There are a lot of things we take for granted and don’t realize what an essential part of our daily lives it is until we have it taken away. Like when you don’t realize how nice it is to breathe until you get a blocked nose from a cold. We tend to take for granted our health in general and forget to take care of it and prevent it from getting ruined.
This woman on TikTok is spreading awareness about cancer and is particularly encouraging other women to go get a test for cervical cancer. She doesn’t want anyone to end up finding out that they have a serious case of cancer which could have been avoided by going for a regular check-up.
More info: TikTok
Kenzi Paquin is a cancer survivor who spreads awareness about cervical cancer and reminds people to make an appointment for their regular check-ups
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The TikToker kenzinichole_ is also known as Kenzi Paquin. She is a 32-year-old mom with 5 children and on TikTok, her content is related to her personal life. She shares what it’s like to be a cancer survivor, a mom to such a big family and a wife at the same time.
She recently hit 1.5 million followers on the platform and people are grateful to her for being such an inspiration for others and for encouraging and reminding them to go to the doctor and get a test to catch the cancer early on.
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
She was diagnosed with cervical cancer back in 2016 but because it was in the early stages, it was easily removed
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
This was actually what happened to Kenzi the first time she was diagnosed with cancer. In 2016, she found out that she had early-stage cervical cancer and with a small procedure, the doctors managed to take care of it.
According to the Mayo Clinic, women between ages 21 and 65 are recommended to get a Pap smear test for cervical cancer every three years, but because Kenzi had a previous diagnosis, she should have been going to the doctor’s every 6 months.
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Kenzi was supposed to go for a test every 6 months but life was busy and she went only after 3 years
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
However, life got busy and the mom had other priorities, which meant she went for a check-up only three and a half years later. Kenzi was then diagnosed with stage IIIB cervical cancer, which, according to the National Cancer Institute, means the “cancer has spread to the pelvic wall and/or the tumor has become large enough to block one or both ureters (tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder) or has caused one or both kidneys to get bigger or stop working.”
Early on, cervical cancer doesn’t present itself with any symptoms, but at the time the woman was diagnosed with stage IIIB, she started experiencing them. She told BuzzFeed: “I eventually had symptoms of bleeding between periods and during/after sex. I also experienced horrible cramps and back pain, an odd odor and discharge, and pain during/after sex. I have constant nausea and fatigue.”
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The cancer was back and it was already in stage IIIB, so this time, the treatment was a lot more stressful
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The battle with cancer the second time around was a lot more complicated. Kenzi got a hysterectomy, which means she got her womb removed, and had to go through a series of other surgeries.
Unfortunately, the cancer had time to travel to her lymph nodes, so she had to do chemotherapy and go to radiation. Kenzi shares how the treatment affected her life and how defeated she felt, but also showed how supportive her family was, shaving their heads together, to provide the woman with strength.
Such advanced cancer raised concerns to doctors and they didn’t hide that it could be terminal, so the mom had to have a talk about it with her children, which must have been extremely difficult. Kenzi actually said that after being diagnosed with cancer for the second time, her first thought was that her children would suffer the most needing to live without a mom.
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The woman is a mom to 5 kids, so she was mostly scared of not being there for her children
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The cancer came back to Kenzi’s abdomen and after being removed from there, it showed up again in the lung. The woman is still going through treatment and it seems like it will never end. However, the attitude Kenzi has is truly admirable as she still manages to keep a smile on her face, enjoy her time with her family and joke around on TikTok.
Bored Panda reached out to Kenzi to find out how she really is feeling at the moment and the woman revealed that it can be different depending on the day: “Honestly, I feel extremely tired mentally and physically. I don’t have very much energy, and I have to use the little energy I do have very sparingly. Some days I’m super great emotionally- very upbeat and motivated and positive then I go through cycles where I feel defeated and get very very depressed.”
The woman commented how she is doing physically as well, “I’m not in pain most days, I would consider myself more ‘uncomfortable’ with severe fatigue and nausea. I think I feel pretty great considering what my body is going through, actually.”
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
When Kenzi thought she was cancer-free, it came back again, but this time the woman was determined to enjoy life as much as she could
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Even though Kenzi carries a cell mutation in her body that is slowly killing her, she continues living her life: “Honestly, most days, I feel like I have a normal life, or I try to live as normally as possible. But cancer has become a part of that normal. Medications, doctor's appointments, lots of resting - it’s all become our normal and we’ve just adapted to it. My goal is to live as normally as possible with what I have in front of me and that has kept me the happiest.”
Even though Kenzi tries to be positive, she admitted that “It’s very scary anticipating your death.” But she has a great support system and doesn't have to do it all alone: “My faith in God and the support from my husband, kids, and family keep me going. My kids and husband have such faith in me and they believe I’m gonna beat this. They’re my motivation to get up each day and keep fighting.”
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Her motivation to keep fighting is an inspiration for those who are in the same boat
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Kenzi had to learn to have such an approach to life and it came only after she found out the cancer had come back for the third time.
After the first time Kenzi got cancer, her life wasn’t shaken so much as to change anything in her mindset because “The cancer was caught super early and it was very easily gotten rid of. But that was the problem… I didn’t make it a priority. I blew it off and didn’t get my check-ups. I waited 3 years and then it turned into full-blown cancer.”
Not only that, but she also speaks to those who feel healthy and encourages them to take preventative measures
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
The second time the doctor announced that she would have to fight cancer again and this time it is more serious, Kenzi was devastated. “I got super depressed and went downhill mentally and physically. I stopped taking care of myself in all ways. Once I got rid of cancer the second time, my spirits were high and I was motivated.”
It was the third time when the cancer showed up in the tests that Kenzi decided to shift her mentality. “When it surprisingly came back the third time, it was a slap in my face but that’s when I decided to change my mindset for the better. I’ve realized I cannot control the bad things that happen but I can control the way I respond to it. So I hang on to that… I try to find the positives out of all the negatives and I’m a lot happier that way. Perspective is everything.”
Image credits: @kenzinichole_
Kenzi encourages everyone who has a uterus to go to their regular checkups and do a Pap smear test, which shows if you have any cell changes which may indicate cervical cancer. Even if doctors recommend doing them every 5 or 3 years, Kenzi urges people to not wait for that long and have it done every single year.
The American Cancer Society states that “Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. The cervical cancer death rate dropped significantly with the increased use of the Pap test.” It is because the Pap test allow doctors to catch the cancer in its early stage, and less advanced cancers have a bigger chance of responding to treatment well.
Taking care of your health is important and you should definitely remember to make an appointment for your other regular check-ups as well to prevent any disease from advancing. If you needed a reminder, here it is.