Hi, my name is Beth. I am 21 years old, and was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma stage 2A at 17 years of age. At this time, I was in the midst of my A Levels, working hard, desperate to reach the University of my choice.
My world was shaken, priorities changed; I continued my schooling, with 6 hour days turning into 14 hours, as I balanced studying with treatment. It was gruelling, thought provoking and humbling, as I was forced to address the concept of death for the first time.
I am now three and a half years in remission, and so grateful for it. The months of 2015 were intense, and I recognise it is important to remember, and take from those experiences what I can. The harsh realisation is the avenue of the ‘making’ or ‘breaking’ you; Cancer relentlessly puts you in that position.
Now, I am regaining my health, my identity and enjoyments. It has been a slow process, beyond the perception that everything slots back into place once you have finished chemotherapy.
Teens Unite helped me to regain this enjoyment; I met people alike, when I felt so isolated and ‘against the odds’. Leanne, one of the other teens who they have supported, could relate to me - with living so close and being the same age. As a result, we could offload and understand.
Now, we have taken this experience, moulded it to become beneficial to others, so they can experience an ear to listen, the relatable friend, and comforting voice, by creating our own podcast - ‘The C-Pod’.
Teens Unite led to our friendship and our joint venture. The C-Pod discusses teenage Cancer - the unthinkable - in a conversational, honest tone, as it was our norm, and is now other’s norm too.
We have taken our experience and emotions to create a community of like-minded individuals, an environment Teens Unite first introduced us to, to discuss the realities, which few understand. Our conversations have always been real and raw, so it was time to record. Countless adolescents experience teenage Cancer, which we never knew. Now, its time to help those and their journey, for we benefitted from having a support network. We wish to help those to ‘see the other side’ and the after - because there is an after; to encourage those to listen, love, and to be part of the voice, because it can happen to any of us.
For C-Pod updates, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (@thecpodcast). You can listen to The C-Pod on YouTube, iTunes and Soundcloud.
To hear Beth talk about her diagnosis in more depth, please watch the video below:
