Trans woman says she became her true self after cancer diagnosis

Eight years ago, Paula Griffin was told she had bladder cancer. Diagnosis finally accepted that she is a trans woman.

Paula recalls that at the time of her diagnosis, she had “denial” the symptoms of blood in her urine. “I was two weeks away from a major organ failure due to cancer,” she tells Pinknake.

According to Cancer Research UKthere are around 10,500 new bladder cancer cases in the UK each year.

Paula underwent surgery, including inserting a stoma and creating an artificial bladder, also known as a neo-bladder, using a portion of the small intestine. The same morning, my sister Kelly died of colorectal cancer.

Despite her illness being a catalyst, Paula says she always knows she is a trans.

“I didn’t have the courage to do anything about it,” she says.

However, after returning to London, she reentered the “toxic masculine” environment she was working on recruiting, leading her to rely heavily on drinking and chain smoking to paralyze her desire to live as a real self.

“When I was recovering from cancer, I realized I had to see why I had involved myself in this state,” she says.

“I’m doing things I never could believe.”

After working on her own, she changed her identity on social media. This is a move that everyone around us has accepted. In 2019, she began the transition process.

Being her true self made her “more confident” possible [and] Reduced the toxicity of her life and stopped smoking. She found time to become a goalkeeper for a London non-binary football club.

“I’m doing something incredible. Once you learn to turn off the fear switch in life, you can’t be afraid of anything. I’m not afraid anymore.”

Transjoy moments took her trip to Peru in 2022, obtaining her new passport. There she felt that she was treated as herself and included among her fellow travelers.

The court’s decision is a false victory

Regarding the recent UK Supreme Court decision that held that the legal definition of women excludes trans women, she said:

“It’s difficult as a trans woman, but they can claim their victory until I change what I do in my daily life, but for me it’s a blank victory because I’m still going to live as me, so it’s a hollow victory. It creates more problems than it solves.

“I’ve always tried to be positive and received amazing support in my inbox. I stand up and become myself. If they want to get me down, they have to fight. [are] It’s incredible with the many people on our side. ”

Paula will be participating Cancer Research UK’s life raceworking with Standard Life at Hyde Park in London on July 27th. She runs to commemorate her sister, showing that “the more we support our research, the more we can show that cancer can be a second chance in life, not a death sentence.”

Cancer Research UK’s lifetime competition here.

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