Brennan Allardyce

My Story

Before I was even a thought in my parents mind, my family was effected by cancer. My mom lost her mother to cancer in 1997. From all the stories I’ve heard, she was the most amazing person and I wish I could’ve met her. 

A close friend of mine was the first experience I had with the disease, but I was still too young and naive to fully comprehend it. Fast forward a few years, and suddenly I was really sick, and no idea why. I wasn’t too phased, I was troubled with sickness and illness growing up, so for me it was a routine thing, something that just flared up every few years… or so I thought. 

My GP had me do a few tests, and await the results. Couple standard, not so scary ones, until he started suggesting I see specialists. I’ve been seeing gastroenterologists since I was young, so back to my usual specialist there. My GP also suggested I see an endocrinologist, turns out I have Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, nothing too serious, just causes fatigue which is the result of an over-active or under-active metabolism and fluctuates due to said thyroiditis. 

Sweet, those two are standard, nothing scary or confronting there, until my GP recommended the third specialist for me to see, a Urologist. I had kidney stones at 20, something more common with older people. That was discovered due to finding blood in my one urine sample that was sent for testing. I believed I was seeing the specialist for my kidney stones, cause they have a procedure in which they blast the stones, making them easier to pass and not painful. 

Before seeing the Urologist, I was sent for a few more tests which they would then give me feedback for. I was an adult now, or so I thought, so I decided I’d go it alone and see them by myself. It started pretty standard, kidney stones and how they can blast them to make it easier to pass, and then some chit chat, about me and what I do with myself, which is suspicious because doctors NEVER make small talk, but I didn’t think anything of it. Anyway, chat ends and they move on to the results of the other tests I had done. I’ll never forget being told that they believed I had cancerous cells in my bladder and all things indicated it so, something which is apparently very rare for a 20 year old to have. 

I never really processed what they told me, to me I was just sick and that was that, I’d be fine. I got in the car and called my parents and told them what was found, only now processing what I was saying, “they think I have cancer in my bladder”. 

I never really knew how to feel, until two weeks later when my dad asked me how I was. I broke down, sobbing to my dad, telling him how terrified and scared I was. I still had to wait another month and a half before I could go in for surgery and my procedures, this was due to the fact Covid had hit and getting into a hospital was borderline impossible especially for certain procedures. When I tell you that month and a half was the longest period of time in my life, it was. 

A month and a half goes by, and finally I go in. They do their thing and I come out. I’ve had a fair few procedures where I’ve been put under and you’re never really cognitive for the first while when they wake you up, but man was I ready to go when they woke me up. The specialist came over, said the blasting was successful and the stones weren’t going to cause me any issues, yeah cool, least of my worries right now. 

The important thing, and the words I will never forget, was that after inspection and further examination, I was clear and whilst all test results indicated heightened levels of cancerous cells, I was all clear and had nothing to worry about. The relief, it was like a car had been removed off my body and I could breathe. 

The biggest mistake I made during that period of time, was keeping it to myself. I didn’t tell anyone and that was the worst mistake I could’ve ever made. You have so many people around you who love and support you, open up to them and let them support you. 

After all this, I have continued to be surrounded and seen the devastating effect cancer has had on friends and some people around me. Those are not my stories to share, and I cannot comment on them as I was very lucky with my situation. I can understand the complete and utter fear you feel when you first hear the news and process it, and that alone was scary enough. 

This is what led me to start doing what I do. So many of us are healthy and able to get up and move and do good, but we don’t. I wanted to change that and do my small bit for everyone who is suffering or knows someone suffering from anything. That’s why I started running, I can run, so I will run. I move, because I can move. So move with me, in any way you can. Do a walk, a ride or even move your lips and talk to someone about what’s going on, with yourself or those around you, about anything. Physical health and mental health is so important and we need to know we are not alone. 

I'm Running Regardless

I’m running for those who can’t. 

Cancer was around me during my upbringing and has continued to impact my life into adulthood. I’ve seen the impact it can have on friends and family around me, and together we can raise funds to help fight against it and find a cure. 

Help me, help others!

Your support is greatly appreciated.