Taking Back What Cancer Took

Someone that means the world to me now, entered my life in 2016 and has really had such an amazing impact on my life and in my heart, she goes by Shiloh but her legal name is Blair, she is 26 years old and is suffering from stage three cancer and she is in pain everyday.

In 2015 she was given devastating news that her cancer had returned (After being in remission for approximately three years), at the time she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, that was spreading fast. She was placed on a treatment of chemotherapy at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (Joburg Gen) as she could not afford private treatment but has since moved to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital .

Even though she was on treatment, the cancer spread to the uterus and intestines and she was informed that she would need surgery but could not afford the costs, therefore continued treatment more frequently as she was informed that it could help in the meantime until such a time that she could raise funds.

One year ago (2016) the cancer had yet again spread to the stomach although it wasn't all bad news because the treatment seemed to be working as the other cancerous cells were slowly deteriorating, this was also around the time that we met.

Wednesday night (16.08.2017) she had a breakdown because everything just got a bit much for her. We received news, both good and bad, the amazing news was that she no longer has signs of cancer in the ovaries, the bad news is that there are signs of the cancer spreading into her right lung. Right now she has cancer in her uterus, stomach, intestines and now the right lung.

When i met Blair, she had beautiful long hair, but had to have it cut shorter into a style that would not show her hair loss as prominently. Right now, she still has hair but is slowly losing a little more each week.

Next week will be her last chemotherapy session for the next three months so her body has some time to try recuperate as the treatment has taken a lot of strain especially with the last two surgeries she has undergone.

The most recent surgery was to insert a radiation device into her body which could also, along with the chemotherapy, be the cause for the cancer in her ovaries no longer having signs of being present.

She's always so strong and trying to keep everyone happy, she barely leaves room for herself. She does not want for much, all she wants right now is to bring a little bit of light into her life by trying to boost her self-esteem. All the treatments and medication she has undergone has deteriorated her teeth, leaving her with a high lack of self-esteem as well as pain in her mouth.

In order to have her teeth fixed, she needs to have them all extracted and measurements to be done for dentures as they are well beyond repair. It would take a very lengthy period to get this process done at a government hospital. The most recent quote she got at Medicross was that it would be approximately R8 000.00 to extract all of her teeth and then another R8 500.00 for the dentures, this is excluding consultation costs and medication that would be needed.

Anything extra that she has left over is going to be kept aside for when her chemotherapy treatment is started again in three months, and at the same time she can try look into ozone therapy to help with the pain and swelling. This will help her not worry as much about where the money will come from for a short while, because every month, this is a battle. Unfortunately she cannot work at this period as the pain gets too much as well as the travelling each day would put an unnecessary toll on her body, right now the focus is to let her body rest and heal. She does try work when she can, on things that are not strenuous and require little to no travel.

Even if you cannot give a donation, just spreading her story can help.

I just want her to take back at least something that cancer has taken from her.

Thank you for taking the time to read her story.

With Love,
Daniella

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