PUT ON A WARD WITH PEOPLE WHO HAD DEMENTIA IT WAS OKAY BUT AT NIGHT TIME IT WAS QUITE SCARY CUZ PEOPLE WALK OFF AND SOME PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE AT HOME BUT IT'S A N ILLNESS SO YOU CAN'T EVEN JOKE ABOUT IT. I TRIED TO EAT BUT THE FIRST TWO- THREE DAYS OF HOSPITAL WERE HORRIBLE I WAS VOMITING UP EVERYTHING I WAS EATING UNTIL I GOT MOVED TO THE STROKE WARD AT 1 AM IN THE MORNING AFTER I SLEPT SO NICELY AND I GOT AN ANTI SICKNESS TABLET GIVEN TO ME AND I WAS FINE AFTER THAT.. MORE BLOOD WAS TAKEN FROM ME AND I WENT FOR A CT SCAN OF MY CHEST AND THROAT AREA AND I WAS REALLY SCARED AND MY MOM CAME WITH ME BUT SHE WASN'T ALLOWED TO COME IN THE ROOM WITH ME. I WENT IN AND I HAD TO HOLD MY BREATH QUITE A BIT AND THEY PUT A DYE IN MY CANNULA AND I HAD A WARM FEELING LIKE YOU NEARLY WETTING YOURSELF BUT YOU DON'T AND I WENT BACK IN THE CT MACHINE AND THEY TOOK ME OUT. I GOT THE RESULTS AND THEY FOUND A LYMPHOMA IN MY WINDPIPE CHEST AND STOMACH AREA. I WAS ON ANTIBIOTICS MOST OF THE TIME IN THE HOSPITAL THEY DID IT THROUGH MY CANNULA AND THEN THEY GAVE ME THE TABLET FORM LATER ON. THE DOCS CAME AND EXPLAINED AND ASKED ME IF I UNDERSTOOD WHAT TB WAS CUZ IT COULD'VE BEEN THAT AND I WAS LIKE YEAH SOMEONE'S KID HAD IT AND DIED IN PEAKY BLINDERS AND THE MAIN CHARACTER TOMMY SHELBY HAD A TB TUMOUR IN HIS HEAD. tHEY ASKED ME IF I KNEW WHAT A LYMPHOMA WAS AND I EXPLAINED AND I WAS LIKE I SEEN IT ON A SHOW WITH MY DAD CALLED DR PIMPLE POPPER AND THE DOC WAS SITTING ON THE FLOOR HOLDING THE EDGE OF THE BED LAUGHING HIS ASS OFF. ALSO A REALLY NICE LADY DOC HELEN CAME AND SHE WAS SUPER NICE SHE EVEN BROUGHT MY MOM A FOLDING BED TO SLEEP ON. THEN ON SATURDAY I HAD ANOTHER CT SCAN OF THE STOMACH AND THE DOC CAME AND EXPLAINED THAT MY GLANDS ARE SWOLLEN IN THE STOMACH AND I HAVE LESIONS ON MY LIVER AND THEY'LL HAVE TO DO AN MRI SCAN. LET'S REWING BACK TO AFTER THE FIRST CT SCAN CUZ I HAD A BIOPSY TO FIND OUT WHAT TYPE LYMPHOMA I HAVE AND IT WAS A REALLY PAINFUL PROCESS WHEN THE DOC WAS GIVING ME LOCAL  ANAESTHETIC  AND I STARTED BAWLING MY HEAD OFF LIKE A BABY CUZ I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DOC WAS DOING WITH THE PUSHING UP NEEDLE THING AND IT WAS REALLY PAINFUL CUZ HE WAS NUMBING THE AREA MORE THAN ONCE. THE REST OF THE BIOPSY WAS OKAY AND I WAS OUT IN 15 MINS. THEN I GOT DISCHARGED FROM THE HSOPITAL CUZ MY BIOPSY RESULTS WERE TAKING AGES TO COME BACK FROM THE LAB AND I WAS REALLY UPSET CUZ THEY WERE SENDING ME HOME WITHOUT DOING ANY TREATMENT SO MY MOM RANG A CONTACT NUMBER THAT HELEN GAVE HER AND THEY CAME FROM A MEETING AND THEY EXPLAINED THAT THE LYMPHOMAS IN MY CHEST STOMACH AND WINDPIPE AREA TURNED OUT TO BE CANCEROUS FROM WHAT THEY COULD SEE IN THE BIOPSY. I WAS CRYING SO MUCH CUZ IT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION TO TAKE IN AS IT WAS OVERWHELMING FOR ME TO HEAR THE C WORD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. I COULDN'T EVEN SPEAK ON THE PHONE IT WAS THAT BAD SINCE I WAS CRYING A LOT. THEY EXPLAINED THE TWO TYPES OF LYMPHOMA AND I HAVE THE HODGEKINS LYMPHOMA WHICH IS VERY TREATABLE AND THEY SAID I'LL HAVE TO HAVE CHEMOTHERAPHY TO MELT THE LYMPHOMAS DOWN. I COULD BE BOLD AND LOSE ALL MY HAIR. SO THIS THURSDAY I WENT INTO THE TEENAGERS AND YOUNG ADULTS WARD AND THE DOCS EXPLAINED EVERYTHING ABOUT PUTTING IN A LINE AND HOW THAT WORKS AND TALKING ABOUT DOING AGGRESSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY CUZ OF MY CHEST/WINDPIPE AREA SINCE THE LYMPHOMA IS COMPRESSING ON MY WINDPIPE SO IT'S QUITE DANGEROUS SO THEY NEED TO TREAT IT QUICKLY. THEN THEY ASKED ME ABOUT FERTILITY INJECTIONS BUT I SAID NO CUZ I DONN'T REALLY WANT ANY KIDS RIGHT NOW SINCE THEY'RE QUITE ANNOYING AND IT'S JUST EASIER IF IT'S A NIECE OR NEPHEW CUZ YOU CAN GIVE THEM BACK STRAIGHT AWAY OR SEND THEM HOME. THE DOCS WERE REALLY NICE AND TOLD ME THEY'LL WRITE A LETTER TO MY UNIVERSITY ONCE I GET AN EMAIL OR A NAME OF MY HEAD OF FACULTY SO I'LL HAVE TO FIGURE THAT ALL OUT SOON. THEN ANOTHER NURSE GAVE ME LOADS OF LEAFLETS AND EXPLAINED ABOUT YOUTH WORKERS AND COUNCILLORS AND CHARITIES THAT I CAN GET INTO CONTACT WITH TO GET GRANTS AND OTHER STUFF TO HELP ME WHILE I'M GOING THROUGH CANCER.  