YOUR JOURNEY WITH THE C-WORD
My reasons for creating this website and making it as detailed varied. I decided earlier on that if I was going to share my story then I was going to keep nothing hidden. It was going to be honest, open and factual detailing every aspect of what I had gone through.
One of the many deciding factors was my aim to make it further clear within communities of colour that cancer is not a taboo. It’s not gender or race specific and while it can be genetic it can also develop within anyone that doesn’t come from a cancer genetic background. It can develop within babies, teenagers, adults and grandparents. All can be affected at any point during their lifetime.
While I was going through the different emotions and stages of battling DCIS, I often thought of how lucky I was, not just because I had been attentive towards my body but because I lived in an environment where I could be taken good care of.
I was privileged enough to have been able to travel to different parts of the world, whereby if one stepped out of the resorts and luxury and explored locally, the reality was often quite different.
Also having seen the poverty level back home in Nigeria got me thinking of the not-so-privileged within the country. It felt inhuman that they should come to an early demise because nothing could be done to treat their cancer. Especially if they don’t even have access to the knowledge of cancer and the many forms it can appear in. I decided I would do as much as possible to raise awareness there.
Everyone has a different coping mechanism after being diagnosed with cancer, or with any health-related issues. By sharing your journey with the C-word you may be able to help someone going through the same diagnosis.
By speaking out you may be saving someone’s life, as your first-hand experience could really make an impact on the lives of those starting their journey upon being diagnosed with one form of cancer or another.
The relatives, friends or carers of people going through treatment may also gain from your tried and tested methods.
I would love to hear from you on how you discovered something was not quite as it should be and what checks you had been conducting prior to your diagnosis.
I look forward to reading your personal and unique experiences.