A 37 year old woman was given a devastating prognosis of less than a year to live after being diagnosed with incurable breast cancer. Doctors informed Nicola Heart that the disease had spread to her bones, liver and lungs, advising her to seek hospice care.
However, almost five years since her diagnosis, she continues to battle the illness, living each day as it comes.
Nicola stated: “I thought my life was over. That turned out to be the furthest thing from the truth. I’ve had to learn to let go, accept what I can’t control, and embrace each moment as it comes. I had extensive bone metastases, my liver was incredibly painful, and my lungs were affected, making it hard to breathe. But the worst part was the pain – it was absolutely unbearable. Some days are harder than others, but I feel stronger than ever.”
Despite enduring years of aggressive treatments and setbacks, Nicola has refused to let cancer dictate her life. “After my first year of treatment, I felt strong enough to start walking and exercising again,” she said.
“I started making plans to travel with my son, taking him hiking through the jungles of Belize and Kauai. Those moments are when I feel most alive – being able to crawl through cave systems with him when just a couple of years ago I was told I had less than a year to live,” reports WalesOnline.
Nicola, who lost twins in 2018 and is now unable to have more children due to cancer, says her eight year old son is her greatest motivation. “He loves sports, and I love watching him play. He keeps me going,” she said.
“I’ve had to accept that I’m not in control of this disease. I live in the now.”
Nicola expressed: “I thought my life had come to an end, but that proved to be far from reality. I’ve learned to release control, accept the uncontrollable, and seize each moment as it arises. I experienced severe bone metastases, my liver was excruciatingly painful, and my lungs were impacted, making breathing difficult. However, the most unbearable aspect was the pain – it was utterly agonizing. While some days are more challenging than others, I currently feel more resilient than ever.”
Despite undergoing years of rigorous treatments and encountering numerous setbacks, Nicola has declined to let cancer govern her life. “Following my first year of treatment, I regained enough strength to resume walking and exercising,” she mentioned.
“I began planning trips with my son, exploring the jungles of Belize and Kauai with him. Those instances are when I feel most alive – having the ability to navigate cave systems with him, a feat I was told would be impossible just a couple of years prior when I was given a prognosis of less than a year to live.”
The past year has been especially challenging, with Nicola undergoing numerous procedures, including a port placement, liver biopsy, and bone marrow biopsy, as well as receiving countless blood transfusions. At one stage, her blood counts were so low that she couldn’t commence her chemotherapy.
“I’ve been in and out of the hospital, dealing with transfusion fevers and unbearable pain,” she revealed. “It’s been a whirlwind. I don’t even remember a lot of it.”
In November, Nicola shared a heart-wrenching update: she had reached the end of her medical options.
“I’ve been trying to navigate the fact that I have arrived at my last line of treatment,” she admitted. “The last few weeks have been extremely tough – dealing with chemo side effects and cancer pain.On top of that, it appears that I will lose my hair.”
“I’m angry. Losing my hair this late in the game feels really awful.I don’t want my son to remember me without hair. “
For years, Nicola has managed to keep her hair using Penguin Cold Caps, a technique designed to minimise hair loss caused by chemotherapy. But now, she faces the possibility of losing a part of herself.
“There are so many ‘cute wigs and short hairstyles’ – but no, that’s not me. When I look in the mirror, I won’t recognise myself,” she confessed.
Despite facing numerous challenges, Nicola, who’s now 41 years old, has encountered rays of hope along her journey. She began a novel therapy called Enhertu three months ago, and the improvement has been remarkable.
“My pain has gone away, the metastases in my lungs have disappeared, my liver is shrinking again, and my tumour markers are coming down,” she explained. “I went from being put on hospice to where I am today – able to do most of the things I want to do and not be in pain. “
Moreover, Nicola has been candid about the symptoms that prompted her original diagnosis, urging others to stay alert.
“My symptoms included nipple discharge, a sudden change in breast size, a lump in my armpit, changes in skin texture like dimpling, extreme weight loss without trying, sleeping 13 hours a day, and never being able to recover from a common cold,” she disclosed.
Despite the odds, Nicola remains unwavering in her combat with the disease, adapting to intravenous chemotherapy for the first time after prolonged periods of oral treatments. “This is all new to me.It gets dark, not going to lie. But I keep reminding myself that I’m going to get through this, and things will start looking up soon.”
