I have lived in my lovely home for 22 years, I have spent those years renovating my home to turn it into a beautiful place to call home. It is 118 years old and I have finally finished all the work.

Two and a half years ago i was diagnosed with a very rare salivary gland cancer, Acinic Cell Carcinoma of the parotid gland, I had a tumour in my face close to my ear. I had surgery to remove the tumour which went well but i got an infection so ended up back in hospital. I have to say that it was a painful surgery and I was left with a deformed face, I have a dent in my face where the tumour and surrounding salivary gland was removed. Once healed I started an intensive six week course of radiotherapy, I couldn’t talk or eat, I had burns all in my mouth and on my face and neck.

A routine scan of my chest showed a mass on my thymus gland so I had an open left thymectomy to remove it. This surgery was major surgery, my left lung had to be collapsed so they could remove my thymus gland and the mass, I have a three inch incision along my ribs where my ribs were seperated. I had a drain in my left lung and a thin line into my back that adminstered morphine. Luckily the mass was benign.

I have been suffering with the effects of the radiotherapy ever since and have severe pain constantly in my face. I am still recovering and without the love and support of my family and friends I really don’t think I would have got through it. I haven’t got a great quality of life as I hate going out because people stare at my face. Fortunately from the front its not noticable but from the side you can see muscle and salivary gland are missing, my skin is sitting on the bone of my jaw and i have a dent in that side. Its amazing how people do stare, some even reel back in disgust. I feel like wearing a t shirt that says “ Yes, I had Cancer” It has really knocked my confidence but luckily wearing makeup helps.

I didn’t think things could get any worse until my partner of 10 years told me they didn’t love me anymore, my world fell apart. Not only is my heart broken and I am having to deal with all the hurt that goes with it I also relied on them financially as I can’t work due to having Fibromyalgia as well as other illnesses plus getting over 2 major surgeries, radiotherapy and cancer.

My partner walked out on Valentine’s day this year and never came home, they said they would pay the mortgage and household bills for a while but never gave any dates. I have since had letters from their solicitor saying the mortgage payments and bill payments have stopped and once my home is sold they want to take half the equity left after the mortgage is paid off.

Just when I think nothing else could go wrong in my life I went for one of my routine check ups at ENT, they found another lump in my neck so i had to have an ultrasound with biopsy which is fine needle asperation. The ultrasound showed up three nodules, two in my neck and one near the original tumour. Because of my scar tissue and radiotherapy damage the biopsy was intensely painful and unfortunately there weren’t enough cells to make a diagnosis of cancer or not so I had to wait another two weeks for an MRI. The conclusion was that the three nodules are too small to remove at this stage, they don‘t know if my cancer is back or not so I have to wait to see if the nodules grow. It is the most daunting and scary feeling being told that cancer could be in your face and neck but its too small to cut out so wait to see if its grown bigger then we can take it out. You feel like a ticking time bomb, just waiting, I want them out now, I can’t stand the thought that maybe my cancer is back and nothing can be done until it grows.

I only get benefit to pay everything and now I can’t pay the mortgage and my home will be repossessed. I am a proud person and it has taken a lot for me to do this but I am desperate now as I really don’ t know what else I can do to pay my mortgage. My house is for sale and I have even lowered the price to encourage a sale but as yet I have not managed to sell.

Please, please will you help me to get the money to pay my mortgage to keep a roof over my head, I have worked all of my life until I became ill and I love my home, I really don’t want to lose my home and become homeless. I know a lot of people are in the same boat but I really need your help, please, I really can’t cope with all this stress plus trying to heal a broken heart.