Help with Tara’s Cancer surgery

I have been through a very gruelling cancer treatment since last September and I am nearly there. I now need some important surgery that isn't available to me through the public health system. So I'm reaching out again to my community to help me through this next phase. I am so grateful for all the treatment I've received so far and that my body has responded to this difficult treatment and all the emotional upheavel that this cancer has brought with it. This has been such a challenging time and it is teaching me a lot. I have been very fortunate to have have such kind and loving friends around me who are an endless source of love and emotional support.

I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer back in August 2022. I had a very large tumour low down in my rectum, 7.8cm . I had been experiencing a lot of discomfort and pain the previous year especially although the doctors say that it was many years in the making. Needless to say this was shocking news. There's no history of this type of cancer in my family. I've always been an active person, served in the Army in my 20s, went on to study yoga and practice holistic massage. Working in the world of well-being and enjoying good health, I didn't expect to meet cancer at this age.

At the time of my diagnosis I was in Greece, my husband Thodoris is Greek, and I decided to launch into cancer treatment in Athens as there was a minimal wait for treatment. They were able to offer me radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy within a couple of weeks of my diagnosis through the public health system. I went through 18 sessions of radiotherapy, a gruesome experience, and after a break of a couple of months I went into chemotherapy. After 6 sessions of chemotherapy, also rather a gruesome experience, my scans have shown a moderate response to treatment. This means the tumour has shrunk a lot but it is still there. The prognosis is very good but I must have a surgery as soon as possible to remove the remaining tumour. Another complication was the discovery that some of the musin, the liquid the tumour produces, had travelled through into my vagina. This liquid disappeared after all this treatment although there is a pocket remaining between my rectum and vaginal wall. To remove this safely without letting the liquid spread and cause more trouble, the surgeon must also remove part of my vagina. This was a surprise! So I am now facing surgery to remove the lower part of my rectum and half of my vaginal wall. I will then have plastic surgery to reconstruct my vagina. There's a high possibility that the surgeon will also have to remove the elevator muscle in my rectum which would mean I would need a permanent colostomy bag. I am very fortunate to have found an experienced, specialist surgeon here in Athens who is able to use advanced techniques to give myself the best chance of keeping my bowel and bladder functions. Obviously my first priority is to get rid of the cancer for good and make sure I have many years ahead with my daughter Iris (she's 5 and a half now). My quality of life is also very important to me and this surgeon can hopefully help me to restore this.

I'm certainly not alone on this cancer journey. I've learnt that colorectal cancer is becoming more common in younger people whereas previously it mainly affected people over the age of 70. It's some comfort to me that this experience I'm going through may in the end help others. I will certainly be participating in any way I can to raising awareness of colorectal cancer once I'm on the road to recovery.

This next phase is dedicated to removing the last traces of the tumour and hopefully keeping a high quality of life. The surgery will be in 2 parts with chemotherapy in between. So the journey is not over! I still have a way to travel and I need all the help and support I can muster. So far I have had tonnes of help from my friends and family, near and far. Unfortunately I don't have the financial resources to cover this next phase myself. I continue to work as much as I can but will be facing another period of being offline during recovery and more chemotherapy. I have every faith that I will recover and be back on my feet again. In the meantime , thank you so much for your help. I couldn't do this without you!