A 14-year-old girl who thought headaches were just a normal part of growing up went to see her doctor when she had a headache so bad it made her feel sick – and was told she had just 18 months to live. Jade Jackson was diagnosed with brain cancer.
She said: “Before my diagnosis, life was good. When I first got symptoms I was 14 and we thought the headaches were hormonal. I realised it was more serious when I came home from school one day and plopped down on the couch.
“I instantly got an excruciating pain in my head and went and threw up. That’s when we knew something was going on. From there we went straight to get an MRI.”
Scans revealed that she had cancer. “I initially felt scared and worried and the thought of ‘why me?’ kept running through my mind,” Jade said. “The true feeling of ‘oh my gosh, I have brain cancer’ set in. Although I was scared and worried I knew God and family would be with me every step of the way, which gave me peace.” Jade defied her 18-month prognosis and is among the 47% of survivors living for over 10 years after diagnosis. Now 26, she has started a career as a teacher but still faces substantial health challenges. She developed neuropathy – nerve damage which can cause chronic pain – and struggled to sleep and walk. The pain also impacted her work, as she soon found herself living a sedentary lifestyle.
“I have had lots of treatment over the past 11 years,” Jade explains. “It started off with full brain and spine radiation for six weeks along with oral chemotherapy. After that I was on multiple different chemotherapies along with a clinical trial. I have a lot of long-term side effects now and it truly impacts my life. Neuropathy is probably the biggest one. “But they all limit me to doing everyday things. Some days just your normal day-to-day walking is difficult and so painful for me.”
Jade now uses StimRouter, an implantable pain management device. Almost overnight, Jade’s pain dramatically reduced and she could sleep, spend time with her friends, and relax after being on her feet all day with her students. “The StimRouter has changed my life by allowing me to be more active in my daily life and it helps to relieve pain,” Jade explains.
“I feel blessed to be able to live every day to its fullest.” Jade wants to raise awareness that the side effects of cancer treatment can last a lifetime, but says her faith helps her get through the harder times. “I wish more people knew that there are lifelong side effects from chemo and radiation,” she adds. “Just because the treatment is over doesn’t mean the journey is. I have really good days and really bad days but through it all God is by my side and is my strength. I owe it all to him!”
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