Cancer is killing me please help me live as long as I can!!!

Hi my name is Shantelle and I am living with secondary metastatic breast cancer. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 aged 28 years old. As a young mum with 3 children our entire world was turned upside down. We was immediately thrown into the terrifying conveyor belt system of being a cancer patient and not having a clue if the decisions we had to make in regards to my health and treatment were the right ones. Taking oncology advice, at the same time fearing for my life and what the future may hold, whilst hoping for the best, praying and doing anything in my power so that I will live to see my children grow up! The journey has been a rollercoaster and a long road. I wanted to start this page to help raise money for alternative medicine and to alleviate some of the pressure and stress I am facing being unable to work anymore due to harsh treatment and my body continually deteriorating as the cancer continues to grow and spread throughout my body. There are also many hidden costs while receiving treatment that a lot of people may not know about. Any help, little or large would be greatly appreciated. Some of the treatments available to me will be life-long and involves huge dietary and lifestyle changes. If I can raise funds it will help relieve some pressure and allow me to deal with the harsh reality of putting in place funeral arrangements and help my children put together deposits for accommodation once I’m no longer around. They unfortunately are going to have to move out of their family home at the worst time in their life and it breaks my heart even just thinking about it!!!

My journey after diagnosis started immediately with chemotherapy, a left breast mastectomy followed by radiotherapy. Returning back to work as an NHS worker I thought the whole ordeal could be put behind us and life could return to some sort of normality. However, I was soon to be disappointed as the cancer had metastasised within the year and come back to the chest sturnam bone. At this point I was told the cancer was incurable and the treatment plan from there on out was to try and slow down further spread. All I heard was the words ‘terminal’! How could that be? Life since then has been regular staging scans, hormone therapy, blood tests and pain relief. As the years have gone by the cancer has slowly spread at different intervals. I had a second mastectomy, more radiotherapy. It spread to my spine and affected my mobility, putting me in a wheelchair and having to use walking aids. My vertebrae collapsed and I had to have x2 nerve block procedures and a vertebraeplasty having to travel to Birmingham for this surgery. I have progressed through multiple different hormonal treatments and oral chemotherapy drugs. As a result I’ve since developed osteoporosis, infective encarditis and lymphoedema. October 2024 I suddenly was unable to walk again. A scan showed that I had numerous fractures at the bottom of my spine and I ended up having further surgery, a sacristy and another double nerve block at Birmingham Orthopaedic Hospital. Alongside a three month admission to Loros Hospice. They treated me for pain management and helped me with daily care as I couldn’t dress myself and I needed to rehabilitate learning to walk again with my aids and slowly try and take care of myself once my body started healing from the surgery. Not once have I given up hope and I continue to remain mentally strong and positive. The cancer has recently progressed into the liver and lungs and we had the unfortunate news that I may only have 12 months left to live last year. The oncologist started me on Paclitaxel intravenous chemotherapy in which is administered once a week. The chemotherapy didn’t work hence why I ended up in surgery. The tumours are still continuing to grow in size. Last month I was admitted to hospital again because I was having breathing problems. It turns out that the lung cancer has made all my lymph nodes inflamed. I now have lymphangitis and a pleural effusion which is fluid in the lungs. I have been put on oxygen at home which has been extremely difficult to deal with. I have awful anxiety and my health deteriorating has affected everyone around me. They can see that I no longer have the same strength that I used to have. Getting up the stairs is real hard work and I struggle to breathe. I try and keep myself as healthy as possible by taking vitamins and natural supplements. I take sea moss, soursop drops, soursop tea leaves, salvestrals and shilajit. I juice fruits and vegetables every day to help boost my immune system. I refuse to sit back and watch life whittle away. The goal is to seek treatments that are available but natural. Look into health and wellness clinics. Also to financially help towards the cost of cancer related items as I cannot work and I will need a lot of care as my body continues to deteriorate. I regularly have to spend money on my vitamins and whole foods to keep my immune system as strong as possible. Our family would be so appreciative at any donation if anybody is kind enough to hear our story and want to help. We will continue to fight and support each other as a family . I refuse to give up the fight! If it’s Gods plan that my time is coming to an end then I hope that I can continue to make some special memories with my babies. They are my world and my motivation and I am honestly so blessed and grateful to have been chosen to birth them I am one proud momma. They have grown up having to be my carers by default, it has shaped them into such caring, respectful, resilient, compassionate and courageous individuals. They have seen me at my worst and loved me unconditionally. Kind regards to all that are reading my cancer journey it really means a lot to me. Please continue to follow my story on instagram and facebook. I feel it is important to raise awareness about secondary breast cancer. In our family we share all news and discuss any topic…no subject is taboo. That is why we are so close and supportive to one another. It is a harsh reality that we have had to live with for over 10 years now and I can honestly say I am proud of us all for making it through all the pain and heartache. I have been able to strive to survive remain a positive person because I feel so loved and blessed. I have lost many friends over the years to this awful disease but for some reason I have never doubted that I wouldn’t watch my kids grow up because I fully believed it in my soul thank you for taking the time to read my story, please continue to share it and please support the cause in any way you can. Xxx