In this blog, Racheal Oladimeji shares her experience of being diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer, how her faith has helped her and how she wants to address stigma associated with cancer and chemotherapy.
Diagnosis journey- Racheal arrived in the UK in 2023 with her husband, who was studying at university. The family moved from Nigeria to England so that her husband could complete his postgraduate studies. Racheal lives with her husband and her young son. She was working as a supported living assistant when she experienced symptoms of bleeding and pain. Prior to this, her health was good. The only time she had ever been to hospital was for the birth of her son. Racheal saw the GP several times and attended A&E regarding the pain and bleeding but did not receive a diagnosis. In May 2024, she was admitted to hospital and tests revealed a tumour on her cervix that had spread to her ureter. The following month, biopsies confirmed that it was stage 4 cervical cancer. Stage 4 cancer is one which has spread beyond its original site to other areas in the body. Care for stage 4 cancer aims to prolong life, manage symptoms and improve quality of life.
Faith- Racheal grew up in a Christian home and her faith has continued to be very important to her and her family. She admits there were times when she felt her faith was lost; when she was working as a supported living assistant, her working hours often required weekend working and she was not able to go to church on Sundays. She also found it difficult to pray when she was first told she had cancer:
“When I was diagnosed, I couldn’t pray. I was just thinking “Why? Out of all people, why me?”
Breaking the news of her diagnosis to her family was difficult, but Racheal says her family and the nurses on the oncology ward helped elevate her faith again. Although Racheal felt she couldn’t pray after her diagnosis, she then started to simply ask God for help. Initially, she did not pray aloud and would not join in with family prayers. However, she believes God used the hospital to bless her, as during this time she was put in contact with organisations who could help support her and her husband. She also describes her consultants as very encouraging.
“So, you know, I have to be strong for myself. And in a way that is what has been in my head like in any situation. In any situation I find myself in, I have to be strong and if you have God, you have everything. And He has been helping me all my life, you know”.
Addressing stigma- Racheal is sharing her story as she wants to reduce the stigma associated with cancer. Prior to her diagnosis, she told me that she had heard of cancer but had never knowingly met anyone living with it:
“I’ve heard about cancer [generally]. But I don’t have much knowledge about it because cancer is not something I wanted to know about. Looking back, I think cancer was, or is, rampant back home. But we do not know it was cancer. I never even knew cancer had stages. All I knew there was a cancer and anybody who has cancer, is going to die”.
She says she was able to learn more about cancer after being discharged from hospital. Once she was home, she had more time to reflect and to read about cervical cancer:
“You know, even when I got home and they were talking about ‘prognosis’, I never knew what is ‘prognosis’. I never knew [the word]. I never knew it was something about lifespan. So, the truth is I never had a better understanding of cancer until after I got discharged”.
This shows the value of giving people who have had a serious diagnosis time to process the information. Healthcare professionals can check in with them later and ask about what they understand. Hospital admission is typically a time where people have to take in vast amounts of information. However, it does not mean everyone has the headspace or receptiveness to take in all the information about their diagnosis.
For anyone moving from Nigeria to the UK, Racheal encourages them to attend routine health screenings, including pap smears when they are invited to attend. And for anyone who receives a cancer diagnosis, she wants them to know that cancer is not a death sentence. For anyone finding themselves in a similar situation, Racheal says:
“Trust God, trust the process and trust your treatments. Don’t reject treatment. Never reject treatment. Back home, we have this saying that the chemo will kill you faster than the cancer. No. You shouldn’t reject it [chemo] because it will still help. Always be positive. No matter what, I would tell the person ‘Don’t give up’”.
Racheal would love to see greater awareness of cervical cancer symptoms in the Southwest of Nigeria. People should see their GP or family doctor if they are experiencing vaginal bleeding, pain, unintentional weight loss, loss of appetite and difficulty passing urine.
Racheal shares that you should “always speak life into yourself”, and it is evident that she lives these words; she shares her story to help others, has an incredible love for her son and positivity she expresses during every meeting with others.