Cancer survivor marks anniversary
Rhiannon fundraising for cancer-related organisations
I hope to get involved with as many fundraising opportunities throughout the year as possible. Rhiannon Nottage
Rhiannon Nottage has a special anniversary looming. May 7 will mark 10 years since her leukaemia diagnosis. She spent months in hospital, and lots of treatments afterwards, before getting the all-clear.
It was grim at times, both physically and mentally, but she persevered and tried to keep an optimistic approach, with a smile never far away.
The 24-year-old has never forgotten the numerous people and organisations that helped her, and continue to, over a long time.
With the milestone anniversary approaching, she’s doing various fundraising for cancer-related organisations.
Rhiannon has taken part in a Relay For Life, is planning a sausage sizzle outside her father’s WineCraft shop in Paraparaumu Beach, will be holding a bucket during CanTeen’s appeal day, and more.
“I hope to get involved with as many fundraising opportunities throughout the year as possible.”
Rhiannon was 14 when her life took an unexpected turn for the worse.
She had been getting various symptoms such as fatigue, depression, abnormal menstrual cycles, and random circular bruises on her legs.
Rhiannon expected to get a bit of a tan during a family holiday to Australia but didn’t, and then her legs became swollen.
Back home in Paraparaumu Beach she couldn’t lift a plate because she had no energy, and then started vomiting old blood.
A doctor felt she had the flu so she was given an anti-nausea injection but things got worse.
“I was still vomiting, my eyes were bleeding, I was yellow, and I couldn’t walk.”
She was taken by ambulance to Wellington Hospital and put into intensive care where tests revealed acute promyelocytic leukaemia, which is a rare sub-type of acute myeloid leukaemia.
“I was the first person on both sides of my family to get cancer. It was a random thing.”
Rhiannon was taken to Christchurch Hospital where she spent eight and a half months.
She had 70 intravenous doses of chemotherapy, 52 blood transfusions, 40 pills a day at certain times, and couldn’t walk for eight months because of necrosis in her legs.
Being with family and friends, community support, talking it through, and trying not to be alone too much, helped her try and maintain a positive mindset.
Before Rhiannon left to go home she was informed she was in remission which came as a suprise, she then found out she’d been in remission since the day after her first dose of chemo.
She’d spend years in and out of hospital for futher treatment and was given the all clear two years after finishing chemo and got her official cure five years after chemo.
Back home, Rhiannon expected life to “go back to normal” but it didn’t.
“I lost a lot of friends who didn’t understand what I was going through, and I was still on chemo for another two and a half years.
“I tried to go back to college but it didn’t really work so I took a year off, stuffed around, and tried to figure out who I was again.
“I had checkups every three months for bone marrow aspirations for 18 months and was still in and out of hospital a lot during that time while still on chemo.
“After a year and a half at home, I got my last line [port] removal.”
Not one to be idle, or question the point of living, she gained business and computing qualifications at a polytechnic, did an online animal care and canine psychology course, studied interior design, gained a level four barbering certificate, and helped run CanTeen support courses for fellow survivors.
Life wasn’t always easy though and she’s had struggles with getting help medically after chemo, with the side effects of losing her fertility, possibly going through menopause in her late 20s, and fatigue hasn’t helped either.
“Even two years ago I was a bit of a mess and wasn’t too sure where life was going.”
She admits it was tough to “find the light at the end of the tunnel” but “I definitely got there”.
“I own a house, I’m getting married next year, I have a 13-year-old stepson, a very good support network around me, and there’s so much to see and do.
“My family has been so important throughout especially my amazing mother Michelle.
“You’ve got to make the most of every single waking moment because you never know if it could be over tomorrow.”