Chelsea Ford
Started a blog after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of stomach cancer. The 23-year-old has become a top fundraiser for the Cancer Society, which holds its annual Daffodil Day appeal this Friday
I started writing a diary when I was diagnosed because I thought it would be a good way to reflect on everything. I contemplated publishing a blog but didn’t think anyone would be interested in what I had to say. But thoughts were racing through my head so I decided to just do it and see what happened. I posted it on social media and it kind of blew up. It was amazing to realise I could inspire others. Whether it’s cancer or whatever people wish to conquer, I hope my crazy journey can help them live the life they’ve always dreamed of. I was in my final year of studying to be a nurse. I’d had some blood tests done after a bout of tonsillitis and my doctor said I needed to go to hospital because I might have a stomach bleed. I didn’t think anything of it. I told all my friends I’d be back at uni in a week. Then they found it was cancer. All of a sudden my whole world flipped. It’s an extremely rare kind of cancer called gastroblastoma. I’m the first person in New Zealand to be diagnosed with it and the ninth in the world. People want to be there for you and that is so kind but when people were overly upset I felt like I was consoling them which was frustrating. Everyone wants to have their say . . . Chelsea Ford says she has big dreams and she won’t let cancer stop her from achieving them.
TV Listings
You’ve got mail
A pointless marketing study from Adobe suggests the most vexatious, yet commonly-used email phrases is “Not sure if you saw my last email”, typically used in follow-up messages, after initial attempts have fallen on deaf ears. True that.
Old term, new hashtags
A reader writes: “This week I have been foraging (blackberry picking), wild swimming (having a swim in the sea) and forest bathing (taking a woodland walk). It’s interesting how ordinary experiences enjoyed by my wartime-generation mother become romantically repackaged and resold to millennials.” The Guardian
Ill-timed pigeon shoot
Grant from Whangamata writes: “We were on holiday in Dumfries, Scotland, some years ago and the council were having a massive problem with pigeon poo. Their solution: eliminate the pigeons using shotguns. Problem was that this was carried out by council officers at 3pm as the children were coming out of school. Not a great solution and promptly discontinued.”
Strange names
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Morris Ford, Chris Cross and, incredible but true, Roland Butter.
At my husband’s primary school, there was a Pearl Diver.
Iris Chew was the postmaster’s wife.
As a teenager I knew a Cherry Ordchard.
My daughter went to high school with a girl called Phillipa Kettle. A school in Hamilton has on its roll twins Chaos and Havoc.
As a teacher, I have encountered many unusual names:
Casa Blanca, Monte Carlo, Flyriver and Dargaville, and siblings Heaven and Testify, Sincere, Earnest and Faith; and Destiny and Devine. Back in the early 1920s, my dad went to school in East London with a boy called Orson Carte. Once he grew up, he realised what a twisted sense of humour his parents must have had! Unworldly price too! An Auckland retailer advertising these ridiculously priced headphones and amplifier . . . no, not a typo.
New neighbours a buzz kill
“We have a problem with bees,” writes a reader. “A beekeeper has brought his work home and placed six beehives, housing thousands of bees, metres from our clothesline. The excrement mess is indescribable. The council says in a residential area we should expect insects. Well that’s a surprise, but thousands of bees? I know how to get rid of them but it is probably illegal. Any helpful suggestions?”
on it all. You have to take it with a grain of salt. I know that they’re trying to be nice and do the right thing but it’s my journey and I want to do it my way. I’ve stuck to my guns and people have respected that.
Honestly I have never asked my oncologist what will happen. I don’t want to know the statistics. I just want to keep fighting no matter what. I’ve already done six cycles of chemo and I have two to go by early November so the end goal is in sight. I’m just pushing towards that. I hope one day cancer will be a milestone I’ve overcome, not who I am or something I’m defined by. Yes it is. You get weird looks and comments like, “You’re too young to have cancer”. No one’s too young. I’ve met a few other girls my age through Canteen. We did Look Good Feel Better together which was amazing. Losing my hair was one of the scariest things for me. When my oncologist told me I burst into tears. It was definitely a shock at first but once I got used to it, it made me feel empowered. Now I’ve grown to love my bald head and I don’t care if people look at me funny.
Your stomach was surgically removed eight weeks ago. How does that affect you day to day?
I can only eat a cup of food per meal. I loved my food so that’s a big change. I have to be careful not to eat too much because everything drops straight into my intestines so I end up with my head down the toilet. I don’t feel hunger any more because I don’t have that trigger from my stomach so it takes the pleasure away. It’s almost like a chore. My dietitian said I need 1600 calories a day but I’m nowhere near that. I’ve lost a lot of weight. Definitely chemo! Surgery was a piece of cake in comparison. There’s no way you can understand how traumatic chemotherapy is until you have to do it. It’s like being hit by a bus. Being stuck in bed with all the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy. With chemo I run out of energy quickly and can’t do the things I could before. These days are the worst because I feel as if I’m sitting on the sideline watching everyone carry on life without me. But you learn that it’s just for now, it’s not forever. These days are rare but when I do have a good day, oh boy do I make the most of it.
A good day usually involves friends, laughter and good food. Otherwise a simple quiet day at home tends to suffice.
What has cancer taught you?
It’s not often that we get a chance to examine our lives; to rethink ways we’ve done things and make changes. Facing cancer has given me that chance. I used to worry so much about the little problems in life. It’s not until you go through something like this that you realise how silly that is. This journey has taught me that life is short and we have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Make the most of every day and cherish your life because it could change in a minute. The challenges I’ve faced have built my character and made me a stronger, brighter, more grateful person. I have big dreams and I refuse to let cancer stop me from achieving them.
You’ve become one of Auckland’s top fundraisers for Walking Stars. How much have you raised?
I’ve raised $10,000 for the Cancer Society so far. Signing up to walk a half marathon in November was a goal I set myself to work towards at the end of my treatment. The event is just a few weeks after I finish my final round of chemo. I’m a bit nervous about whether I will be able to step across the finish line, but my family [will] push me in a wheelchair for the last bit if I need. I want to give back to the Cancer Society for the phenomenal work they do.
This Friday is Daffodil Day. Why is this fundraiser so important?
Daffodil Day symbolises hope for New Zealanders affected by cancer. The Cancer Society is a nongovernment organisation that relies on public generosity to provide transport, accommodation, specialist nurse advise and psychological support services to people with cancer as well as research and advocacy. No one should have to face cancer alone and thanks to the Cancer Society they don’t have to.
Daffodil Day is this Friday. Donate at any ANZ branch or online at daffodilday.org.nz