When I read the Daily Express’s call for every cancer patient to receive a Holistic Needs Assessment, I wanted to stand up and cheer. Because I’ve lived through exactly what this campaign is about: a system that treats tumours but not people. I was diagnosed with stage three bladder cancer in 2024 at the age of 40. It had already spread to my urethra. I’d been suffering for months – frequent infections, blood and mucus in my urine, searing pain – but the diagnosis still came as a shock.
What followed were eight brutal months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and the steady collapse of my physical, emotional and mental health. Chemo was administered directly into my bladder. I wore a catheter full-time and caught endless infections. I lost 3.5 stone. My eyesight worsened. I entered early menopause. I could no longer work, get dressed without help, or leave the house. And yet, not once was I properly asked how I was coping – really coping.
One thing I never received was a Holistic Needs Assessment. No one asked me what was happening in my mind, only what was happening in my body. I felt like I was being slowly erased.
The mental health toll of cancer is enormous, yet I was expected to carry on with a smile. There’s this toxic positivity around cancer – the pressure to be a ‘warrior’, to stay strong, stay upbeat.
But how can you be upbeat when your world has crumbled? I wasn’t a warrior. I was scared, furious, heartbroken. And I truly believe those emotions need to be acknowledged, not pushed down. They are part of healing, not a sign of weakness.
Then there’s the nutrition advice – if you can call it that. I was told to eat jam on toast. Ice cream. Anything with calories to “keep weight on.” But we now know there are deep links between sugar, inflammation and cancer growth.
The advice I was given felt shockingly one-dimensional, even harmful. Why aren’t we offering patients evidence-based nutritional support?
After realising how broken the system was, I began researching alternatives. That’s when I discovered integrated cancer therapies in Germany – approaches that combine medical treatment with holistic care: hyperthermia, oxygen therapy, nutrition, mental health support.
It gave me hope. But that kind of care comes at a price, which is why I’ve started to raise funds on GoFundMe for the chance to rebuild my health.
It doesn’t have to be this way. That is why I’m backing the Daily Express’ Cancer Care campaign. The NHS already wants to offer Holistic Needs Assessments to every cancer patient. So why is it not happening? Why are so many of us still falling through the cracks?
Cancer is more than a disease. It breaks your body, your spirit, your sense of self. It demands care that sees the whole person. I’m speaking out because no one should go through what I did and feel invisible.
Let’s change this. Let’s start by asking one simple question: how are you, really?
You can support Helen’s fundraiser for her cancer treatment here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
