Sharon, United Kingdom

So for me there were no symptoms, no weight loss, no itchiness...it was vanity that made me go to the doctors. I'd noticed a small lump in the corner of my eye but it was during COVID time so the doctors surgery was the last place you wanted to be. But I went, and immediately was misdiagnosed, but trusting my gut made me go back..and a couple of months later after having a biopsy, I was told I had Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma. At the age of 36, with two small children, it's not what any mum expects to hear.

The biggest challenge was hiding it from my children, I didn't want them to know about my cancer until I had the all clear. This is something that I think a lot of people feel pressured about, but you know when the right time is for you and that is when you should do it. So acting like everything was ok whilst I was crying inside was really tough, but they were my strength so I just kept fighting.

The evening I was diagnosed I stood looking at my children, thinking why me? Why did I deserve to get cancer?
But then another thought popped up, why NOT me? What made me so special that I was exempt. It was that mindset shift that made me instantly think, I'm going to fight this, and win. So I put on my big girl pants and did just that.

I found my radiotherapy team super supportive, I don't think I could have got through those 15 rounds of treatment without them. Having a team that supports you is so important. But that was the only support I received, and the aftermath was when I really needed support but it wasn't there. That's why I've gone on to become a cancer mentor, to help others.

I think there needs to be more support after cancer, the journey doesn't end when the treatment does.
And my advice would be, don't bottle it up. There are people out there who will listen, you can talk about cancer without feeling like a burden.