I CAME HOME AND WAS SUPER WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE INFO-DUMP I RECIEVED SO I JUST RANG MY FAMILY AND THEY'VE BEEN REALLY SUPPORTIVE THROUGHOUT THIS JOURNEY SO FAR SO A HUGE SHOUTOUT CAN GO TO THEM. ALSO MY UNCLE THE GENERAL WENT THROUGH THE SAME THING SO IT'S SO AMAZING TO RELATE TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO KNOWS WHAT I'M GOING THROUGH AND IT'S SO NICE THAT MY FAMIGLIA IS TELLING ME WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE HERE FOR YOU NO MATTER WHAT AND YOU CAN RING US ANYTIME IF YOU WANNA HAVE A GOOD OLD CHINWAG ABOUT HOW YOU'RE FEELING AND I WAS JUST SO APPRECIATIVE AND GRATEFUL FOR ALL THIS SUPPORT. ALSO MY OTHER  UNCLE WATSON'S WIFE HAD IT AND IT'S REALLY FANTASTIC THAT HIS DAUGHTERS ARE BEING REALLY SUPPORTIVE BUT I'M A TOUGH COOKIE SO I'VE BEEN REALLY STRONG UNTIL NOW. YESTERDAY  BEFORE MY APPOINTMENT I GOT A NOTIFICATION ON SNAPCHAT SOMEONE FROM UNIVERSITY ADDED ME ON SNAPCHAT SO I ACCEPTED THE REQUEST. SHE WAS JUST TELLING ME ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE CUZ SHE HAD A LYMPHOMA IN HER WINDPIPE AND WE JUST HAD A REALLY NICE CHAT AND SHE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND IT'S SO ENCOURAGING WHEN PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH THE SAME THING AND SHE GOT IT AT 19 YEARS OLD AND NOW SHE'S LIKE 23-24 YRS OLD AND I WAS REALLY NOT TOO WORRIED CUZ SOME ONE ELSE GOT TREATED AND CURED AND I'M HOPEFUL ALSO SHE REASSURED ME ABOUT CHEMOTHERAPHY CUZ I'M SCARED ABOUT LOSING MY HAIR. SHE SENT ME PARAGRAPHS BUT IT'S ANNOYING CUZ I GET EXCITED ABOUT IT AND NO ONE LETS YOU BASK IN THAT EXCITEMENT SO WHAT'S THE POINT IN TELLING OTHER PEOPLE?  OKAY SO LET'S REWIND BACK TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE THE DOC CAME AND MY VISITORS WERE STILL THERE AND NO ONE CALLED MY MOM WHICH WAS A VERY UPSETTING EXPERIENCE AND HE STARTED TALKING TO ME WHEN I NEED SOMEONE TO BE THERE IN CASE I DON'T GET WHAT THEY'RE ON ABOUT BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY MESSED UP THING THAT HAPPENED. NOW BACK TO THE MADDI THING  I THINK IT'S MADE ME QUITE HOPEFUL ABOUT MY  CONDITION AND TREATMENT EVEN IF THERE'S GONNA BE A LONG ROAD AHEAD TO RECOVERY.  THEN I WENT TO THE WARD WHERE I GOT SHOWN THE ROOMS AND BEDS AND THERE'S FREE WI-FI/A TV AND PLAYSTATION PLUS A CHILLING OUT ROOM WHERE YOU CAN PLAY GAMES WATCH TV READ OR DO ARTS AND CRAFTS MAKE YOUR OWN DRINKS AND EAT SNACKS SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING THERE AND I HAD MY BLOOD SUGAR TESTED WITH THAT FINGER PRICKING NEEDLE THING AND MY BLOOD WENT ON A STRIP  AND THEN THE NURSE PUT IT IN A MACHINE AND IT CAME OUT QUITE GOOD IT WAS 6 WHICH WASN'T TOO BAD. I CAME HOME AND WENT IN THE GARDEN AFTER AGES AND I WAS BASKING IN THE SUN BUT IT GOT TOO MUCH SO I WENT BACK INSIDE THEN I JUST SWITCHED MY LAPTOP ON AND STARTED BLOGGING. SO THIS IS THE JOURNEY SO FAR AND I'LL LET YOU GUYS CHEW ON THAT FOR A BIT AND I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED ONCE I HAVE MY LINE PUT IN MY ARM AND THE PET SCAN AND CHEMOTHERAPY SO KEEP YOUR EYES AND EARS PEELED FOR NEW INFO ON THE LONG WINDING ROAD TO OZ. I'M JUST KIDDING BUT ON THIS LONG AND INTENSE JOURNEY YOU HAVE TO BE 100 PERCENT POSITIVE OTHERWISE I'LL GO DOWNHILL AND I JUST WANNA BE AS NORMAL AS POSSIBLE SO BYE FOR NOW. 

VOTE COMMENT AND SHARE