"Thanks to my diagnosis, I feel I have finally started living." - Nadia's story

After overcoming breast cancer in 2019, Emergency Medical Advisor Nadia Wallace thought that life couldn’t throw anymore at her. But on 31 October 2022, Nadia was diagnosed with incurable stage four secondary breast cancer which had spread to her liver and bone. Being told you have terminal cancer would send anyone’s world into meltdown but for Nadia, her diagnosis has made her appreciate life just that little bit more.

Nadia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2019. She said: “I had nine months of hormone therapy to shrink my tumour as it was already 20 centimetres - my own fault for not checking my boobs, but being a larger chested lady, I genuinely hadn’t noticed. After the therapy I had a mastectomy and full lymph node clearance, removing 32 nodes - 29 of those were affected by the cancer. I had sepsis following my surgery, then started chemotherapy in January 2020, followed by radiotherapy in May. I managed to catch COVID-19 three times during my treatment. So, all in all, it was a rough time.”

Following a challenging year, Nadia managed to get back on track. She started working at NWAS as an agency staff member in September 2021 and became a fully-fledged member in April 2022. Just six months later, life threw another curve ball at her.

Nadia had been off work due to experiencing dizziness following her fourth bout of COVID-19. She explained: “Initially my dizziness was put down to possible long COVID-19 or labyrinthitis. It was only when I had routine blood tests they found my liver function was awful and more tests were ordered. On 31 October 2022, my results came back and showed I had secondary breast cancer which had spread to my liver and bone, so stage four - treatable but incurable. Upon a CT scan, it was discovered that my entire skeletal system was affected by the cancer.”

Receiving a terminal diagnosis would be hard to handle for many people. For Nadia, it’s just another hurdle she was not going to let get her down. She explained: “Thanks to my diagnosis, I feel I have finally started living. We go through life dealing with whatever comes our way but never actually stop and take stock of things until we’re forced to. In the past year, I’ve done a lot of travelling around the UK, seeing places I’ve always wanted to see, such as the Kelpies in Falkirk. I have been twice in 12 months and will be going back as it’s my happy place. I’ve reduced my working hours massively and have been spending a lot more time with my family making memories.”

A cancer diagnosis not only affects the patient but also their whole family. Nadia has six children and five grandchildren, and her family have found it difficult. She explained: “My family initially really struggled with my diagnosis. When you’re told you have stage four cancer the initial response is to panic and think you are about to die, but people don’t realise you can live for years with stage four sometimes, on the right treatment.”

In between travelling and spending time with her family, Nadia is undergoing treatment and physiotherapy all whilst continuing to work three days a week. She said: “I am on oral chemotherapy which I take at home, two weeks on, two weeks off. Recent scans have all been stable so all good so far. Mentally, I have good days and bad days but I’m coping as I have a large family who are incredibly supportive, and also my NWAS family of course. My work colleagues have been a huge support to me over the past year since my re-diagnosis. From helping me order a special chair, to reducing my hours and being so understanding when I’ve had off days. Even my supervisors and team leader just being there at times for me to have a whinge about family life, treatment and more.”

She added: “In October, some of my colleagues even joined me, two of my daughters and my grandson on the annual sponsored “Walk the Lights” in Blackpool. It raises funds for Rosemere Cancer Centre at Royal Preston Hospital where I receive all my treatments. That was great fun, a bit of a hard slog but their company and support kept me going to the end in a respectable time of two hours and thirty minutes.”

Nadia’s positive outlook on her diagnosis has inspired many of her colleagues, friends and family and for anyone who is currently battling cancer, Nadia has some advice: “Live each day as if it’s your last. Do what makes you happy. I could sit at home, staring at the four walls being miserable but where would that get me? Will it make this horrible diagnosis go away? Of course not, so I just carry on doing what makes me happy. Work is my little break away from the madness that is my life, which incidentally, I wouldn’t have any other way!”