BRAVE ELISE TELLS OF HER CANCER BATTLE
Elise on her initial symptoms
I’ve always been the one wrapping up when I’m cold at night, but terrible night sweats left me feeling like I’d jumped in a pool.
I lost four stone in four months. I thought I lost all the weight thanks to a new diet but obviously, looking back, it was more extreme than that.
I woke up one Saturday morning and I couldn’t breathe. I was really frightened so I took myself off to A&E.
I thought I’d broken my rib because I had this sharp pain when I breathed. The doctors said it could be pneumonia but two days later I was diagnosed with cancer. terwards.
And I was fatigued – but luckily I love sleeping.
I still get the strangest cravings for Snickers, Smarties, chip shop chips, ham sandw iches , those little I’d never even been in hospital before. sausage rolls
As the doctor came in to tell me the you get at news, I was packing my bag ready to C h r i s t ma s go. and cook in
I felt bad for the doctor because he the oven, looked sad and told me: “We found a and Coca large mass on your lung.” I didn’t Cola.even know much about cancer before this. Wa te r
My first thoughts were “I’m going to tastes like die.” I was in shock. I’m not a smoker, chemicals. I’m young, I’m healthy, I don’t do drugs, so why me?
What have I done to deserve this? I also felt guilty thinking about my poor parents and boyfriend. I didn’t want to put them through it.
Elise on being told she had cancer Elise on starting her chemotherapy
I won’t lie, my first chemotherapy treatment was pretty rough.
I had nausea and diarrhoea. I had a sore mouth for three or four days af-
Elise on the tumour in her chest
I decided to name it “Donald” as in Donald Trump – one big ugly, useless mass that is good at one thing: hurting people.
Elise on setting up the blog during her treatment
I set up the blog because I just wanted to address the elephant in the room. It was really important to me because it felt empowering and it gave me a voice.
People w e r e shocked when they read about it all.
They couldn’t believe that in the blog I was laughing and joking about it but I just said if you don ’ t laugh you cry.
Elise on getting better
I had a PET scan where they inject sugar into your system.
They then lie you down in a big scanner and you stay very still for around 25 minutes.
It sounds easy, but believe me when your nose is itching and there’s a hair in your mouth it becomes almost mind-bending.
As I lay there I began to think about almost everything, about whether the machine has a camera and the doctors were all laughing at my double chin, and bacon sarnies (I was hungry, you’re not allowed to eat for six hours before these scans and I was on steroids).
I thought about my best friends Amanda, Laura and Lauren because we are well overdue a night out – should I wear my wig or rock the bald?
I also then realised how easy it was to breathe.
Before, when I tried to lie on my back and breathe, it felt as if I had a full-grown adult sat on my chest.
I waited anxiously for my results, because although I had a feeling my cancer was gone, your mind decides to wind you up.
What if, despite the chemothera-