Like many before her, Nicola Shultz felt she had received a death sentence when she was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid but with great family support over the years this survivor is now part of a strong support group for those who are struggling with their diagnosis.
She was quick to state that while she is part of the Guyana Cancer Foundation, there are still days when she herself needs support as she candidly revealed that she sometimes battles with depression and anxiety.
“Some days you just don’t want to get up, but then I think of my children and my grandchildren and I want to keep going because I want to be there for them and to see them, especially my youngest daughter and grandchildren, grow up. I try to think positive,” Shultz told the Stabroek Weekend in a recent interview.
Those dark moments also arise when someone she knows succumbs to cancer because those are the times when she feels, “I am part of a race and people are just falling out.”
A chef by profession, Shultz also finds joy in her job and according to her one of the greatest compliments she has received was when someone told her he could taste the love in the meal she prepared, after she had informed him that she loved what she did. The days she spends on vessels owned by Pritipaul Singh Investments Inc as a chef are mostly good ones, as she finds it a joy catering for the sailors.
While she is a chef, she calls herself a seaman since in Guyana most of her professional cooking has been done out at sea. “I enjoy the sea. I tell people when you are out there, there is unexplainable feeling, as long as the water is not stormy, and the water is not rough. So, I love the sea,” she said laughing.
Chronicling the journey to her diagnosis, Shultz shared that in 2010 she was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), an overactive thyroid, also known as hyperthyroidism, is where the thyroid gland produces too much of the thyroid hormones. “The thyroid is found at the front of the neck. … Extra levels of these hormones can cause unpleasant and potentially serious problems that may require treatment,” the NHS website says.
Shultz recalled that at the time she was constantly tired, had no appetite, lost weight and was also slightly hoarse at times. She was given medication to treat her condition, but in 2013 she noticed that her throat was swollen. After a visit to the doctor and following various tests she was informed that she needed surgery which was done in October 2014.
Almost her entire thyroid gland was removed, and it was sent for a biopsy. At the time she thought it was the end of her trips to the doctor and things would return to normal. But when she received a call asking her to visit the doctor’s office immediately, she knew something was wrong.
“I was so scared… and every time I talk about it, I get emotional,” she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“I lost my dad, my mother and my two brothers, so I didn’t really have nobody close
to go with me. So, I ask the secretary at my workplace to go with me… That afternoon, sitting there, I think that was the worst report anybody wanted to hear when the doctor say the test came back positive for cancer,” she continued.
She remembers saying to herself that it could not be true as she was only 43 at the time, her daughter was pregnant with her second grandchild and her youngest child had just started secondary school. The doctor was very supportive and informed her that she could get through it. He then revealed that his mother was a thyroid cancer survivor for some 19 years. Another positive the doctor mentioned was the fact the cancer was diagnosed in the early stage.
“And that is why I always tell people that early detection saves lives and so it is important to get your checkups,” she said.
She was referred to the Guyana Cancer Institute but unfortunately treatment for thyroid cancer is not available in Guyana. She went to Trinidad and Tobago (a cheaper option), where she accessed Radioactive Iodine (Radioiodine) Therapy. During the treatment, she had to be isolated for three weeks and this was facilitated by friends who had a self-contained room. Last year and this year, there were no signs of cancer when she visited for a full body scan. “If next year I am told the same thing, I will be declared cancer free but for now I can safely say I am a cancer survivor,” she said.
‘Cancer changes your whole lifestyle’
Shultz shared that since being diagnosed with cancer she has changed the way she eats and ensures that she takes care of her body more than before. For her, “cancer changes your whole lifestyle and it not only affects you, but it affects all those around you.”
She is not fully convinced that people are diagnosed with cancer only because they eat meat or something to do with their lifestyle, as she pointed out that she never smoked or drank, and she was a vegetarian for eight years before she was diagnosed. She also knows someone who was a vegetarian all their lives but now is battling stage three breast cancer.
However, she made it clear that living healthy is important especially after one is diagnosed with cancer.
Shultz is the mother of three children – the eldest is 32 and the youngest 16 – and she said informing her son (her eldest child) was most difficult and it also took months into the treatment before she told the youngest.
“It wasn’t easy… she cried but she accepted it. She is loving. My big son too. The middle one well she was always there with me when I got the surgery, so it was easier to tell her,” she said.
The support of her workplace was very instrumental in her recovery. “They were all very supportive, my boss and my workmates, and when I have to go for treatment, they would give me the time off… and I will get a couple of days at home when I return before going back to work.”
A passion
Shultz said she has passion for cooking and as far back as she could recall she has been facing the stove. Her mother had attempted to steer her down the path of hairdressing and dressmaking, but “I never really took it on, I just love cooking,” she said
She grew up in Suriname and while she cooked in that country, when she returned to Guyana as an adult, she had to learn to cook Guyanese food. Today she infuses the meals she prepares with the cultures from both countries.
Switching back to her diagnosis, Shultz said her advice to others who may one day face what she faced is not to give up because “there is life after cancer, I am an example”. She encouraged people to get regular check-ups.
Her life revolves around her youngest daughter and her three grandchildren and they keep her going, but she knows that there is need for a support system when persons are in such situations.
According to Shultz, you should not hide your experience because by speaking about it, others can be helped, and you can even save someone’s life.
“For me, I want when people look at me, I must be positive, so I always try to have a smile on my face, I don’t want to be sulky,” the cancer survivor said.
