A sore chest led to a bowel cancer diagnosis three years ago and, while I don’t know how long I have left, I refuse to let it get me down and I am enjoying my life. I also feel lucky to have had a huge amount of support from the Ngā Kete Cancer Kaiarahi Service, hospital nurses, and Hospice.
I have had a wonderful life. I grew up in the North Island with my four sisters and two brothers before moving South.
I love it down here. I have met tons of people and I enjoy the slower lifestyle. My children are all grown now – four girls and one boy.
One day I was busy working when my chest started getting sore. I went to see my doctor and he knew, straight away, that it was cancer based off the questions he was asking me.
Soon after I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I think I was numb because I didn’t take it in and I just carried on as normal. But, before I knew it, I was being sent to appointments at hospitals across the South Island and it finally hit me. What am I going through? How could I have cancer? Will this be the end of me?
I hid myself away from everyone and tried to pretend it wasn’t happening but I was so sick from the chemotherapy I couldn’t eat and I would sleep most days on my couch. Everything tasted like carboard and I couldn’t have cold drinks. I lost a ton of weight and still, I continued to ignore everyone.
I’ve had chemotherapy, radiation, and three operations. One of those operations was to insert a port in my upper chest.
My mindset around my cancer journey started to change and I realised hiding myself away from everyone was the worst thing I could do. I needed the support and I noticed once I started talking to people about it, I started feeling better about what was happening to me.
Since then, I have a completely different outlook. I don’t worry about the cancer, I know it’s there but I don’t let it get me down because I am still living my life. I get out there, I talk to people, I go for rides on my motorbike and I spend time with friends and family.
Throughout the journey I was referred to the Ngā Kete Cancer Kaiarahi Service from the hospital. They have been a massive help to me. They often ring me to see how I’m doing and to ask if I need anything. They have been a huge support. The service also run a support group for people affected by cancer and I have been attending that. I find it helpful and the guest speakers very informative.
Once they even organised a cleaner for me to come in and do the things I couldn’t when I was really unwell and that was a huge help!
Knowing the support of the service and the group is there has been an amazing feeling. I know I can talk to them whenever I need to.
It’s been three years now since my diagnosis and one year since I was told I only had 3-6 months to live. But, the tumour has since shrunk and I am taking a lower dose of chemotherapy. I don’t worry about when I might die. It could be today, or it could be in 20 years but I’m just happy to live my life and enjoy the time I do have.
I have been so lucky with the wrap-around support from the nurses, Hospice, Ngā Kete, everyone! It’s like another family to me and I appreciate all of them, and all they have done for me.
