Teens Unite Fighting Cancer

Teens Unite Fighting Cancer is dedicated to improving the lives of young people aged between 13-24 with cancer and life limiting illnesses.

Thursday 22 September 2016

Do You Know The Symptoms?

 
This post is from teen Emma's inspirational blog http://emmalouisedunn.blogspot.co.uk/
 
DYKTS

"The title of this post is self explanatory and it may not appeal to you in any way but if you don't know or are unaware of some/all the symptoms of cancer then I urge you to read on.
 
I have teamed up with CATS to create this post highlighting the main symptoms of cancer... CATS is dedicated to promoting awareness and early diagnosis of cancers in young people. Whether it's events, fundraisers or talks they're here so that teenagers and young people know what signs to look for and when to go and get themselves checked, potentially saving lives. I'll leave their links below, please check them out! 
 
Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS

 

 

 

 
The chances of getting cancer at a young age are considered slim, but it happened to me and I was just your normal healthy eleven year old, so how slim must the chances be? If cancer in young people is considered uncommon then why is it the second leading cause of death in children? Before I was diagnosed, I had no clue what the symptoms for cancer were because like every other person, why should I know? You don't ever think that it is going to happen to you and lets be honest, at eleven years old I was blissfully unaware of what cancer was and until I was diagnosed, even my family members and many other people around me were totally unaware of childhood cancer.
 
I have decided to write a list of the symptoms that I have personally experienced, symptoms my friends have experienced and also researched symptoms that other people may experience - the more knowledge the better and with the help of CATS, who have kindly emailed over some of these super cool awareness posters I hope that these help raise awareness and may help you spot they key signs...

 

 
Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS

Becoming more breathless than usual - (I shamefully hold my hands up to this, although I do now have the equivalent to maybe just over half, maybe 3/4 of a lung that's cancer free) but this isn't any ordinary breathlessness like walking up a flight of stairs etc that should cause any concern... by breathlessness, I'm talking about walking down the road for a minute then having to stop and sit down because it feels as though you've been walking forever and like your whole body is about to collapse, or getting extremely breathless even trying to hold a conversation with someone for longer than a minute or so... Not being able to stand up in the shower for longer than 5 minutes without feeling exhausted or lightheaded. These are just a few of the symptoms that I experienced and at first I put it down to laziness, I don't exercise and due to my other illnesses I don't tend to leave the house very much, but I soon realised these symptoms weren't normal.

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


  Easily bruising on the skin - I personally didn't experience this symptom, but many people with cancers such as leukaemia do. My best friend did, in fact I remember her telling me a story about her being her usual clumsy self and walking into a door handle and she didn't think anything of it at the time, but later that evening when she got ready for bed the bruise that had appeared on her skin was that of one that would usually appear after an incident similar to being kicked by a horse or something of that severity!
Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Extreme tiredness - This one ties in well with breathlessness and was amongst one of the side effects that I had experienced with my lung metastasis. I'm pretty sure everyone feels tired, especially around their teenage years. I'd be up all night tossing and turning, and still be getting up early for education/work but extreme tiredness is a whole new level. I would wake up for college at around 8am and afterwards go straight back home at around 3pm for a three/four hour sleep roughly waking up between 6:30 and 7:30pm. It felt like I was hardly getting any sleep at all, when the truth was, I was getting in any extra hours I could...

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Changes to moles - It is always important to check moles in the sense of size, colour and if they start to itch, feel hard or lumpy or the skin becomes to feel dry or scaly, the mole changes in shape, or starts to ooze or bleed then it's best to get checked out.

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Lumps, bumps and swellings - This symptom was amongst the first that I experienced, my right femur was swollen and it was very visible too. It is always extremely important to check your body every couple of weeks, if there are any signs of lumps, bumps or swellings then it is a lot safer to go and get it checked out, just to be sure.

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Bleeding - This isn't a comfortable situation for anyone to talk about but it is extremely important... if you find blood in your urine or poo (sorry to be so gruesome, but honesty is the best policy) then please make sure to get it checked out!

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Constant headaches and dizziness - Our generation spend the majority of our times on technology, whether it be a computer whilst we are at education or work, to checking our phones every two minutes to see if we have any new notifications - I hold my hand up to this, I am totally guilty! But if constant headaches and migraines are affecting the way you live your daily life, then it is ideal to get them checked out, it could mean that you need glasses, but it's always better to get checked out.

