Mytime Active Stories - Nikki
Nikki, 50, is a Body Combat instructor at Mytime Active's The Spa at Beckenham as well as working as a senior phlebotomist at a local hospital. Nikki is also currently battling breast cancer with the same determination she brings to her exercise classes, changing the narrative of what recovery and positivity can look like.
“The hardest part wasn't the diagnosis,” Nikki says. "It was being told no gym, no teaching and no Combat. Devastated doesn't cover it!”
The early signs
Nikki initially experienced subtle changes in her physical wellbeing during March of this year, which she assumed was due hormonal fluctuations typical for her stage of life. The most notable symptom was an intermittent pain in her right breast. Despite her medical training, she didn't initially connect these symptoms to any serious underlying condition.
Following a holiday at the end of April, Nikki noticed swelling near her underarm. Her immediate response was to dismiss this symptom, attributing it to over exertion during Body Combat classes. The turning point came in early May when she mentioned her symptoms to a colleague at the hospital, who asked if she had actually thought about going to the doctor.
The diagnosis
Reluctantly, Nikki visited her GP. Recognising the significance of her family history, her sister had been diagnosed with cancer three years prior, the GP arranged a two-week urgent referral to specialist services.
Nikki says: “I went in for a Monday appointment expecting to be told it was just inflammation. Instead, I was whisked through a mammogram, ultrasound and finally back to the consultant who explained there was something showing up and asked to take a biopsy.
“I didn't even flinch. He was so calm that I stayed calm too. By the time I left I'd had two biopsies, another mammogram and another ultrasound, and was also told no Body Combat or exercising for a week!”
After a long week of waiting, Nikki returned to the hospital. She explains: “As I walked into the room, I saw the tissues on the table. A second nurse entered. I knew what was coming. My consultant came in, sat down and crossed his leg, hand to head and said 'I'm sorry, you have cancer.'
“Those words played on repeat in my head. I couldn't hear anything else.”
The fight back
For Nikki, the next couple of weeks were a blur of scans, blood tests, MRIs, marker injections, nuclear injections and hospital gowns. Five weeks after diagnosis, she had surgery.
“I wasn't about to let this take me down quietly,” Nikki says. “I don't do self-pity and I was ready to fight back with my support army beside me: my family, my friends, my work family and my gym tribe. Who the hell does cancer think it's messing with?
“Right now, I'm home and healing. I’m still waiting to hear whether it's spread to my lymph nodes, which will decide if I need more surgery, radiotherapy or chemo. But for now, the fight continues and I'm already preparing for whatever comes next.”
Redefining recovery
Nikki explains: “Anyone who knows me knows I can't sit still for long. Being active is my therapy. So when I was told I couldn't go to the gym or teach classes, it hit me almost harder than the diagnosis itself. I had two choices: Option A - stay home and feel sorry for myself. Option B - find a new way forward. I chose Option B.
“Six days after surgery, trainers on and headphones in, I went out for a gentle five-kilometre walk. The sun was shining, the air was warm and for the first time in weeks I felt like me again. Smiling at strangers, looking at trees and breathing in life.
“I don’t know what’s next for me, but whatever happens, I am not facing it alone. Being positive hasn’t just helped me, it’s carried me. This isn’t the end of my story, it’s just the beginning of a new chapter. Cancer didn’t choose the wrong girl. It chose the right one. Because I’m still standing, still smiling, and I’m only getting stronger.”
Mytime Active, is right behind you, Nikki. We miss you; Body Combat isn’t the same without you and we can’t wait to welcome you back.