A TikTok Star with a Story
- TikTok star Kenzi Paquin gives followers a raw look at her cervical cancer journey with ongoing updates.
- She recently found out her cancer had returned after a PET scan revealed a tumor in her abdominal cavity.
- Vulnerability does not come naturally for everyone. But it might be worth it to try opening up, even to a smaller group of people, because you never know how much it can help you or help those you share with unless you try.
According to a GoFundMe set up by her mother, Paquin was diagnosed with stage 3b cervical cancer in late 2019 when she was just 30 years old. What followed was multiple chemotherapy and radiation treatments, 7 surgeries and, eventually, a clear PET scan. Unfortunately, however, her bliss was short lived when a recent PET scan for her 3 month check up revealed a tumor that was about 2 inches in her abdominal cavity.
Read More@kenzinichole_Prayers as we go down another difficult road ðŸ™ðŸ¼ #teamkenzi #cancerfighter #cancerawareness #cancer #cancersucks♬ original sound – Kenzi Paquin
“Prayers as we go down another difficult road,” Paquin wrote in her caption.
The compilation of clips in the video touches upon many sensitive topics of a cancer journey. The video goes from her crying as she says “I don’t know what I’m gonna tell my kids,” to a more light-hearted “It’s just hair, right?” after she lost her hair during treatment, to a shaking “I can’t do it anymore” as she sat in a hospital bed.
To say that the video is vulnerable is an understatement, but it truly gives viewers a look into all the highs and extreme lows of a cancer journey. As of today, she’s underway with her second course of chemotherapy treatments. And while it may be another challenging road ahead, she’s sharing messages of hope.
“Bout to beat cancers butt…again👊ðŸ»,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post.
Understanding Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer begins in the cells lining the cervix the lower part of the womb (uterus). Treatment options for cervical cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Every year in the United States, approximately 14,480 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and almost a third of women diagnosed will die from this disease. Cervical cancer is critically important because an earlier diagnosis can mean a better prognosis with broader treatment options. The American Cancer Society recommends that cervical cancer screening begins at age 25, and people aged 25 to 65 should have a primary HPV test, an HPV test done by itself for screening, every 5 years. If primary HPV testing is not available, however, screening may be done with either a co-test that combines an HPV test with a Papanicolaou (Pap) test every 5 years or a Pap test alone every 3 years.
Should I Give My Kids the HPV Vaccine? A Leading Doctor On Why She Says “Yes!”
The most common symptoms of cervical cancer can include:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as bleeding after vaginal sex, bleeding after menopause, after douching, bleeding and spotting in between periods or having heavier or longer (menstrual) periods than usual.
- Unusual discharge from the vagina that may contain some blood and may occur between your periods or after menopause.
- Pain during sex.
- Pain in the pelvic region.
Creating Community during a Cancer Journey
During a cancer battle, it's important to know that you are not alone. There's a community out there for you to be vulnerable with, if you'd like, and it's worth it to at least try to connect with some people as you battle the disease. Kenzi Paquin has been very up front with how much her viewer community has uplifted her and pushed her through her cancer journey.
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“Thankful for all the support,” she wrote in a recent Instagram caption. “Love you guys more than you know.”
But Paquin is definitely not the only one to build a support system in this way. Kate Hervey is another cancer warrior who has touched many people by sharing her story. A young college girl, she was shocked to be diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that tends to form near large joints in young adults, after seeing her doctor for tenderness and lumps in one of her legs.
Hervey, a nursing student at Michigan State, had to handle her cancer battle during the COVID-19 pandemic and scale back on her social activities as a high-risk patient. That's when she turned to TikTok as a creative outlet, and inspired thousands.
Inspiring College Student, 20, Builds Community on TikTok Sharing Her Cancer Journey During COVID-19
"One thing that was nice about TikTok that I loved and why I started posting more and more videos is how many people I was able to meet through TikTok and social media that are going through the same things," she says. "I still text with this one girl who is 22. If I'm having a hard time, I will text her because she will understand. As much as my family and friends are supportive, it's hard to vent to someone who doesn't know what it's really like."
Hervey is now cancer-free, and says she couldn't have done it without the love and support of her TikTok followers.
"I feel like I've made an impact on other people and they have made an impact on me through TikTok, which is crazy to say. I can help people go through what I've been going through as well." She has graciously agreed to allow SurvivorNet to use her content in order to help our community.
So while sharing your story for thousands of TikTok users might not be your thing, it's important to consider opening up to others about your struggles during a cancer battle. Even if it's with a smaller group, you never know how much the support can help you or help those you share with unless you try.
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