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Sudden weight loss Small weight changes over time are quite normal, but if you lose a noticeable amount of weight without trying to, always seek advice. I remember losing almost half a stone in just a few weeks before being re-diagnosed with cancer in my lungs and I'm not gonna lie, it felt absolutely amazing... Until I realised that it was a symptom of cancer. 
Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS

Night sweats - This was a symptom that I only actually realised I suffered with recently, I didn't think anything of it at the time of my diagnosis because my bedroom was in the loft and summer was fast approaching but I would wake up several times in the night absolutely soaking with sweat - ew! This is actually really common, and could be nothing but if you are experiencing this, get it checked out!
Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


Unexplainable pain - This can be an usual pain that occurs out of nowhere and doesn't seem to ease with painkillers that are taken. Amongst swelling this was another major symptom that I experienced, the pain that I endured was mainly during the night and felt like severe growing pains... As I was only eleven at diagnosis, I was fobbed off by hospitals, and doctors for months who refused to take me or my mum seriously.  Painkillers did nothing for this pain and eventually it prevented me from being able to walk properly, and once I was diagnosed my consultant warned my mum that if I hadn't been to the hospital that day and carried on weight baring for a few days longer that my leg would've snapped as the tumour had grown out of my bone and was also eating away at the muscle and surrounding tissues! (TMI and super gross, I know but this is why posts like these are super important, it could save a limb.. or a life)

Do You Know The Symptoms? - CATS


 
There you have the top symptoms of cancer, this post was in no way made to try and freak you out.. suffering from one or more of these symptoms does NOT automatically means that you've got the "dreaded C" I just want to raise awareness and inform people of the most common symptoms as it is always good to be well aware and after all, we know our bodies better than any doctors... If you feel like something isn't right then please don't refer to Dr. Google but instead book in with your local GP and have a chat. If you have read up until this stage of the post, then thank you, thank you, thank you and I can only hope that by reading this that you have learnt something new to take away with you. Before you go, I'd love it if you could leave a comment - if you're a fellow blogger then drop me your link below and I'll be sure to check you out.

 

 
It'd mean the absolute world to both me and the amazing people at @TheCATSCampaign if you could share this post on any of your favourite social media sites and help raise awareness of the top 10 cancer symptoms and also highlight that cancer affects children and young people too! If you would like to get involved, you can share the pictures included in this post, or contact CATS personally where they will be more than happy to email over some of their amazing work so that you can help raise awareness!

 

Happy Friday my lovelies, I hope you all have a lovely weekend whatever you have planned! I think I'm going to spend the weekend catching up on some much needed rest after so many sleepless nights on steroids and hopefully see my little brother and sister...
What do you have planned?"
Do You Know The Symptoms?
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Wednesday 21 September 2016

All about chemotherapy...

Blog post written by teen Amy, from her blog http://fromfightertosurvivor.blogspot.co.uk/
 
"I was thinking that some of you may not actually know what happens when you go to receive the infusion of chemotherapy or what its like, so I thought I would hopefully shed a little light!
 
The room itself is basically a massive room split into 3 sections with a little side room. The rooms are filled with snazzy green armchairs each with a pump next to the chair. The sections are called bays, and 2 or 3 nurses are in charge of the 6 or so patients in that bay. The little side room has a TV in it and a bed like they have at the doctors surgery.
 
On the day you sign it at reception and go down to Room 10 (chemo room)the nurses tell you which bay you're in and then you wait, sometimes for 10 minutes sometimes for 5 hours! The room has volunteers who make tea and coffee, lunches and even massages so there is ways to pass the time while you're waiting.
 
The chemo its self is given through a vein, so will either use a line, post or a cannula. They always run a bag of saline along with the chemo too. Depending on the chemo you have will depend on pre meds. For the ABVD I had bags on anti sickness before the chemo could start and the same with the ICE, for this current chemo they literally go straight for the drug, there is no pre meds.
 
The timing chemo takes depends again on the chemo you receive, ABVD took around 5 hours and was done as an outpatient in the chemo room, ICE was give over 5 days as an inpatient on the ward, and Brent is given over 30 minutes as an outpatient.
 
