Man left with eye protruding from head after noticing small bruise on his face

Sign as much as our free Living Well e-mail for recommendation on dwelling a happier, more healthy and longer life

Live your life more healthy and happier with our free weekly Living Well e-newsletter

A 24-year-old who thought his eye may “fall out of (his) head” mentioned he visited hospitals 9 occasions earlier than being instructed he had a uncommon cancerous tumour on his optic nerve.

Farid Oladapo, a sports activities educating assistant who lives in Sanderstead, south Croydon, was identified with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma – a sort of sentimental tissue most cancers – in June 2022 after noticing bruising and swelling on his proper eye.

But he mentioned he visited a number of completely different hospitals 9 occasions earlier than receiving the prognosis whereas in his remaining yr finding out International Politics at Brunel University London.

A spokesperson for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has since mentioned that Farid “was diagnosed and cared for in accordance with best practice national referral to treatment guidelines”.

Farid mentioned his “mind was spiralling” after the prognosis and he quickly underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy – and at one level, he thought he was at “death’s door” as a consequence of experiencing issues throughout remedy in August 2022.

Despite these setbacks, Farid was capable of full his diploma, graduating in the summertime final yr – and now that he has reached remission, he’s waiting for the long run and has goals of organising his personal soccer company someday.

Farid has determined to share his story for Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month in April, to lift consciousness of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma and to encourage others to “appreciate life more”.

Farid instructed PA Real Life: “I thought to myself, everyone’s telling me that it’s going to go away, so maybe I’m overreacting and I’m just going to leave it – but my eye started to get really bad.

“My eye was protruding from my head – I’m assuming that my eye is coming out of my face – and I thought, if it keeps on coming out, it might fall out of my head.

“Every time I show people (the pictures), they can’t believe people were sending me home with my eye like that.”

Speaking in regards to the influence of his prognosis, he added: “My perspective on life has definitely changed.

“So when people complain about certain things, I think, when I was in hospital, there were three-year-olds walking around with tubes in their noses that have leukaemia and they’re not going to see the age that you are.

“They are literally just playing with their toys and they’re smiling and they’re happy, and you’re complaining about some menial, first world problem?

“You won’t understand unless you go through it, and I don’t want people to go through it, but I feel like I definitely appreciate life more.”

Farid first noticed a small bruise on his proper eye in May 2022 however assumed it will “go down” over time.

He then observed swelling across the eye, main him to ebook a GP appointment, however after finishing imaginative and prescient assessments, he mentioned medical doctors “sent him on (his) way”.

Although Farid’s imaginative and prescient was unaffected, the swelling progressively worsened and he mentioned he visited the A&E division at Croydon University Hospital – not as soon as, however a number of occasions.

“Every time I went to A&E, they did the same visual test repeatedly, and then afterwards they would just send me home,” Farid mentioned.

A spokesperson for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has since mentioned “an urgent referral was made to Moorfields Eye Hospital” throughout his first attendance on the emergency division.

Farid determined to go to the A&E division at St George’s on June 3 2022 for a second opinion, and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has mentioned he was referred for ongoing care.

Still looking for solutions, nevertheless, Farid mentioned his mother and father then paid £300 for a personal medical session for him, the place the identical visible assessments have been accomplished – however this time, the advisor was “not sure” what was mistaken.

Farid continued to watch his eye, however over the next days the swelling worsened and he began to expertise double imaginative and prescient and observed his eye was “pointing slightly towards the right”.

He mentioned he phoned the GP and was instructed by a physician it was potential he had “something pressing on his brain” – however when he visited Croydon University Hospital once more, he mentioned workers accomplished the identical visible take a look at.

“In total, before I actually got anywhere with this, I think I went to hospital nine times before anybody told me (the diagnosis),” he mentioned.

“My eye was coming out of my face, it went yellow – it was so horrible.

“The following day, or two days later, I could no longer close my eye as well, I couldn’t sleep, so I started getting agitated.

