Below you will read a true story of a young local lady named Jody, her story and her family. As you read Jody’s words you will see what we do as a charity and why, how sometimes the little things can be exactly what we need and how a mental break away can be crucial.
I’d also like to stress that you take note of the first part of Jody’s story. It highlights how early detection is key, how easy it is to dismiss a symptom as something more trivial and how sometimes you need to fight to ensure you receive an informed diagnosis. Miss-diagnosis is sadly very common and sometimes the easiest thing to do at first point. Those early months a key, please take note of Jody’s determination as well as her Dream.
This is Jody’s story, in her own words:
“My name is Jody, I was 22 and life was going so well.. Me and my partner Andy had two beautiful children together. Lilly had just turned one year old and Marshall was 4. We were so happy, and we were looking forward to our future together as a family.
It was just before Christmas time in 2016 when I first started getting unusual symptoms, irregular bleeding, lower tummy ache and some back ache, I thought nothing of it. I’de just had the contraceptive implant in my arm and assumed it was just that causing the changes. The symptoms started to worsen over the holidays, the bleeding between periods was getting more frequent and heavier and I was feeling more and more tired by the day. In the new year, I read on Facebook about a young woman who sadly passed away from cervical cancer and started to panic, googling symptoms and realising mine were the same. I booked in with my GP and told her my fears and asked for a smear test, but unfortunately, I was only 22 and was refused a smear test for being too young, you have to be 25 to be allowed cervical screening. The doctor laughed at me when I said I think I have cancer, and sent me for various tests, ultrasound scans but I was getting nowhere and results always came back inconclusive, so I decided to go privately to get a smear test which led to me being diagnosed with Stage 2B cervical cancer in April 2017. My life was turned upside down, I could not believe what I was hearing, I could not imagine my babies growing up without a mummy. I started radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment in June. I just felt numb, emotionless and in another world. I couldn’t get my head around it and was really thinking the worst.
During treatment a friend recommended I contact Evestrust. I rang them and explained my situation, Clynton & Elle came to visit me at home. They were very understanding and such lovely friendly people, they said we could go and spend a week in the Evestrust caravan in Skegness after treatment had finished. It was like a light at the end of the tunnel, something for us all to look forward to after these hard few weeks.
A much-needed break and a well-deserved treat for me Andy and the kids. We were all so excited!
The caravan was beautiful, and the location was perfect, close to everything so you didn’t need to travel far to get to the beach or to the entertainment, which was ideal when I was low on energy after 6 weeks of treatment. We were lucky to get lots of sunshine, so we spent a lot of time on the beach playing with the kids. They loved the holiday and so did we. For the first time in months I felt relaxed and at ease. We made memories to treasure forever, I will never forget it. I cannot thank Evestrust enough for giving us that lovely little break away from reality. There is nothing I would change about the caravan or the holiday overall as it was just perfect.
I hope everybody at Evestrust realises just how much they have helped me and my family at such an uncertain time, and all the other families they are helping too, truly an amazing charity. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me and the work you continue to do for other people ☺️”
#DreamMaker #HowCanYouHelp ??
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”66″ gal_title=”Jodie Oxley – Dream”]
