A young woman has shared her heartbreak after overcoming a cancer diagnosis to only to be told she has another form of the disease. Sophie Lambert, 27, became free of cancer before her wedding.
However, just weeks after marrying her soulmate and going on her honeymoon, she was given terrible news. Sophie was thrilled when doctors declared her free from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in 2020.
According to the NHS, non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. The lymphatic system is part of your immune system.
But three years on, and just weeks after returning from her trip with husband Zac, 29, doctors delivered the devastating news that she had cancer again. This time, she had it in her neck.
“The only sign was a lump in my neck any other symptoms I put down to the long-term effects of cancer treatment,” Sophie, an office worker from Essex, told NeedToKnow. “When doctors told me it was thyroid cancer, I felt completely numb.
“After three gruelling years, Zac and I had just returned from our honeymoon. I was starting to navigate life post-cancer and was really excited about celebrating us. Now, any future we had planned was on hold. I was angry and wanted to run away and shut down.
“As if I hadn’t been through enough already, I had to go through treatment again. The first cancer took a lot out of my body and I worried about if I would be able to do it all again.”
Doctors discovered the lump in Sophie’s neck in December last year and she’s been undergoing treatment ever since. To treat her thyroid cancer, Sophie underwent a full thyroidectomy and central and right-side neck dissection in February, which revealed three areas of cancer, the largest being 3cm.
This was then followed by a dose of radioactive iodine treatment. She had previously undergone harsh chemotherapy to reduce a massive grapefruit-sized tumour in her chest that was engulfing her heart in 2020.
She said: “Going through any type of medical procedure and treatment is scary it’s the unknown of not knowing how your body will react to it, but ultimately needing it to save your life. It’s a horrible prospect.
“I was already under six different medical teams when I was diagnosed the second time as there are so many long-term effects from cancer. Now, every day feels difficult.”
Sophie said she feels “incapable” of daily things that her mind and body “won’t allow [her] to do”. She said: “Working full-time is impossible due to extreme fatigue. I’m unable to carry out household chores without getting tired and feel like I have to save energy to be able to get through the busier days.
“My first diagnosis was a massive shock for Zac. It was so soon into our relationship just nine months – but he became everything I needed in a partner.
“For the thyroid diagnosis, he was less shocked but more concerned for me as he knew how much mentally and physically I had already gone through and what this setback would mean for us both. He has always been a glass-half-full kind of person and constantly tries to keep positive and surrounds me with happiness and love.
“We always had the idea of a family with children but now we are forced to have to use IVF if we want this. We also don’t know if my body would even be able to cope with having to support a little one. It’s a lot to think about and it’s frustrating that we even have to think about our future so young due to early menopause because of chemotherapy.”
Sophie still has a long road ahead as she navigates her path to recovery, patiently awaiting guidance on her medical journey from health professionals. Despite the formidable challenges she faces, Sophie’s spirit remains unbroken.
Her personal battle with this severe illness is shared openly on her Instagram page (@soph_thfc), where she aims to shed light on the reality of living with a life-altering condition and offer a ray of hope to others.
She said: “It is so hard when you’re a young adult and life is still happening around you. You grieve a life you no longer have.
“I am most proud that no matter how hard every day is, I still get up and out of bed and try my hardest to be present. I’m proud of how resilient I’ve become and how I didn’t know my own strength until the only thing I could be was strong. I hope that by sharing my story it will help others who potentially could be going through the same.”
