How Cancer Ruined and Blessed My Life at 22

Twenty-two is such a strange age to get cancer

Twenty-two is such a strange age to get cancer, isn’t it? However, looking back now, I couldn’t think of a better age for me to have dealt with a life-threatening disease. If you’re going through something excruciating right now, babe, I want to tell you to trust that it’s supposed to be in your life.

I was almost twenty-three years old, sitting on the other end of the phone from a doctor who was almost not going to bother running tests because I was “so healthy.” Can you believe that? He told me it was cancer. A late stage – but curable – blood cancer.

I felt stuck in this weird limbo, ladies. I was too young to have real wisdom under my belt, just like my friends who were trying their best to comfort me. Yet, I was too old to adopt the method of my youth and excitedly stay home from school to watch TV. So where does that leave one? Too young to look after me, but too old to just be mum’s baby girl.

I want to know, have you ever felt stuck in the middle like that? Where you have to grow up way too fast? Share your story in the comments below, gorgeous. Your experience might help another woman feel less alone.

When Life Interrupts Your Plans

I remember thinking: How dare cancer interrupts my social life. How dare it interrupt my progression. How dare it interrupt my relationships. How dare it interrupt my degree. How dare it interrupt my whole life!

But here is the truth, lovely. A disease like cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter your age, race, ability, gender, manner or your postcode. It will strip you raw. It will grind you in every way possible. But maybe though… maybe this is the point?

As the great Tony Robbins describes, “life happens for us, not to us”.

This is what I held on to when the nights got dark:

• There were so many moments I wanted to jump off the train when I was in a dark tunnel, but I had to learn to trust the driver.
• I had to learn to trust the universe.
• I had to learn to trust in something greater, that this was happening for me.
• To take me to where I am meant to be.
• To show me my way in life and to allow me to grow.

I am only 25 now and honestly, I wouldn’t know myself like I do if I didn’t endure this disease. I believe, like everything, that the lessons we need to learn in life come in a variety of ways. Experiences are never really “bad” unless we see them this way. Everything is neutral until we judge it differently.

It’s a massive game changer when you start to think this way, babe. If you really think about it, people who have been through hard things often say “it was the best thing that happened to me.” I didn’t believe such a cliché – not until I went through it myself.

Miracles After the Storm

I was told that I probably wouldn’t be able to have children after the strong chemotherapy. Imagine that. Before you even entertain the idea of recreating, you’re told you probably cannot. It was heartbreaking.

However, only months after chemo, my loving partner and I – who held space for me through my whole journey – conceived not one, but two baby girls! Our twins are now two years old. We would have never been ready for the ferocity and the deliciousness of our girls if we didn’t have all those lessons in the year prior. Counting our blessings daily is truer than true for us.

We love hearing about your miracles too! Have you ever recieved good news when you were expecting the worst? Let’s support each other – tell us about your blessings in the comments section!

Choosing Your Perspective

Using a mind frame of viewing everything as neutral – or at least teasing as much good as I can possibly see out of all situations – is imperative to my conscious way of living now. When I meet a challenge, I ask myself, “Why is this showing up for me?” and “What is it that I must take from this?”

This is what helps me to reduce overwhelm because if something is tough, I look at how much more tools I’ll have afterward. This is what helps me to know I am not a victim. In fact, I attract into my life all the challenges I need because they serve me. Therefore, if something is triggering me, I use that as a muse for an area I must need to work through.

I have a life now that I have consciously created because I know what can happen if I don’t live congruent to my values. Cancer showed me the path I am supposed to be on. I couldn’t think of a better age for me to have been dealt with the life-threatening disease.

I do not see it as a gift because I would not give it to you, but I am thankful every day for the blessing.

If you are going through something excruciatingly difficult right now, lovely, you need this. Ask yourself why… be so very open and the answers will come in perfect timing.

We Want to Hear From You!
Has a difficult struggle ever turned into your biggest lesson? Share your story in the comments below – your experience might be the exact thing another woman needs to read today. Let’s lift each other up!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get pregnant after chemotherapy?

Yes, it is definetly possible! While doctors often warn that chemotherapy can affect fertility, many women – like myself with my twin girls – go on to have healthy pregnancies. It feels like a miracle, but the body is resilient. Always chat with your specialist about your specific situation.

How do you shift your mindset during a serious illness?

It’s not easy, babe, but it starts with changing the narrative. Instead of asking “Why me?”, try asking “What is this teaching me?” Viewing challenges as things happening for you rather than to you helps transform the experience from one of victimhood to empowerment.

Is cancer at a young age common?

It feels rare when you’re the one going through it. While cancer is generally more common in older adults, it does affect young adults in their 20s. Being diagnosed young presents unique challenges regarding social life, education, and fertility, but as I learned, it can also offer profound life lessons way earlier than expected.