My name is Freya Clarke and at 25 years old I was told those three little words you never want to hear, “You have cancer.” I’m originally from the UK but had packed my job in as a sales and marketing manager to spend a year in Australia working abroad. When I started thinking about a humorous story to tell, I really couldn’t narrow it down to one. Throughout my diagnosis and recovery I have had so many moments that really have provided little moments of light throughout such a dark period.
Story No. 1 - Diagnosis Upon being told those words you never want to hear, I had a variety of thoughts running through my head. Would I lose my hair? How would I be able to pay for this? But two thoughts sprung to mind and wouldn’t stop swirling around.
I had just paid for two installments to finish the round of laser hair removal I had just started and I wondered how I would get the money back for them. And, did the nurse think I could have them done after I finished recovery? Apparently not, much to her amusement.
How the bloody hell do you even spell Leukemia?!?!
Story No. 2 - During Chemo Now my mum is one of the best women I know. Strong, courageous and beautiful. BUT, we all have fears of turning into our mothers and mine almost came true toward the end of my chemo. Due to my kidneys not working, my body taking on fluid and being pumped full of antibiotics, I started to put on quite a bit of weight and none of my pants fit me. The only answer? To wear my mother's pants. Strutting around a hospital bed wearing your mother's cotton knickers should not be a re-occurrence.
Story No. 3 - Post Chemo After being put into a medically induced coma you can imagine what my family was going through during this horrendous time. They didn’t know when I would start reacting well to the antibiotics and when I would start to wake up to be able to chat with them.
Occasionally my doctors would bring me out of sedation due to the fluid I was taking on. They were worried about the fluid causing blindness. So, one day they took me out of my sedation and sat me up in my bed to check my eyes. They had inserted bright green fluid into my eyes and had not made my family aware of this.
Much to my mothers shock I opened my eyes which were bright green. This caused quite the barrage of foul language to come out of her mouth.
Story No. 4 - Recovery
My best friend's son is 4 years old and is the cutest boy I know. However, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of me once I came back from Australia. Luckily he makes me laugh every time I am with him. After removing my wig once in front of him, he always demands I remove it and he try it on. He would question whether everyone in my family could do it and whether he would be able to do it once he was older.
Throughout my cancer journey there have been so many moments that have made me and my family and friends laugh. And it is so important to focus on these moments as they really do assist you in finding the lighter side of cancer.