Sut mae ffydd, teulu a chefnogaeth wedi fy helpu i wynebu canser y fron
Roedd Nia Roberts newydd ddechrau swydd newydd yn Esgobaeth Bangor pan gafodd newyddion dinistriol bod ganddi ganser y fron. Yma, mae Nia yn dweud wrthym am ei thaith tuag at adferiad.
Er fod cancr y fron y cancr mwyaf cyffredin yn y Deyrnas Unedig, gyda un yn derbyn diagnosis pob 10 munud, nes i erioed feddwl y bydden i yn 46 oed yn derbyn y newyddion brawychus mod i’n dioddef ohono. Ond dyna ddigwyddodd yn ystod tymor yr Hydref 2023.
Ar Dachwedd y 30ain, yn dilyn cyfnod o brofion, cefais gadarnhad fod dwy ardal o gancr yn fy mron chwith. Teimlad o wacter mawr, panig, sioc, yna duwch llwyr a chynddaredd oedd yr hyn a brofais yn y cyfnod cyntaf yna, a’r cwestiwn amlwg yna ‘Ydw i’n mynd i farw?’ yn hofran ddydd a nos yn fy meddyliau.
Doeddwn erioed wedi cwestiynu’n ffydd cyn hyn.
Ond dyma gynllun yn cael ei lunio gan y tîm arbennig gofal y fron yn Ysbyty Gwynedd ac o fewn wythnos, roeddwn yn cael codi’r fron a dal yn dynn i’r geiriau mai gwellhad llwyr oedd eu nôd gyda mi. Bu’n rhaid wynebu ail lawdriniaeth fis Ionawr 2024 i dynnu’r nodau lymff yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ac yn dilyn gwella, dechreuais gwrs 6 sesiwn o gemotherapi fis Chwefror gan orffen fis Mehefin.
Doeddwn erioed wedi cwestiynu’n ffydd cyn hyn. Roedd yn rywbeth oedd yn eistedd yndda i, yn ran digwestiwn ohonaf erioed. Ond mi fues yn flin iawn gyda Duw ar y dechrau. Roeddwn newydd gychwyn swydd yma yn Esgobaeth Bangor fel Swyddog Ymgysylltu Pererindodau Ysgolion, yn ysu i wasanaethu, i weithio ar brosiect cyffrous yn ysgogi ysgolion i ymweld gyda’n eglwysi, i gerdded ein llwybrau pererindod ac addysgu am hanes y seintiau lleol. Pam felly oedd hyn yn dod i stop? Pam fod y nheulu annwyl yn gorfod dioddef?
Buan wnes i ddod i siarad yn wahanol, gan ddiolch am y teulu a’r ffrindiau oedd mor dda gyda mi.
Ond doedd hyn oll ddim o gymorth i gamu mlaen, buan wnes i ddod i siarad yn wahanol, gan ddiolch am y teulu a’r ffrindiau oedd mor dda gyda mi a gofyn am gryfder i mi wynebu popeth oedd i ddod. Oedd, roedd y cemotherapi yn galed, ar gorff ar feddwl, ar emosiynau, ar deulu, ond y golau yna ar y diwedd oedd yn y ngyrru ymlaen, fod yn rhaid i mi ddyfalbarhau gan gwybod fod gwell i ddod a fod gwaith gen i wneud ac roeddwn yn ysu i ddod yn ôl ato!
Bu Tîm Llan yn arbennig gyda mi dros y cyfnod yma. Daeth negeseuon o gefnogaeth, cyfarfod dros baned, tusw o flodau a’r anrheg gorau un – y botel ddŵr poeth i fynd gyda mi i ar Ward Alaw I ddioddef y cap oer er mwyn trio dal ar y ngwallt! Mi weithiais hynny oedd bosib dros y cyfnod o gemotherapi, gan ddechrau llunio gwefan i ysgolion fydd yn eu hybu i weithio ar y thema o bererindod ac roedd mynychu’r cyfarfodydd tîm wythnosol yn help i ngyrru mlaen, i ddal i fynd trwy’r driniaeth.
Y neges gen i ydy gwiriwch eich corff, os ydy rhywbeth ddim yn teimlo’n iawn yna ewch at eich meddyg. Gyda Hydref yn fis ymwybyddiaeth cancr y fron, rydw i wedi rhannu fideo o’n stori ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol, gan obeithio y bydd o gymorth i bobl weld fod modd byw trwy gemotherapi ac efallai y bydd yn gymorth i eraill sydd yn gorfod troedio’r un daith.
Gwrandewch ar Nia yn siarad am ffydd a'i thaith ganser ar Bwrw Golwg ar BBC Cymru.
Gwnaeth Nia hefyd fideo yn tynnu sylw at adegau pwysig ar ei siwrnai.
How faith, family, and support helped me face Breast Cancer
Having just started a new job at the Diocese of Bangor, Nia Roberts received a devastating diagnosis that she had breast cancer. Here, Nia tells us about about her journey to recovery.
Although breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one person being diagnosed every 10 minutes, I never thought that at the age of 46 I would receive the terrifying news that I was suffering from it. But that's what happened in the Autumn of 2023.
On November 30th, following a period of tests, I received confirmation that there were two areas of cancer in my left breast. A feeling of great emptiness, panic, shock, then total blackness and rage was what I experienced during those first few weeks, and that constant question ‘Am I going to die?’ hovered day and night.
I had never questioned my faith before this.
But a plan was drawn up by the superb breast care team at Ysbyty Gwynedd and within a week, I was in having a mastectomy and held on tightly to their words that complete recovery was the goal. I had to face a second operation in January 2024 to remove the lymph nodes at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and following recovery, I started 6 sessions of chemotherapy in February and completed the course in June.
I had never questioned my faith before this. It had always just been there, an unquestioned part of me. But I was very angry with God at the beginning. I had just started a job here in the Diocese of Bangor as the School Pilgrimage Engagement Officer, excited to serve, to work on an exciting project encouraging schools to visit our churches, to walk our pilgrimage routes and teach about the history of the local saints. Why then was this coming to a halt? Why did my beloved family have to suffer?
I soon came to speak differently, giving thanks for family and friends who were so good to me.
But all this didn't help to move forward, I soon came to speak differently, giving thanks for family and friends who were so good to me and asking for strength to face everything that was to come. Yes, the chemotherapy was hard on body, on mind, on emotions, on family, but that light at the end of the tunnel was what drove me, that I had to persevere knowing that there was better to come and that I had work to do and was desperate to get back to the office!
The Llan team were wonderful during this period. There were messages of support, meetings over a cup of tea, a bouquet of flowers and the very best gift - a hot water bottle to go with me to to Alaw Ward to endure the cold cap so that I could try to hold on to my hair! I worked what was possible while on chemotherapy, starting to create a website for schools that will encourage them to work on the theme of pilgrimage and attending our weekly team meetings helped to drive forward, to keep going through the treatment.
My message is- check your body, if something doesn't feel right then go to your GP. With October being breast cancer awareness month, I've shared a video of our story on social media, hoping it will help people see that it is possible to live through chemotherapy and maybe it will help others who will have to walk the same walk.
Listen to Nia talking about faith and her cancer journey on BBC Cymru's Bwrw Golwg.
Nia also also made a video highlighting important moments on her journey.