Meet Charlie, a 38-year-old from the U.K., who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This came as a huge shock to Charlie, as she had no health issues and was a lover of sports and all things exercise, even playing in a national league for hockey before becoming ill with pancreatic cancer. She shares her journey with pancreatic cancer by explaining the progression of her symptoms, which started with a loss of appetite and pains in her abdomen.
She initially blamed these symptoms on stress but said she grew more concerned about her symptoms when the doctors began questioning her, asking how long they had been going on. She was told it could be cancer, and soon enough, a CT scan and ultrasound revealed it was, in fact, pancreatic cancer. She was told her case of cancer and the fact that it had spread to her liver meant that she was not a candidate for surgery. Her treatment options were minimal, and they warned her of the aggressiveness of the chemotherapy they’d be treating her with, warning her of damaging her fertility without time to freeze eggs.
As a mother of a young baby and going through treatments for her pancreatic cancer, Charlie is fighting strong. She discusses her decision to shave her head due to losing it from the chemotherapy anyway and how that has built a sense of community for her, explaining her friends have shaved their heads as well and how people on social media have followed suit in honor of her. She emphasizes the importance of talking to others about her cancer journey and believes other patients should do the same. She shares her insights and advice on navigating cancer as a new mom and new patient in this episode of the Project Purple Podcast.
You can follow along with Charlie’s journey on her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/charlie_andersonread/
