A woman has shared her harrowing battle with cancer and the terrifying symptoms that left her thinking she was on borrowed time.
When Tracey Palmer-Hole first started experiencing bone pain, her doctor reportedly suspected rheumatoid arthritis.
But just a few months later, her life was on the line as the 47-year-old was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)– thinking she had just two weeks to live.
Tracey, who works as a learning and development manager, immediately started a gruelling round of chemotherapy.
“I was in constant pain, struggling to catch my breath, and once even thought I was having a heart attack,” Tracey, from Berkshire, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“I was frightened but had no idea it was cancer.
“Then I started fainting, which had never happened to me before, but I just thought I was tired from travelling for work.
“When the doctor told me it was leukemia, I remember asking, ‘Have I got longer than two weeks?’
“I couldn’t deal with any emotions, as I needed to know if they thought I’d have longer, or if I had less – only then would I be able to process the situation and what needed to happen.
“The doctors didn’t say yes or no, it’s all a bit of a blur, but began looking at treatment options.
“Then, they told me that the symptoms I had been displaying and my blood test results showed that it was, in fact, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia.”
Tracey’s symptoms, including the aforementioned bone pain, unexplained bruises, and mouth ulcers, first began in February 2019.
By June of that year, she had been admitted for treatment, following a blood test and a bone biopsy.
Thinking of her husband, Rob, 56, and other family members, she willed herself not to fall apart.
She said: “I thought I had to beat this, as I had no other choice – I would do whatever was needed to be here.
“I had only been married for three years and I wanted a lot longer with my husband than that.
“A week later, I started chemotherapy and I was apprehensive, as I wasn’t sure if it was going to hurt or how I would feel after this – but I couldn’t have felt much worse.
“I had nausea, sickness, diarrhea, constipation, and full body rashes, as well as my hair falling out during this time.
“I decided to shave my head, as I wanted to be in control of something to do with my body.
“But I kept laughing through it all, it’s the type of person I am.
“I thought ‘I am going to beat this, I’m going to keep positive, I need to kick this and get rid of it so I can go back to my life’.”
In December 2019, less than a year from when her symptoms first began, Tracey received the all-clear from doctors.
Her body had responded to the chemo and she was now in remission.
Tracey said: “It felt amazing to hear the news that the cancer had gone, but I had a deep-rooted fear that it could come back at any time.
“Now I appreciate time with friends and family more.
“I did lose people along the way, as they didn’t understand my wishes or were scared of what was happening to me.
“Remission doesn’t mean that the cancer journey is over, as it’s a new chapter mentally.
“My life has changed, as I want to make every day count and I realise what – and who – is important to me.
“I’m incredibly blessed and I know many people aren’t as lucky.
“Once you’ve been diagnosed, you’ll always think it’s come back, especially for the first five years, any symptoms will make you think it’s here again.
“The feelings don’t go away, you manage them instead.
“I want to share my story, so I can help others — I’ve had so many people contacting me saying it’s nice to hear a positive rather than a negative.”
Focusing on the future, Tracey is dedicating her time to spreading awareness on the impact a cancer diagnosis can have on a patient — and supporting those who might be struggling.
For her, despite all she’s been through, the 47-year-old believes she’s in the “right place” mentally to help others, but the whole ordeal has impacted her, mentally and physically, for the better.
She added: “I’ve been helping people through their own cancer treatments, which has helped me get through mine.
“Being there for family and friends that are going through cancer, as they know they can ask me any questions about my experience and I’ll be honest.
“Most importantly, I understand what they are going through and how they feel.
“It affects everyone around you, not just yourself, and doesn’t just go away.
“I’d like to see a future where leukemia, in fact, any cancer, can be prevented – that’s why the work of Leukaemia UK is so important.
“In the meantime, people should know they’re not alone, you may feel it, but you aren’t.
“Reach out to people who can help you and never stop asking even more so when you’re in remission.
“If you don’t feel right and you’ve been to the doctors, ask to see another one if nothing happens.
“This is your life and we only get one of them.
“One of my best strategies for me was laughter and still is – the nurses and patients called me ‘laughter girl’ — keep talking and smiling.
“You’ve got this.”
