A new degree, a new job, an exciting new start. At 28, the last thing Zoë was expecting was a cancer diagnosis, requiring urgent treatment. However, just one week into her new job, Zoë discovered a lump and was diagnosed with breast cancer.
A biopsy was followed by endless scans and diagnostic appointments. For Zoë, life was suddenly spiralling out of control, with work commitments and fun nights out being replaced with seemingly never-ending urgent hospital appointments.
Zoë explains “You are no longer in charge of your life. Your future and your everyday is dependent on healthcare professionals. You’re completely reliant on their expertise, their knowledge, skill and kindness.”
Taking back control
Before her first chemotherapy treatment, Zoë was referred to the prehabilitation programme at St Bartholemew’s Hospital, where a specialist team helped her to use the gym equipment, funded by Barts Charity. With their support, she was able to keep her body and mind as strong as it could possibly be to take on the next few months of treatment.
Zoë doing prehabilitation at St Bartholomew's Hospital
“When a nurse initially suggested a prehab appointment it felt like nothing special but rather just another appointment to be squeezed in. But the friendly faces, the interested, listening ear felt different than other hospital appointments. To have an appointment where the only goal is to make me feel better is a gift and it became something to look forward to, especially when your body is struggling. My prehab appointments were the highlights of my week.”
Throughout six months of chemotherapy, Zoë missed just one prehabilitation appointment, when an infection made her too unwell to train.
“Prehab is a safe environment. I would not have felt confident to challenge myself like this on my own and without such professional, well-trained support."Zoë
Building fitness and resilience
When the time came for Zoë to have surgery, she was amazed at how quickly she was able to recover, and thanks the prehabilitation training as a key factor. In less than 24 hours, she was able to return home and was hiking in Scotland just four weeks later.
“I can’t imagine I would have been able to do and enjoy any of those things without the hard work the prehab team and I put in during the chemotherapy.”
“I am endlessly appreciative and thankful to the team and the opportunity St Bartholomew’s Hospital gave me. I feel very strongly that every patient should have access to such a service helping them understand their body and manage their symptoms and build strength – and prepare them for the time post treatment.”
With your support, we want to help more cancer patients like Zoë to be the best they can be before facing treatment.
Together, no one has to face cancer alone.