A mum given a year to live after her swallowing issues turned out to be terminal cancer has "got her life back" and is training for a half marathon.<br /><br />Tracy Lockley, 47, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer - throat cancer - in May 2021 after having trouble swallowing.<br /><br />The mum thought she had acid reflux or an allergy and was "shocked" when it turned out to be a rare and aggressive cancer.<br /><br />The tumour in Tracy’s throat more than doubled in size in the weeks after she was diagnosed - leaving her reliant on a feeding tube.<br /><br />Further scans revealed the disease had spread to the lymph nodes in her lungs - which is inoperable - and in September 2021 she was given 12-18 months to live.<br /><br />But after undergoing multiple courses of chemo and radiotherapy, the tumour in Tracy’s throat has “vanished” and the spread of disease in her lymph nodes has been halted.<br /><br />Although she lives with the imminent threat of her cancer returning, Tracy is now training to hike a half marathon in September to raise money for Macmillan, and she refuses to let her diagnosis hold her back.<br /><br />Tracy, from Newport, Wales, said: “I was given the worst prognosis in the world and began preparing myself, my friends and family for me not being here anymore.<br /><br />“It was a massive shock when they said I had a tumour. My doctor said this type of cancer is rare in women my age, it normally affects men who smoke regularly.<br /><br />Tracy started having trouble swallowing in March 2021, and put her symptoms down to an allergy.<br /><br />But her symptoms continued and she was hardly able to swallow her food.<br /><br />Following an endoscopy, doctors spotted a 3-5cm tumour in her throat and diagnosed the mum-of-three with oesophageal cancer in May 2021. <br /><br />Tracy's chemotherapy treatment began in August 2021– something that was not only hard on her, but on her eight-year-old son Roman too.<br /><br />Following her chemotherapy, Tracy went for a scan in September 2021 which showed her the tumour had shrunk by half - meaning she no longer required a feeding tube.<br /><br />But she was told the cancer remained in her lymph nodes on both sides of her lungs - making it inoperable - and she was given 12-18 months to live.<br /><br />In November 2021, she underwent an intensive five-week course of palliative treatment - which is designed to relieve symptoms and prolong life, rather than targeting the underlying cause of the disease. <br /><br />She had three to four hours of chemotherapy once a week and radiotherapy five times a week.<br /><br />But Tracy said her young son, Roman, gave her the strength to pull through. <br /><br />Tracy received the results of her chemoradiotherapy treatment in March 2022, and to her amazement, the tumour had disappeared.<br /><br />The cancer in the lymph nodes to her lungs is still there, but is currently stable and dormant. <br /><br />She is now training to hike a half marathon in September to raise money for the charity Macmillan.<br /><br />She details her cancer journey on her Facebook page - where she documents how her body responds to treatment.
