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The Bristol Metropolis participant, now aged 28, shared her story for Daffodil Day, reflecting on the expertise a decade on from receiving a analysis for Hodgkin lymphoma.
She had simply returned residence from Norway with the Eire under-19 squad in 2014 when she visited her GP for a routine appointment.
“He referred to as me again inside 24 hours and mentioned, ‘One thing has come up, I’d such as you to return in for a follow-up set of exams’. Issues escalated fairly rapidly from there. I bought a chest X-ray and I bought my analysis inside a few weeks,” mentioned Mustaki, who was born in Ohio, however moved to Eire together with her Irish mom when she was younger.
“It was exhausting to wrap my head round it as a result of I had simply captained my nation to the European semi-finals within the weeks earlier than. I used to be completely floored within the sense that it was utterly sudden.
“However I had such an awesome assist system round me, and after just a few days of quite a lot of tears I managed to wrap my head round it a bit extra and get equipped for what my physique was about to endure.
“I used to be capable of shut down the significance of every part else. Whenever you’re confronted with one thing like that, nothing else actually issues.”
Chemotherapy was tough, and he or she made the choice to step again from faculty and aggressive soccer to give attention to her restoration.
“It was a very powerful six months by way of what my physique went by way of with the therapy,” she mentioned. “When it was over, I used to be capable of type of regain considerably of a standard life as a 19-year-old. I’m one of many fortunate ones. I didn’t must have any additional therapy after these six months.
“Wanting again on it, I feel the toughest half for me – and one of many principal results of my therapy – was shedding my hair. Whenever you’re a 19-year-old lady, all of these modifications to your physique, that was in all probability the toughest factor for me.
“I didn’t actually thoughts taking a brief break from every part by way of faculty and soccer as a result of it’s life or demise. You don’t actually have a alternative.
“Dropping components of your self in that method, by way of your look, that’s exhausting. I’ll at all times look again on that point and suppose, ‘I don’t know the way I handled that so nicely’. Like having to get my head shaved – considered one of my finest associates got here with me – after which the tears after.
Chloe Mustaki represented Eire eventually summer season’s World Cup finals. Photograph: Sportsfile
“Carrying wigs and having brief hair once I went again to play soccer and all these issues that I took in my stride… I’m pleased with myself for having simply bought on with it.”
Mustaki, who was a part of Eire’s Girls’s World Cup squad final summer season, knew she would return to soccer, however didn’t know the way lengthy it could take or what degree she would get again to.
“It’s going to stay with me for the remainder of my life. Initially, once I completed therapy and I bought the all-clear and I used to be capable of regularly construct again into soccer, I simply felt free,” she mentioned.
The primary few months of “readjusting into faculty life and making an attempt to steadiness the stresses of school with being again in aggressive soccer” have been exhausting, Mustaki mentioned.
She additionally needed to see a psychologist to work on processing her analysis, her therapy and the aftermath.
“I used to be getting again into making an attempt to be a standard teenager who was making an attempt to achieve completely different areas of life, however truly additionally making an attempt to return to phrases with every part that occurred,” she mentioned.
Mustaki needs to share her personal story to boost consciousness, serving to others who might have a cherished one going by way of an identical expertise, or those that may need acquired a analysis themselves.
She has urged these at present going by way of sickness to maintain their assist community shut.
“The most effective recommendation I bought once I was going by way of my therapy was that folks expertise bumps alongside the highway of their lives – some extra that others, little doubt – however everybody experiences highs and lows sooner or later of their life and, as my auntie put it to me again then, sadly, I had skilled this low in my life fairly early on.
“That was an awesome piece of recommendation as a result of there was no level in asking myself ‘Why me?’ in all of this. There was no level being in that psychological head area – I simply wanted to get on with it.”
The Irish Most cancers Society’s Daffodil Day takes place immediately. See most cancers.ie to donate
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