Lauren - 13 years old

I find it hard to show my true feelings of how sad and frightened I am to mum so it definitely helps me to have friend and teachers (trust me sometimes they do help) to talk to

When I was 6 years old my mum suffered with breast cancer, at only 36. it came very surprisingly to all of my family at this young age, I did not quite understand what was going on and why I kept hearing my brothers at the time (12 and 14) said things like is my mum going to pass away). I honestly thought it was just a little bit of the flu and she had to keep getting it checked. She had chemotherapy which made her hair fall out she got it all shaved off and I didn't understand, I was so confused and scared, there was such a mix of emotions after an operation to take out the cancerous lymph nodes. And then she repeated some monthly chemotherapy and check up after check up she finally got the all clear...

Breast cancer has to be checked up till the 10 year mark - it has been cleared for six.

Now December 2016, now 13, I am telling you this because the monsterous disease has returned.

I was told last month that my mum had been going repetitively to doctors/hospital appointments about problems eating certain foods. Constantly telling doctors that something is up for nearly a year now and nothing had been done. After going to a private health care doctor she had been told there is a possibility for osophagus or stomach cancer, getting the referrral she needed she went back to her GP and they started doing tests to see what's going on.

I got told once they knew exactly what was happening, I had just been at school on a Monday and come home and my mum walk in my Grandmas living room and said to her 'it's back!' When I heard those words my heart starting races and I burst into a flood of tears. She said to me 'Lauren it's not in my breast this time it's in my stomach. I didn't know what to do or say but cry with sadness

Once I got home I called my best friend and said to her what had happened and she tries to comfort me but it wasn't easy for her to understand my situation as she hasn't been in it. I walked with a fake smile on my face into school and walked though the class room door and ran and cried into her arms.

I find it hard to show my true feelings of how sad and frightened I am to mum so it definitely helps me to have friend and teachers (trust me sometimes they do help) to talk to, the hard part is to come after Christmas, she starts chemotherapy and then gets her whole stomach removed and then more chemotherapy so just waiting now. Thank you for reading this because it was a hard thing to write. I hope and pray for anyone with family members out there who are going through hard times like this, - good luck

Page updated 12 December 2016