{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6790d0371ab6c8a3677d4132/69f1150c7beb8128697fa8ce?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Cancer Took Her Nose, But Not Her Voice - Vikki Feltham's Inspirational Story","description":"<p><strong>To mark Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month, I’m joined by the incredible Vikki Feltham - a senior leader, speaker and advocate whose story is one of the most powerful conversations I’ve ever had on <em>Cancer Cured Me</em>.</strong></p><p><br></p><p>At 34, after almost five years of nosebleeds, pain and being repeatedly told it was nothing serious, Vikki was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma inside her nose. Her life-saving treatment meant losing her nose, followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a long physical and emotional recovery.</p><p><br></p><p>But this episode is not only about cancer. It is about identity, visible difference, self-advocacy, motherhood, medical gaslighting, confidence and what happens when life strips you back to the rawest version of yourself.</p><p><br></p><p>Vikki shares how she went from hiding at home after treatment to using her story on TikTok, speaking publicly, working with cancer organisations and becoming an advocate for earlier diagnosis and better patient-led support.</p><p><br></p><p>We talk about the loneliness after treatment ends, the cliff edge so many cancer patients face, how visible difference changes the way you move through the world, and why rebuilding after adversity is messy, brave and deeply human.</p><p><br></p><p>NHS guidance lists persistent one-sided blocked nose, nosebleeds, loss of smell and blood-stained mucus as possible symptoms of nasal and sinus cancer, although these symptoms can also be caused by less serious conditions. If something does not feel right, please keep asking questions and seek medical advice.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we talk about:</p><p><br></p><ul><li>The nosebleeds that began years before Vikki’s diagnosis</li><li>Being dismissed, misdiagnosed and lost in the system</li><li>The shock of being told she had head and neck cancer</li><li>Losing her nose as part of life-saving treatment</li><li>Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and the reality of recovery</li><li>The emotional cliff edge after treatment ends</li><li>Visible difference, confidence and learning to be seen again</li><li>How Vikki used TikTok to help others advocate for themselves</li><li>Why cancer recovery is not just physical</li><li>Rebuilding identity after trauma</li><li>Motherhood, purpose and choosing not to shrink your life</li><li>The power of saying, “If not me, then who?”</li></ul><h2><br></h2><p>Connect with Vikki:   <a href=\"https://www.nobodynosepodcast.com/about\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Click here check out her podcast coming Summer 2026</a></p><p><br></p><p>Insta: vikkidotcom</p>","author_name":"Alexandra Simms"}