Struggling through adversity

By Tracie Marson

When I was 19 I was pretty healthy, I had asthma & ended up being admitted to hospital a few times, but nothing too serious.

My boyfriend at the time who was in the RAF threatened to throw himself out of a window when I tried to end our relationship, but when I tried to stop him, I fell instead. I went to grab him, but I went through the window and fell about 30 feet onto concrete and landed on my bum. The boyfriend? well he legged it, after at least sending for my mum.

I remember the paramedics asking if I could lift my legs, I was like “of course I can!!” Then I saw the glance between them & mum.

After a short time in hospital, I was cared for by family but at that point I had to try & walk again. I remember just standing there looking at my feet & they weren’t doing anything. It took what seemed like ages until they moved, I was like a toddler wobbling about trying to walk.

I had a full year off work as I also smashed my wrist up during the fall, so I had operation after operation to try to mend it along with a plaster on my leg as my ankle was broken too. But after a year it was like it never happened.

Years later the back pain started along with the wrist pain. I was given pain killers but after a while they didn’t work. I had acupuncture, physio, as well as injections straight into my spine. I have an under active thyroid, high blood pressure, a stomach ulcer, then a hiatus hernia,

An X-ray revealed irreparable back damage as I had no disks left and the bone was just splayed out. At this point I was diagnosed with severe arthritis and fibromyalgia.

I have had 5 operations on my wrist to try to help my pain as well as pins & plates. I also had to have a knee replacement first off, a partial replacement that didn’t work and they then did the full replacement. My other knee is now showing signs of damage, so I have a brace on it and I always walk with a stick. Some days are worse than others, there are the days when I cannot move so I can’t go in to work, but luckily, I have a very understanding boss.

In 2017 I went to the doctors because I was having stomach problems, and although I had lost a lot of weight my stomach was huge. That’s when Jenn (My Boss) said you should go back to the doctors. They sent me to A&E the GP asked if I wanted her to call an ambulance to take me to hospital.

My stomach was drained 5 times before a biopsy revealed I had stage 4 cancer.

An operation to remove the cancer meant I had a total hysterectomy, they also took my appendix and lymph nodes, the cancer was behind my belly button too. I nearly died on the operating table when my blood pressure dropped dangerously low. Through all of this & every hospital I was in, Jenn came to visit me. Once recovered from operation I had 6 rounds of chemotherapy, lost my hair which was quiet liberating & great when I got out of the shower!

After about 6 months I went back to work just before my last chemo as I was so fed up being at home, Jenn & Gail were so good, I only worked mornings for the first 3 months, then went back to my normal hours.

All seemed normal but I developed a sore throat that went on for ages, I was diagnosed with a cyst on my vocal cords & I had to have it removed, so off I went to another hospital to have it removed. I’ve had the cyst removed twice but it has grown back again! I was due to see the consultant in December and Jenn was going to drive me, but on the morning of the appointment I was feeling really poorly so I cancelled it. It was a good job because New Year’s Eve my son text me to say he had tested positive to Covid-19, So I am still awaiting the outcome.

I have good days where the pain in my joints is just about manageable, then I have days where I can’t even move because it hurts too much, the support I get off Jenn and the lasses I work with is a real help, I know I have help there if I need it. However, I try not to let it bother me. On a normal pain day, as I call it when there is pain but it’s manageable, I will try & get things done i.e. cleaning, laundry.

At work you will often find myself & Jenn painting offices, pull carpets up, DIY projects (I’ve taught Jenn & Holly lots of handy things too lol). I will say no to something if I know I won’t be able to manage it. And most of the time, the next day, I will more than not suffer but I will not let it define me. With good friends around you & in my case an understanding work force, I will keep going as long as I can!.

What people may not realise is that there is support out there for different things, so when I found I couldn’t work anymore because of the pain, I went along to the Adult Learning Centre, and went on a Business Admin Level 1 & 2 course, with a work placement, it turned out this company would be a big part of my life for the next 7 years to date. I have been at Yorkshire in Business for 7 years, and the key worker that supported me so well was Emma Wolff, and she is still supporting me with my PIP forms, & anything else I may need. After she finished helping me with my NVQ in Business Admin she then got me a part-time job here. I was so happy to be going out to work again. I loved every day going in even if it is a struggle getting up & started, and to this day nothing has changed apart from getting a bit more painful.

I always know I have the support of the CEO of the company, she picks me up every morning & takes me home at the end of the day, takes me shopping if I need it & to hospital appointments and I know I can talk to her if ever I need to.