“There was pus all over my eye, there was liquid on my face, the eye was going yellow, and it was growing a yellow rubbery substance on top of it, like it was infected.”

Farid then visited Moorfields at St George’s, the place he mentioned his eye was stitched shut on June 8 as a way to forestall additional an infection.

After having a scan, Farid was then instructed by medical doctors {that a} mass was inflicting his eye to protrude – and he mentioned a biopsy throughout surgical procedure on June 10 later revealed it was a cancerous tumour, particularly embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

“Whenever you hear cancer, you just assume that people die – that’s just what you know,” Farid mentioned.

“My granddad passed away, my friend’s dad passed away, so that’s all I’ve known – I don’t think I’ve spoken to anyone who’s had cancer and lived to tell the tale.”

Farid began chemotherapy in June 2022, present process eight rounds at The Royal Marsden, and had radiotherapy in October for six weeks at University College London Hospital, adopted by three extra rounds of chemotherapy in January 2023.

He skilled negative effects of utmost fatigue and ache – which nonetheless have an effect on him now – in addition to nausea, vomiting, and weight reduction, and he mentioned his hair began “falling out in the shower”.

Farid, who’s 6ft 5in tall, suffered issues throughout remedy in August 2022, main him to spend two weeks in intensive care the place he was “in and out of consciousness”, and his weight dropped from 85kg (13st 4lbs) to 60kg (9st 4lbs).

“I literally just looked like a bag of bones, I looked like a skeleton,” Farid mentioned.

Farid was writing his dissertation whereas present process remedy, however with the assistance of his Young Lives vs Cancer social employee and his mother and father, and the assist of his shut pals, he was capable of “get through” it.

While he mentioned he has been left with slight blurred imaginative and prescient in his proper eye, he has reached remission and can proceed to have check-ups over the following 10 years.

He feels “proud” that he was capable of full his diploma and he has since achieved his FA Level 1 in Coaching Football, and he’ll quickly begin his new function as a enterprise and business banking analyst at Lloyds Banking Group.

As a part of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month in April, Farid desires to share his story to lift consciousness of his signs and to encourage others to “trust your gut instinct” relating to your well being.

“The biggest word I’d use about my cancer journey is unpredictable,” Farid mentioned.

“You find out what kind of person you are when you’re in difficult situations… and once you go through it, you are a stronger person.

“You have to remain positive, you have to stay strong – not just for yourself but for the people around you – and you need to roll with the punches as well.

“Things will happen in your journey that you don’t expect, but you just need to go with it.”

Speaking about his recommendation to others, he added: “If you think something is wrong, keep going to the hospital.

“Don’t wait till it’s too late, and trust your gut instinct… and even in bad circumstances, there are still things you can take and enjoy and be happy about, so appreciate the little things.”

A spokesperson for Croydon Health Services NHS Trust mentioned: “We are sorry to hear that Mr Oladapo was unhappy with the care he received.

“During his first attendance at our Emergency Department on 19 May 2022, an urgent referral was made to Moorfields Eye Hospital, a specialist in eye care.”

A spokesperson for Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust mentioned: “Mr Oladapo’s case was complex. Following a visit to A&E, he was referred to us for further checks where he was placed on an urgent cancer care pathway.

“The rare form of cancer that he was diagnosed with required a number of specialist tests to determine the most appropriate treatment option for him, however he was diagnosed and cared for in accordance with best practice national referral to treatment guidelines and started treatment for his cancer within 62 days of his initial referral.

“We would encourage Mr Oladapo to contact our patient advice and liaison service (Pals) if he has any concerns or complaints about his care. Our Pals service can be contacted on 020 7566 2324, by emailing moorfields.pals@nhs.net, or by visiting the office at our City Road hospital.”

Throughout his remedy, Farid was supported by Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity which is there for each younger particular person with most cancers to ensure they get the precise care and assist on the proper time.

For extra data, go to the charity’s web site right here: www.younglivesvscancer.org.uk .