Shakita, QLD

Hi, I’m Shakita, and I’m 16 years old. I’m a proud Ghungalu/Kalkadoon teenager.

My journey began with a strange pain in my abdomen. It wasn’t quite sharp enough to make me think I needed to rush straight to the Emergency Department, but it also wasn’t dull enough to ignore. Mum took me to our local Urgent Care Clinic in Goodna, where the staff were amazing. The doctor saw me quickly and was concerned that it could be appendicitis, so I was transferred by ambulance to hospital.

We then experienced another small hurdle when our initial hospital didn’t seem to take my symptoms as seriously as we felt they should. Our gut instinct told us something wasn’t right, so we made the decision to go to another hospital. The doctors there were concerned, but initially didn’t want to perform a CT scan because of the radiation exposure. They thought it may have been a gastrointestinal issue and sent me home.

Less than 12 hours later, the pain had become unbearable, so we returned to the Emergency Department. Around 10 hours later, a doctor came to speak with us and explained the options. He recommended removing my appendix and performing exploratory surgery. It was my very first surgery, and we all thought that once my appendix was removed, everything would be okay.

About a week later, Mum and Nan sat me down to tell me that the doctor had called with unexpected news. The pathology results had found a 23 mm neuroendocrine tumour in my appendix. The tumour had spread into the mesoappendix, which meant I needed many more tests, including CT scans, an MRI, a PET scan and numerous blood tests.

After discussing my case with my medical team, it was recommended that I undergo a right hemicolectomy. This surgery was performed to ensure the tumour had been completely removed and to allow my surgeons to examine the surrounding lymph nodes to check whether the cancer had spread any further.

I had my surgery a couple of weeks ago and am now focused on recovering and getting healthy again.

Before all of this happened, I was heavily involved in sport, especially netball, where I played at a representative level. My goal is to return to the court when I’m fully recovered.

For now, my journey involves regular monitoring, follow-up scans and ongoing tests. While I do worry about the future sometimes, I’m incredibly grateful that my tumour was found early and that I received the treatment I needed.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s to always trust your gut and seek help if something doesn’t feel right. You know your own body better than anyone else, and early diagnosis can make all the difference.

I’m incredibly thankful to my family and my medical team for supporting me every step of the way, and I hope that by sharing my story, I can help raise awareness of neuroendocrine cancer and remind others that even rare cancers can affect young people.