Mother reveals how she couldn’t see her daughter, 2, for weeks during cancer treatment

Constance Synesios (pictured before she was diagnosed with cancer)

Constance Synesios wasn’t thinking about herself in the moments after she was diagnosed with cancer.

The 23-year-old’s first thoughts were on her two-year-old daughter, and then, her father who lost his battle with renal cancer five years before.

She didn’t want to leave her beautiful baby girl at a time when she depended on her the most.

That’s when she felt her father’s distinctive presence in the room.

‘Something told me that he was watching over me and wasn’t ready for me to join him yet,’ the Sydney-based mother told Femail.

‘He was going to guide me through this and get me to the finish line. I remember seeing my mum’s face – she went completely white and looked like a ghost. I almost thought she would faint. 

‘She probably had all these memories of my father crossing her mind and thought that she would re-live them with me. I wanted to keep a brave face for her because I knew that if I had broken down, she too would have felt defeated.’ 

Constance was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma shortly after collapsing at university in August last year.

Constance was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma shortly after collapsing at university in August last year (pictured with her mother)

Constance was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma shortly after collapsing at university in August last year (pictured with her mother)

The events management alum wasn’t shocked by the utterance of ‘cancer’, because she had been having issues with her iron levels and tightness in her chest for months.

‘In fact, I was almost relieved that they had finally found what was making me feel sick for so many months and now, hopefully, something could be done to make me feel better and get me back to the person I used to be,’ she said.

She immediately started 21 hours of chemotherapy over the course of three days.

What is Hodgkin’s Lymphoma? 

Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a type of lymphoma in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. 

Symptoms may include fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Often there will be non-painful enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, under the arm, or in the groin. 

More troubling than the extreme tiredness and bedridden state she was left in, Constance wasn’t allowed to have visits from her daughter during that time.

‘My daughter was not always allowed to be in my ward as sometimes children can carry bacteria, infections or viruses, that could be detrimental to patients if they contract it,’ she said.

‘I found that very hard, as did my daughter. While she is too young to understand where I was, my mother and grandmother felt that my daughter had noticed my absence and was showing signs of separation anxiety. 

Sometimes she would go weeks without seeing her darling girl and worried that when they were reunited she wouldn't recognise her mother without her signature long black hair

Sometimes she would go weeks without seeing her darling girl and worried that when they were reunited she wouldn’t recognise her mother without her signature long black hair

‘As my mother would accompany me to all my treatments and appointments, my grandmother would care for my daughter and even moved in whilst I was sick just to sleep beside her as I was unavailable.’

Sometimes she would go weeks without seeing her darling girl and worried that when they were reunited she wouldn’t recognise her mother without her signature long black hair.

‘I remember she was very intrigued as I was plugged up to a couple of machines and, of course, I had lost my hair,’ she said.

‘I thought initially this would scare her but she actually didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she liked playing with my bald head.’

While most people believe cancer treatment is the hardest part of the process, Constance said that remission doesn’t magically make you healthier.

‘I have found it really challenging to get back into shape as I used to weigh around 55-60 kilograms when I was healthy and now I weigh around 75 kilograms, which is quite a big difference for me,’ she said.

Her body aches most days from adjusting to normal life and she is still trying to reconnect with friends, family and the university degree she put on hold

Her body aches most days from adjusting to normal life and she is still trying to reconnect with friends, family and the university degree she put on hold

‘Having been on steroids for so long added the extra weight and masked the strain it put on both my muscles and bones.’

Her body aches most days from adjusting to normal life and she is still trying to reconnect with friends, family and the university degree she put on hold.

The Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney, where Constance received her treatment, is launching a Cancer Survivorship Centre that hopes to help patients like her struggling to get back on their feet.

‘It will be a “home away from home” providing a respite from the clinical environment and include a living room, media room, library, study and meeting rooms, and also feature landscaped gardens,’ Associate Professor Leanne M Zalapa said.

‘This centre will be a place where people can connect with others impacted by cancer, take time out from the hospital environment and relax.

‘It will also provide them access to a suite of holistic services focusing on health monitoring and prevention, as well as psychological and physical support.’

With the hospital treating an average of 3,000 cancer patients each year it’s a way of bridging the gap between treatment and remission. 

The Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation is asking Australians to dig deep and make a donation to support the new Cancer Survivorship Centre.

Every $1 donated will be matched by a generous Foundation supporter (up to $70,000). Donate here.  

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