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A schoolgirl despatched dwelling with antibiotics by a dentist when a pea-sized lump appeared in her cheek watched in shock because the mass grew to the scale of a “tennis ball” and resulted in a rare cancer analysis.
Gaby Maurice, 16, who lives in Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the tender tissues, at 13 after first noticing an initially pea-sized lump in her proper cheek in October 2021.
At first, her mom Olga, 39, a manufacturing facility employee, took her to the dentist, as they believed the lump was associated to her enamel – however because the swelling elevated, they had been suggested to go to a GP.
“It was like a little pea at first, but it was growing bigger and bigger every single day,” Gaby mentioned.
“It started right at the top and then it started spreading all the way down (my face) – and after six weeks, it was the size of a tennis ball.”
After having an ultrasound and biopsy at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, it was revealed Gaby had rhabdomyosarcoma and she or he would want to bear therapy – together with chemotherapy, which brought about all her hair to fall out.
“I had really long blonde hair and it was like my comfort blanket – I loved my hair, I loved styling it – so it was hard, but I knew it was going to grow back eventually,” she mentioned.
Gaby had a number of operations, together with a 14-hour surgical procedure to take away your entire tumour, proton beam remedy – a kind of radiotherapy – and upkeep chemotherapy afterwards.
Gaby has since reached remission, which was a “big weight off (her) shoulders”, and though she nonetheless wants common check-ups and scans, she is again in school and can sit her GCSEs this yr.
She feels her “normality” is returning after lacking out on a complete yr of college, and she or he hopes to turn into a kids’s oncology nurse to “give back” to different younger sufferers with cancer.
“I want to give back what I received, and I think, because I’ve been through it, it will be beneficial for the children receiving treatment,” Gaby mentioned.
“I think it will be good having someone care for them who has been through it as well.”
Speaking concerning the influence of her personal analysis, she added: “I’m proud of my scars because it shows what I’ve been through – I battled cancer and I made it out the other side.”
Gaby initially believed the pea-sized lump in her proper cheek was associated to her enamel, and after visiting her dentist, she was despatched dwelling with antibiotics to deal with what gave the impression to be an an infection.
After reserving an appointment with a GP, nevertheless, she was referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat division (ENT) at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the place medical doctors thought the swelling was a blocked saliva gland.
The then 13-year-old noticed 4 totally different surgeons, who prompt a biopsy can be one of the best plan of action to find out the trigger – and just three days later, in October 2021, Gaby was instructed she had a cancerous tumour in her jaw muscle.
Gaby felt shocked and “numb” and didn’t know “how to react”.
“It was devastating but we got together and we just thought, ‘We can’t give up, we need to fight’,” Olga mentioned.
Gaby was then referred to the youngsters’s cancer ward at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to obtain care below a specialist workforce, the place she began the primary of 9 rounds of chemotherapy in December 2021.
“I had nine cycles in total with four different types of chemotherapy, and I had a feeding tube for six months and couldn’t have any food orally,” she defined.
She mentioned the chemotherapy was a “shock” to her physique, and she or he skilled unwanted effects of maximum exhaustion, nausea, and hair loss, leaving her feeling “insecure”.
“Your body doesn’t really know how to react to it,” she mentioned.
“I couldn’t even walk to a toilet without collapsing because of how weak it made my body feel.
“My hair started falling out on a Friday, and then, by the Monday it was all gone. You’d brush it and there would literally be big clumps of hair.”
Gaby ended up shaving her head whereas in hospital, and this was difficult as her hair was her “comfort blanket” – however she knew this is able to solely be non permanent.
The chemotherapy lasted round six months, and after present process a number of operations, together with one to take away your entire tumour, she had proton beam remedy at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, which completed in June 2022.
Gaby was supported by Teenage Cancer Trust youth help co-ordinator Angie, who helps younger people who find themselves receiving proton beam remedy – and Gaby described her as “brilliant”.
“Angie arranged pizza nights and introduced me to other young people who had cancer; it was nice to meet people who I had things in common with,” Gaby mentioned.
Gaby’s therapy noticed her miss a whole yr of college and meant she couldn’t play sports activities – however she mentioned her well being was her precedence and she or he was supported by her household and buddies, and her trusty canine Woody.
“Before I started treatment, I was very sporty – I played football and netball and I used to get involved in all the school fixtures – but the chemotherapy ruined the nerves in my feet, so I couldn’t walk properly,” Gaby defined.
“I was in a wheelchair, I wasn’t able to do any sports, and I didn’t really see my friends for months.”
After ending her remedies, Gaby was instructed she would want to have upkeep chemotherapy for 18 months, the place she would take tablets day-after-day – and she or he has since reached remission, saying “life’s been really good”.
Now, as a part of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month this April, Gaby has determined to share her story to lift extra consciousness of cancer and to encourage others “to appreciate the smaller things in life”.
“It’s the little things in life like being able to go for a walk when it’s sunny outside, or walk the dog, or even go for a swim, because when I had my Hickman line, I wasn’t able to go swimming or have a proper shower,” Gaby mentioned.
“With my tumour, I couldn’t eat for six months – I was on a feeding tube – so even ice cream on a summer’s day, or a big fat pizza to myself.”
Speaking about her recommendation to others, she added: “There will be a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you are at rock bottom, the only way is up.
“You’ve just got to trust the process sometimes and do what you’ve got to do to make it better.”
Teenage Cancer Trust is highlighting life after cancer therapy and has launched new info to help youngsters and younger adults with the challenges of rebuilding their lives after cancer.
To discover out extra, go to: teenagecancertrust.org/information-about-cancer/after-cancer-treatment
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