Connie Johnson has been battling cancer on and off for what seems like a majority of her life.
At 11, a tumor was found in her leg before returning at age 22. She was then diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at 33.
But the now 39-year-old has defied the odds and outlived all predictions the doctors gave her on her life expectancy. But of course, it hasn’t been easy and now the sister of actor Samuel Johnson has shared some confronting realisations in a lengthy Facebook post.
Speaking on the ‘Love Your Sister’ account, which Samuel set up to help raise cancer awareness, Connie revealed some thing’s that ‘we don’t talk about’
‘The hot flushes are unbearable and the night sweats so bad that I sometimes have to change all of my bedding several times a night. I now have to wear continence aids because I keep wetting myself,’
‘The vomiting is unpredictable, I don’t know if I will keep down each meal. My legs are swelling so much that I can’t walk, so I have to wear compression bandages that are tight, difficult to put on, expensive and hot (and not terribly attractive).
‘I’m scared to leave the house because I don’t want to wet myself in public, or end up in a gutter throwing up. And it might seem trivial to worry about being bald, but I hate not having hair, I feel self-conscious and can’t stand the sight of myself.’
Throughout her battle, Connie has used the Facebook account to detail her struggle with the awful disease by keeping followers updated on treatment and operations.
‘I will not survive this cancer. No matter how positive I am, I will die of this disease. The best I can hope for is to live a bit longer, knowing that the life I do get to squeeze in will be full of appointments, waiting rooms, needles, medication, and side effects.’
At the end of the hearbreaking post, she ended by giving thanks to all who have supported her during this terrible time.
‘I thank you for your support, and I do understand how fortunate I am to be so loved and well supported. Heaps of people have cancer. But they don’t all have the joy of two beautiful, healthy, happy boys, a brother like Sam and Dave and sisters like Hilde and Em.’
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