This time last year I was going through tests to try and identify what the lump in my neck was. Never did I think that at 26 years old I would be diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. Only 1 in 20 neck lumps are cancerous.

Recently, I have suddenly realised the severity of what I went through last year. 2020 was rough for us all. Yet as well as a Pandemic to deal with, I had cancer. 

I chose to keep my diagnosis relatively private, with only close friends and family knowing. Back then I thought this was because I didn’t want the attention of everyone knowing. But now I realise it was because I didn’t want it to be true. I think for most of last year I was numb to what was going on. 

The physical impact the cancer has had on me is hard for others to understand. It is so much more than just a scar. My neck will never look or feel the same again. I get constant swelling if I do just slightly ‘too much’, I have a lack of movement in turning my head and potentially permanent nerve damage, to name a few! My energy levels are limited and I get bouts of exhaustion because of the medication that I now have to take everyday for the rest of my life. Let alone the physiological impact of unknowingly having cancer growing in your body without realising.

It has impacted my job, and potentially other jobs I will go for in the future. As a performer we all know how important our appearance is to us. Not only that, the consequences of two operations on your neck, so close to your windpipe and vocal cords that I easily strain and suffer with air hunger.

At the time I was informed of the risk of the operations. I was potentially going to wake up with a changed voice or not even a voice at all! Luckily (or unluckily for my boyfriend and family haha) I spoke! Yet I have lost the higher range in my voice, so any singing voice I did have is now gone. I also can no longer project my voice as I used to, so microphones and voice amplifiers are now my best friends. 

All of these things I have to learn to live with.

After two operations (one of which in Lockdown, when no visitors were allowed in hospitals- horrific) and Radioactive Iodine Treatment I got the all clear in October 2020.

The recovery process was hard, very hard. When you can’t lift your own head off the pillow without help its pretty grim. Still to this day I look in the mirror, or even on video calls and the first thing I see is my scar. People can say ‘its not that bad’, ‘you’re still beautiful’. But it wasn’t there before so it’s hard for me not to see it. But hey at least I am ready for Halloween #Frankenstein.

I couldn’t of got through all of this without my family, friends and lovely boyfriend. The thoughtful gifts, lovely cards and kind words made it much more manageable. And humour! Sometimes you have to just laugh!

I am doing this challenge to raise awareness of this small but special charity. They helped me a lot when first diagnosed in understanding what I had and what was going to happen next. Their ‘Buddy’ system put me in touch with other Thyroid Cancer suffers and survivors which helped me no end in coming to terms with it- Even though for weeks I couldn’t actually say ‘I have cancer’.

I totally understand the Pandemic has bought hardship to many people (believe me I got NO help from Government schemes or benefits, so I feel your pain) so people please give whatever you can.

So I will be running 5K a day in February. That’s 140 km, or 87 miles, or 153,120 yards, or 459,360 feet, or 5,512,320 inches- Ouch!

My final run will be on 28th February. Exactly a year to the day of my first operation to remove the 4x4cm cancerous tumour growing in my thyroid gland.