Our Pal - Isabellah O

On August 27th 2021 Isabellah was diagnosed with an Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 3 years 3 months. She had symptoms of a cold, hay fever, nasal congestion and bad breath.

We took her to the local A&E and they said it was polyps, the Doctors also said it was polyps. That night Isabellah was skipping breaths and by the morning this unknown mass has sprouted out of her nose. We took her to a larger hospital A&E as we knew something wasn’t right.

That night Isabellah’s oxygen went as low as 64% and she had an MRI the following day. We stayed in hospital from August the 18th. By the next day we got sent to Newcastle RVI via ambulance. The oncology team were involved and ENT. Isabellah got taken to the ENT ward where we waited for a second biopsy as the first one had too much infection to determine what it was. On August the 27th we got the devastating news Isabellah had cancer.

Due to the location of the tumour (the top of her nasopharynx) she was taken to Intensive care after her Hickman line was put in for her own safety as the tumour was blocking her throat and nasal cavity. She spent 1 week there. In that week she had emergency chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, so she could breathe, speak and sleep better.

After the first week she woke up, but she began to cough, and she actually coughed up half the tumour. It was terrifying, she then had to go to emergency theatre, so the ENT consultant could burn off any potential ‘melted tumour’ that could drop off.

Isabellah stayed an extra week in ICU to ensure her throat healed. After 2 weeks she finally woke up, she was extremely restless and awake as 2 weeks of sedation took its toll. She was crying, confused, unable to sleep, irritated and seeing things on the wall. It took 2 weeks for the sedation to wear off. She then had her second chemotherapy in the new ward. During her time in ICU we found out that Isabellah’s cancer was localised and had not spread anywhere else in her body, we found out we caught it early (although it was large).

After 6 weeks in hospital we went home, only to need to go back 1 day later due to a temperature.

Isabellah had 9 rounds of intense chemotherapy, 3 weeks apart. She would be attached to wires for almost 3 days. She also had to have 6 weeks of radiotherapy in Manchester’s proton beam centre, as Isabellah’s tumour was in a place where they decided surgery may be riskier. Isabellah took really well to radiotherapy and she loved the centre so much. Isabellah also had to have a gastrostomy placed as a precaution, but she never needed it. She finished her intense chemotherapy on February 17th 2022. She then had a break for 7 weeks, she had an MRI in March and the scan looked really good. The doctor said Isabellah had no evidence of disease.

Isabellah is now on maintenance chemotherapy as a precaution for 6 months. She has just begun her 5th cycle. She may be having an extra 6 months, but a computer will decide if she does or does not.

Isabellah has been very strong, brave and happy during her journey. She is a real-life super hero and an inspiration to many people. She has a very confident, friendly and cheeky personality, we call her Mighty Isabellah.