I found a small lump in the front of my neck when I was 14. Over
the months it grew bigger and bigger, with my doctors continually
reassuring me nothing was wrong. I had to spend my 15th birthday in
hospital having an operation to remove the lump in my thyroid,
which turned out to be cancer and meant yet another operation and
radioactive iodine treatments.
It was a difficult time for me and my family, and life as I knew
it had changed. It now had to include more blood-tests, scans,
treatment and specialists' visits.
I still have everyday battles of fatigue and tiredness-ongoing from
having cancer, but I never let it stop me.
CanTeen has been great - offering a peer support network for
young people all over New Zealand who know what it's like to live
with cancer. We have fun together; we support each other in the
hard times, visiting each other in hospital, being there on the end
of the phone, and honouring and remembering our friends who have
died.
CanTeen has given me the training to do this - to be the best
person I can be, while supporting other young people going through
the hardest thing they could ever imagine.
I have learnt so much from my fellow CanTeeners, especially to
appreciate even the small things, remain positive and most
importantly to never give up on life, and no matter what, keep on
fighting because life is precious.
If I were to be given the opportunity of turning back the clock
and having a different life, one without cancer, I would still
choose to have the same journey life has thrown at me because of
the awesome experiences CanTeen has given me, because of the
incredible lessons I have learnt from CanTeen, and ultimately
because of the amazing family I have gained through CanTeen.