Hi, my name is Izzy and I was 15 years old when I was diagnosed with cancer.
It was a neuroblastoma that strangely developed at the bottom of my spine. After intense chemo, radiotherapy and 2 stem cell treatments I went into remission and have remained so for the past 7 years, despite 2 scares over the years. My hair has never grown back and I’ve been left with growth hormone deficiency and memory issues.
I feel so lucky to be alive, considering my odds were almost not existent, but some days I feel like cancer has destroyed me as a young person.
However something that I’ve always struggled with is the guilt that I feel because I survived when my friends in hospital didn’t.
I also feel guilty because I’ve never done an activity or event to raise money for all the wonderful different cancer charities. I see so many cancer survivors go on to raise amazing amounts of money for hospitals, charities and support groups but I feel so guilty that I haven’t.
Whenever I see stories about cancer, try to tell people about my story or even see adverts on the television I get so upset and it’s all too much, even 7 years after treatment
I was wondering if anyone else felt this guilt or could give me some advice about moving on.
Thank you
