{"id":40840,"date":"2025-01-22T06:53:56","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T06:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/how-aileen-proves-cancer-doesnt-define-her\/"},"modified":"2025-01-22T06:53:56","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T06:53:56","slug":"how-aileen-proves-cancer-doesnt-define-her","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=40840","title":{"rendered":"How Aileen Proves Cancer Doesn\u2019t Define Her"},"content":{"rendered":"


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I\u2019m 50 years old, a mother and wife, and I work in the NHS in a non-clinical Public Health role, which is mainly desk-based. Outside of work, I enjoy walking my dogs, spending time in nature and going to the gym when I can. Before I did my first trip with DA, I definitely spent less time outdoors than I do now, and training for my first challenge helped me find my love for walking and nature. Now, I really enjoy the challenge of reaching a summit, but I don\u2019t often get out on the hills. People would say that I am an adventurous person by nature, but I don\u2019t see that. I\u2019m just a normal person with a normal family life doing normal things.<\/span><\/p>\n

My story I suppose started a couple of days before Christmas in 2011 when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer completely out of the blue with no family history or risk factors. I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Fast forward to 2019, when I was starting to think how I would like to mark getting to the 10-year cancer-free point in my life (assuming that things stayed the same), and I started having wild dreams of doing something really out of character and challenging to raise money for Breast Cancer Now<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Over the next year, dreams of climbing Kilimanjaro<\/a> became more and more like an obsession, and after a bit of research with various charities, I signed up with DA for a challenge in September 2021, just before my 10 years would be up. As fate would have it, the Covid Pandemic got in the way, and I didn\u2019t do Kili until February 2022. Which coincidentally was a month after I was discharged from my Breast care team, so it seemed even more poignant. When I signed up for Kili, I had never camped out in my life<\/span>; I was a wash your hair and shower everyday girl, and, more importantly, I had never climbed a mountain. So, this was always going to be a mammoth challenge for me in more ways than one. I did, on the lead-up to the challenge, climb hills and Scottish Munros as part of my training, but not that many, and my first night in a tent was in Kili. Most of my training, if I am honest, was done in a gym, with some general walking at weekends.<\/span><\/p>\n

My time on the Mountain was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.<\/span> The people on the trip from the UK were just the best; some are now really close friends. The DA team, both from the UK and in Tanzania, went above and beyond at every point, and I can honestly say that without them, I wouldn\u2019t have summited.<\/p>\n

\"Kili<\/p>\n

Immediately after I came back, I wanted to do something else, and Everest Base Camp<\/a> seemed the most likely option, so I started looking into that. Unfortunately, though, just 5 months after I returned, we discovered that not only had my cancer returned as stage 4 in both my brain and lung, but it was also very likely that it was there when I was climbing Kili. That obviously put everything up in the air, and I was sure that I would never be able to do anything similar again. I was gutted. However, in October 2023, a year after a successful partial lung resection and craniotomy to remove both my tumours, I asked my oncologist if she thought I could ever do a high altitude challenge again. She didn\u2019t see why not if I remained stable and well so we skirted around maybe <\/em>doing something in a year or so. But once I get an idea in my head, there is no stopping me.<\/span> So, after clear scans in January 2024, I booked to go to Nepal to trek to Everest Base Camp just 7 weeks later – With DA, of course!<\/p>\n

I had kept myself reasonably fit throughout my cancer treatment by walking, but I was nowhere near as fit as I was before Kili, so I had to try and up the ante with only 7 weeks to go and ongoing treatment. One of my Kili friends, Susie, was already going too, so I would have regretted not doing it then with her if something health-wise was to stop me later. I still remember Susie having hysterics when I told her I was coming with her! I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say that I found the trip harder than Kili (apart from Kili summit night!!), but again, I loved every single minute of it. And getting to the Base Camp Rock was even more emotional than Ururu Peak, which is really saying something.<\/span> Again, the others on the challenge and the Nepalese guides and porters were absolutely amazing.<\/p>\n

\"PHOTO-2024-03-13-12-26-22\"<\/p>\n

My “why” has grown over the two challenges I have done. Initially, for Kili, it was to get something good out of something awful<\/span>, to give getting cancer a reason and to have something positive out of it. Then, after my secondary diagnosis, the latter is still true, but in addition, it’s so that I can prove that I am still me and that cancer will not define who I am and what I do.<\/span> My story is not over<\/span>. I often say that if I hadn\u2019t \/didn\u2019t have cancer, I would never be doing these high altitude adventures and that it has made me into the person that I am and that I am proud of what I achieved.<\/span><\/p>\n

I would love to do Machu Picchu<\/a>, Mount Toubkal <\/a>or Petra in Jordan nex<\/a>t, and hopefully, I will manage one in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assuming my cancer remains stable, I\u2019ve still got more challenges in me.<\/p>\n

\"Kili<\/p>\n

I\u2019m stronger and way more determined (some might say stubborn) and resilient than I ever thought that I was. I\u2019m learning to live my life how I want to and do what I want, not what other people think I should do. I am way more independent and willing to step out of my comfort zone than I was 4 years ago when planning my first challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am also learning about other cultures, countries and nature when on these trips, and I am loving this. The extensions and \u201cother\u201d bits of the trips are also amazing and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I never assumed I would do. Spending time on Safari in Tanzania (seeing 5 of the big 6 in their natural habitats), and experiencing the sites, smells and noises of Kathmandu are memories that will be with me for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n

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Aileen’s Preparation Tips:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Training is hard to fit in sometimes, but if you put your mind to it, you can do it. I didn\u2019t do lots of walking initially for Kili but I did do types of training that I enjoyed at the gym and got myself outside at the weekends either for a flat walk or up a hill if I could. It was hard at first, but now I love being outdoors!<\/span><\/p>\n

Training for EBC was harder for obvious reasons, but grit and determination made me get out and just walk. I only had 7 weeks, so I just did what I could, as I didn\u2019t want to injure myself by doing too much. It’s easier to train when you have something to train and aim for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Preparation in terms of kit was quite overwhelming for Kili, but DA gave a great list to follow. Don\u2019t leave it too late to get your kit as its really useful to wear it whilst training so you can see how it works.<\/span> I used the same kit for both Kili and EBC, so it helps from a finance perspective.<\/p>\n

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Aileen’s Biggest Lesson:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

I can do anything that I set my mind to. Sometimes, I might need a rest and reset, but with the right training, guidance, support and encouragement, I can do things I never in my wildest dreams would have thought I could do.<\/p>\n

Also, don\u2019t listen to people who don\u2019t have experience and say that you can\u2019t just because they couldn\u2019t!<\/p>\n

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Aileen’s Message for you:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Go for it!!<\/p>\n

Do your research, work out what and why you want to do something and what will it take to get you there. Make a plan and stick to it, even when it doesn\u2019t seem to be going right, and work through the issues. Perseverance will get you there in the end.<\/p>\n

Also, if you have any medical concerns, speak to your GP, specialists and DA first, but try to anticipate the questions they will ask and do the research to answer them.<\/p>\n

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