We spoke to personal trainer Helen Isaac (38). We uncover an inspirational story of how Helen is battling against cancer with her family by her side, whilst running a full time business. With a positive and determined mindset, Helen is a real inspiration and we caught up to discuss her journey and the ups and downs life brings.
What made you reach out to Not On Your Tod?
I worked in fashion and beauty for 18 years and in June 2022 I decided to follow my passion in fitness and set up my own personal trainer company. It was only two months later that I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia so you can imagine that this was a real kick. I haven’t been able to find anyone my age who has CML, so when I saw Chris’s story it really struck a chord with me and I wanted to share my story and hopefully hear more from Chris and other people in the same situation.
Have you always been into fitness?
No I haven’t, I actually suffered with poor mental health in the early part of my life. At the age of 18 I was diagnosed with psychosis and depression and my GP put me on medication which increased my weight. This really affected my self esteem and confidence and I remember the next two years being a real struggle for me.
This all changed when I met my husband Tom, he accepted me for who I was. I felt less isolated and my confidence took a huge boost. Our daughter Poppy was born in 2014, unfortunately I suffered from post natal depression and it was at this point my mother bought me some sessions with a personal trainer as a gift. Fitness really did change my life! Exercise made me feel great, physically snd mentally I felt better, I took up powerlifting and I remember feeling empowered and accepting myself for who I am. Life was good, I had a new perspective and this lead me to take the step to become a personal trainer and start a new chapter in my life.
So when did you realise something didn’t feel right with your health?
About two months after setting up my business I started to feel tired and run down, I was getting mouth ulcers and noticed my stomach was enlarged. I made an appointment at my doctors and after examining my stomach she arranged for a blood test. It was at this point I was given the news that I had Leukaemia. You can never prepare yourself for this news and the support I have had from my family and friends has been incredible. Both Tom and I felt it was important to let Poppy know that I was ill and we’ve tried to keep things in simple terms for her. She really is the best kid in the world. I remember her saying “well if your ill you’ll just have to take medicine to get better” I replied that’s exactly right and that’s what I’ve done.
I’m on my fourth round of chemo tablets and the latest ones seem to be working. My spleen is back to normal, my white blood cells are back to normal too, so I just keep taking a day at a time.
“Some days are good and some days are hard"
I returned to work a couple of months after my diagnosis as I wanted to support my clients. I enjoy helping others, boosting their confidence and improving their mental health. I’ve tried to remain as positive as I can and my working mentality has helped me deal with the battle I’m faced with. I currently have twenty clients and work out with them. I truly believe that being active has helped me in my recovery and I take inspiration from the people I work with every day. I’ve set up my own Instagram to post and share stories, I try to just be myself, I don’t take myself too seriously and the wonderful comments I receive really do help me push on.
“I’m terrified of the future and what happens to everyone else”
I try not to think ahead too much as I’m terrified of the future and what happens to everyone else. How will Tom, Poppy and my parents cope if things decline. I’m not even sure if there is a cure, but I am determined to fight this and remain as positive as I can. I’d love to hear from people who are going through a similar situation, someone who can relate, find out how they are coping and give and receive support to each other. I remember my dad explaining once to extended family, that I’m not looking for sympathy I’m looking for support and that’s exactly how I feel, we can all feel vulnerable at times no matter how positive we try to be and I hope sharing my story helps even just one person to find the strength to carry on, life is full of ups and downs and I’m determined to make the most of my life.
If you would like to Brave the logo just like Helen please get in touch info@notonyourtod.co.uk