What cancer were you diagnosed with?

papillary thyroid cancer and breast cancer

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What age were you diagnosed?

24 and 32

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What has helped you to thrive?

This time round with breast cancer I felt less so because of the connections I've made online and with accessibility of charities like Trekstock.

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Rhiannon's Story

I have sadly had cancer twice as a young adult and know how difficult it can be. I have had the whole spectrum of treatments and felt all manner of emotions. My journey started at the age of 24, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes. I had a years worth of treatment which removed my tumour which was the size of a tennis ball and zapped it with radioactive iodine treatment. I then recovered, but was left with fertility issues which lead me to having IVF and luckily for me it worked. I was blessed with a daughter. However, the IVF and pregnancy then triggered my breast cancer. When I was 32 and my daughter had just turned two, I was diagnosed with a grade 3 invasive ductile carcinoma. I then went on to have 7 rounds of heavy duty chemotherapy, surgery, 20 rounds of radiotherapy and I am currently still having herceptin treatments every three weeks.

I now have a positive prognosis and currently have no sign of cancer in my body. Though obviously as someone who has had cancer twice, I very much feel that this doesn't just mean I'm off the hook forever. Which I naively thought the first time round. When I was first diagnosed in 2009 social media was in its infancy and I felt very lonely and isolated. This time round with breast cancer I felt less so because of the connections I've made online and with accessibility of charities like Trekstock.