I Thought It Was a Sinus Infection, Then I Was Given Months To Live at 32 - Newsweek

Throughout my life, I have always loved being busy and being intentional with my time. What can I say, it made me feel my best. That said, feeling tired is not particularly unusual for me either.

For years, I ran my own mobile wedding hair and makeup business, I also have a counseling business, and I help run a homeless charity. With so much to do each day, I had to start early. My mornings began at 4:30 so I could get to the gym and fit in a workout. I would usually end that by grabbing a coffee and watching the sunrise before starting my 10-hour workday.

It may sound crazy, but it made me happy.

Life isn’t all about work though, so I made sure to prioritize my hobbies whenever I could.

Whether it was volunteering at the local horse shelter, reading, hiking, running, or spending time with friends and family, all of it made me feel complete. There was even beauty in the simplicity of tending to my houseplants or going to the store to buy fresh sunflowers each week. I was so grateful for the people, opportunities and routines that filled my days.

Taking care of my mind and body has always been highly important too, so whenever there has been a sudden change within, I notice it straight away.

That was exactly what happened in early July when I felt pain radiating through my face. I couldn’t explain it, but my whole face felt sore, and then I spotted a small lump near the bridge of my nose. I initially thought it could be a blemish, but it was quite sensitive to touch, so it clearly wasn’t a pimple.

I did not feel overly concerned, but I made an appointment at the doctors anyway—just to be certain. I was swiftly referred to an ultrasound clinic for a scan of my face, and after they took one look at the results, they said, “you need a CT scan.”

I did not have to wait long for the CT scan and that revealed a fracture in the bridge of my nose and in my eye socket.

“It looks like you’ve been punched,” the doctor said to me, rather bewildered.

I essentially had a broken nose, but I could not think of a single reason why or how. Sure, I can be clumsy and have fallen off a horse numerous times before, but nothing happened recently that could come close to this.

If I had broken my nose, wouldn’t I know?

As I tried to rack my brain, the doctors had to do a compulsory welfare check to ensure I wasn’t covering up any violence that may have occurred. I wondered if I was just really resilient and sustained this injury without even realizing.

The scans suggested that the break was chronic, happening between six to 12 months prior. That entire time, I had no idea. I was breathing just fine, still going to the gym and working out as always.

Although the CT scan explained the pain in my face, it left me with more questions than answers. I then had to be referred to an ENT specialist who ordered an MRI scan with contrast to see what was going on.

Upon looking at the results of the MRI, the ENT believed I had blocked mucus that couldn’t drain out of my nose, so it became inflamed (hence the lump). Intriguing as that sounded, I took them at their word because I certainly knew no better.

As we thought the problem was blocked mucus, I was scheduled for nasal surgery in August to drain the fluid. However, once I got into the operating room and the procedure began, it quickly became apparent that there was in fact no mucus to drain. Although I did have a deviated septum they had to repair.

By the time I woke up from surgery, I hoped this ordeal would be over and I could begin my recovery. That was, of course, not what happened.

Doctors informed me that they still did not know what was causing the infection, but they had taken a biopsy of the lump. Once I could go home, I was given antibiotics to treat the infection and would return in a few weeks to get my stitches removed.

I did everything I could to let my body rest and recover, but still the inflammation did not seem to go down. There would be improvements one day, but then the next it was back to being swollen and painful.

I tried some different medication this time, as doctors thought it could be a fungal or a sinus infection instead. That worked for a couple of days, only for the swelling to return.

After a few weeks of waiting, the results of the biopsy came back, and I got a call I never expected. I picked up the phone and the doctor said, “I am so sorry, you need to take this seriously now because your cells are cancerous.”

I could not comprehend what I was being told. Do I have cancer in my face?

Clearly recognizing my utter confusion, the doctor put it to me plainly. He told me that at the age of 32, I have a rare sinus cancer that is very aggressive. To say I was devastated doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt.

“We need to act now,” were his haunting words.

I went straight to the hospital as instructed, and I was immediately sent for more scans. It was so surreal, it felt like an out of body experience. Even my doctors were shocked because every previous test or blood sample only showed inflammation, which is why we thought it was an infection.

So began a series of scans, including an MRI, PET scan, and head and neck CT. The eventual diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma, but when the results come back, the situation became much worse.

The cancer has spread to the front of my brain and is considered inoperable. It also spread to my hip, making it stage four, or metastatic.

As surgery is out of the question, chemotherapy is my only treatment option. Without treatment, doctors said I might only have three weeks left. If I do chemotherapy, it could buy me three to six months, or 12 months if I’m lucky.

I am considered fortunate if I live long enough to see my 33rd birthday.

I refused to give up, and there was no question about going through with treatment.

I started chemotherapy in late August, and my symptoms were quite mild to begin with. I was so fatigued and seemingly became a real-life Sleeping Beauty after the first round. The nausea, aches and brain fog were much worse after the second round, but I am getting better at listening to my body.

My hair started to fall out in large clumps too, so after many tears, I made the decision to shave it off in September. My best friend shaved it for me and made the process so much easier. It has actually been extremely freeing to let go and embrace wigs instead.

For now, I am celebrating the little wins when they come.

A moment of tranquility amidst the chaos. Laughter with a close friend. A hug with someone I love.

Receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis has given me a whole new lease on life. I am now so much more grateful for every precious day, and I don’t take a second for granted.

Every beautiful sunrise, sunset, smile and laugh is something I cherish.

Before this experience, I used to share selfies and sunset photos on social media, but now I have gained a whole new community. I have been documenting my health journey online to raise awareness for this incredibly rare cancer.

If people take anything from my story, I want them to know how precious life is. Don’t put off doing something you want to do. We are here for such a short time, so don’t live with regret. I have always lived my life that way, and I am so glad now that I did.

Choose love wherever possible, and don’t waste a minute of this life you have been granted.

Michaela Grace Coy, 32, is a business owner who resides in Australia. She has been documenting her cancer journey on social media (@__michaelagrace on Instagram) and a GoFundMe page has been set up to ensure she can make every moment count of the time she has left.