With every passing day in August 2021, Talitha Akamarmoi grew to become extra exhausted, for no obvious purpose.
The then-29-year-old was a full-time nurse and a mom to a few kids, Alori-Joh, then seven, Equipment, 5, and Kawhi, 18-months-old, with husband Eamonn, 30.
WATCH THE ABOVE VIDEO: Akamarmoi talks about her most cancers therapy.
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So she defined the power fatigue away as a symptom of her busyness lifestyle.
However Akamarmoi, who has been anaemic since she was a teen, had additionally began to note dramatic drops in her iron ranges.
“I used to be dropping iron lots sooner,” she tells 7Lifeincluding that she had, for years, been receiving iron infusions, which might usually final 12-18 months.
“I had an iron infusion after which 9 months later I used to be utterly depleted.
“I had one other infusion, then six months later I used to be depleted.
“Then it was three months, and I used to be depleted.
“I believed, ‘One thing else is happening right here’.”
With a household historical past of bowel most cancers behind her thoughts, Akamarmoi puzzled if this was the trigger.
She visited her physician, hoping to get a referral for a colonoscopy.
“(However) he did not suppose that was the route I ought to go down but,” she explains.
Akamarmoi, who occurs to work with a colorectal surgeon, turned to her colleague for a second opinion.
“I approached him, and he mentioned, ‘I feel it would not be a nasty thought to research and ensure there’s not one thing else occurring’,” she remembers.
“He thought possibly I used to be celiac or that I had IBS, mixed with being a vegetarian, that was inflicting the anemia.
“He was the one who inspired me to research it.”
Prognosis
In November 2021, Akamarmoi had a colonoscopy.
Regardless of bowel most cancers being on her radar, she by no means feared the process would lead to such a prognosis.
“I simply thought it was a mixture of some various things with my intestine that had been troubling me,” she says.
“I wasn’t actually frightened about what he (the physician) was going to seek out.
“I used to be reassured that he was in all probability going to seek out the reason for what was responsible for me so drained and so anaemic.”
Simply over an hour after the process, Akamarmoi acquired the outcomes.
A big ulcerated tumor was discovered excessive up in her ascending colon and had triggered bleeding, which resulted in anemia.
“It is cancerous, it is malignant,” the mum remembers being informed.
However the remaining is a blur to her.
“I burst into tears, however I solely cried very briefly, after which I finished – and the very first thing I mentioned was, ‘What about my infants?'” she remembers.
“I did not know my future, I used to be involved. Am I going to be there for them?”
A CT scan confirmed the most cancers had not metastasized, which means it had not unfold to different organs.
In December 2021, every week after her colonoscopy, she underwent surgical procedure to have the tumor, which was localized to the bowel, eliminated.
Together with the tumor, the precise half of her colon was additionally taken out, in addition to 48 lymph nodes that provided that a part of the bowel.
It was confirmed that the most cancers had unfold to 4 of the lymph nodes
Akamarmoi was given the prognosis of Stage three colorectal cancer.
Optimistic considering
A month earlier than her prognosis, the mum received into the ability of constructive considering, which she credit with serving to her deal with the shock.
“I feel if I hadn’t began doing that already, I might have had a really completely different response to my prognosis,” she says.
“I used to be frightened and unhappy, however extra in relation to my kids and the way it will have an effect on them.
“I used to be nervous and really frightened however I felt very constructive in regards to the journey.”
Akamarmoi turned her deal with being grateful that she had three wholesome and joyful kids.
“I used to be 29 and most of the people my age have simply began interested by having children, so they’d have had to consider egg assortment,” she says.
“I already had three children, so it wasn’t one thing I actually wanted to fret about. I am actually fortunate in that respect.
“I had a colorectal surgeon that I work with on a regular basis and he had my oncologist appointment already booked for me.
“I like to consider myself because the luckiest unfortunate particular person.”
Remedy
The mum underwent six months of chemotherapy, beginning in January 2022.
She had a hybrid type of chemotherapy, together with a mixture of IV and oral therapies.
“Just about the second I walked out of (having IV chemo), I might be actually sick for a full seven days,” she explains.
“After which I began taking oral chemo, and I might really feel a bit higher for the opposite two weeks within the cycle.”
Regardless of the unwanted effects, she was decided to battle via.
“I am fairly strong-willed, so after I set my thoughts to one thing, I will do it,” she says.
To guard her kids from seeing her in a sick and weakened state, her father and her husband helped drop and decide up their kids from day care.
“I feel that was actually essential that they did not should see me that manner,” she explains.
“That is what actually impacts them, particularly my daughter. She’s very empathetic – if I cry, she cries and panics lots.”
In July 2022, the mum was declared “NED” – having no proof of illness.
Akamarmoi took to Fb in November to commemorate one yr since she was identified with most cancers and celebrating all she has gone via.
“I’m amazed at what my physique has performed and the place I’m in the present day, NED, down 9kg because the finish of chemo, and on the highway to therapeutic my physique,” she wrote.
“Could not have performed it with out all my stunning family and friends. I’m without end grateful.
“It is solely becoming that I used to be working with my colorectal surgeon and my stunning workforce. You guys are the most effective.”
Elevating consciousness
Akamarmoi is sharing her story to lift consciousness for the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer.
“Blood in your stool, apparent change in bowel habits, unexplained weight reduction or swelling within the stomach,” she says.
“If in case you have any of these signs, go to your GP and get a colonoscopy.
“You do not have to take no for a solution. Advocate for your self.
“In the event you really feel that one thing’s not proper, then undoubtedly push to get it checked.”
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