The nurses are fab and check on you every 5 minutes and do their best to stop any side effect or anxiety and make you as comfy as possible for the duration of time you're there.
 
After the infusion, you more than often have to wait for pharmacy to give you the meds to take at home after chemo, and book yourself in for bloods, clinics and the next round of chemo!
 
It isn't a particularly nice thing to have to do but as chemo goes on you really do get used to it and becomes part of your new life!"
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Friday 9 September 2016

Teens Unite Activity Stay

 
 
We are still reminiscing about our incredible Teens Unite Activity Stay which took place at Mill Hill school in August.
 
Watch the amazing video below, captured by Lawrence Essex to catch up on the highlights...
 
 
We were so overwhelmed with the wonderful feedback which we received from so many of the young people who attended. In case you missed it or you are you are interested in attending next year's stay, but would like to hear a bit more about it first. Then take a read of some of the inspirational messages below...
 












 



 
 


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Monday 5 September 2016

Highs and Lows

Blog post written by Katie-Lily Bryant from her blog http://katielilyxo.tumblr.com/
 
"I haven’t wrote in too long, I am sorry. This is for many many reasons. 
1) I have a lot of good things happening and I’ve been super busy
2) I have also had some crappy stuff happen and come to light 
3) I feel like no one would want to read this anymore?
 
So to start on a positive note...
 
THE HIGHS
Lots of brilliant opportunities and things have come up. I have got myself a job! I am now working in an department store in Farnham called Elphicks. I am doing Saturdays, however am doing a lot of extra shifts up to September( keeps me occupied and more money in my purse!!) This is really exciting for me as I have to interact with customers being a sales assistant, which is really helping with my anxiety. I also am floating at the moment so am working on different departments every week! At first this seemed a daunting task as its completely out my comfort zone, but I am really enjoying meeting new people and being able to work in lots of different areas. 
College is slowly rearing  it’s head which is nerve-wrecking but also very exciting! It will be great to go back to education and learn and study something I am so passionate about, makeup! It will be a new start for me, I need something fresh and new which will excite me and motivate me. I think this course and college will be excellent. I am soon going to be ordering my kit and necessarys, which comes to over £700!!! (sorry mum!) 
 
THE LOWS
I won’t talk about the lows for much as I want my blog to be as cheery as possible, but also being REAL! Everyone goes through bad patches and this is mine. My anxiety is bad like no other at the moment, all my medication has been changed and changed again, which caused complications! My anxiety at work is actually OK! I am enjoying talking to customers and colleagues and getting to everybody! It is more when I am at home or by myself thoughts and my anxiety come. Also something which is old news to me has recently became new news to people close to me, as stuff has come to light. I am not ready to talk about it and maybe I never will (as I keep my blog raw and true but sometimes things need to kept to myself.) I have had a few meetings/sessions with CAMHS and other organisations, so hopefully things will get easier for me. 
 
——–
 
Today I went on a bike ride! This was my first proper (well not proper but proper to me) exercise since before I ill! It killed me, I was sweating, Feeling so ill and I only was 2 minutes down the road! But seriously, just something as little as that really affects me for days after! There were so many times when I was close to tears, or cried and would of turned back. But I had my mum. She waited with me when I needed a break (which was very often), kept behind me at my pace, didn’t pressure me into going further/faster. By the end we (me paul and mum) did about 3 miles! I WAS SO PROUD!! I had the tear halfway through as I felt terrible, I felt a failure. I am a 16 year old and I am struggling to do this. I compare myself to friends who go the gym, walk around town, to the shops, play sports without a worry. Of course they will sweat and get tired. Its the little things like that which get to me, things that I used too, as pretty much everyone does, takes advantage of. We ride a bike, walk to town, play a sport without really thinking. Things like that I cant do right now and probably won’t for another year or so. But aslong as I remember how far I have come, What my body has been through and tomorrow, or in two years time, I will do normal things that I used to be able to do and I will feel more like a normal teenager then everything will be ok. Sometimes we all need to stop focusing on how we are going to get there, but the steps we have already made to get to where we are today, stay positive and keep smiling xx 

Lots of Love Katie-Lily xxxxx"
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