A hotel’s spa manager has opened up about her battle with cancer.
Cara Thompson, 29, who works at The Falls Spa in the Borrowdale Valley has been instrumental in introducing new treatments suitable for anyone undergoing cancer treatment after living with a malignant pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas.
After doctors located an unusual tumour in her midriff that is connected to all her other internal organs when she was 23, Cara has undergone surgery to remove half of her stomach and move her bladder.
Surgeons have advised that treatment to remove the tumour is virtually impossible without multiple organ transplants, so treatment has focused primarily on alleviating symptoms of discomfort.
“As my tumour was growing, it started to push into my spinal cord which caused agonising back pain. After having an endoscopy and being referred to a specialist, I received my diagnosis. I spoke to surgeons all over the world and none of them had ever seen a tumour like it.”
In response to Cara’s encouragement, the award-winning Falls Spa which is part of the Lodore Falls Hotel has now introduced a selection of high-quality products from Scottish skincare brand ishga. The 100 per cent organic brand boasts its own range of cancer-approved touch therapies that get the spa manager’s seal of approval and are now available to book at The Falls Spa.
Ishga derives its products from the Hebridean Islands off the north west coast of Scotland and its products are approved for use on cancer patients due to their naturally detoxifying and anti-inflammatory benefits.
In light of her own past experience of living with cancer on both a personal and professional level, Cara felt passionate about being able to offer a range of luxury spa treatments to those receiving cancer treatment so they get to have the same relaxing experience as everyone else during their time at The Falls Spa.
“After receiving my diagnosis, when I visited spas I would sometimes feel singled out because I didn’t have access to the whole range of fantastic spa treatments that others did because the products weren’t considered suitable for use on someone with cancer.
“In addition to this, certain spas I previously worked at did not use cancer-approved products which meant during training, the other therapists were unable to practice on me which made me feel less included during the process.
“I felt very strongly about introducing these new cancer therapies to The Falls Spa because I want cancer patients to be treated equally and feel like they can enjoy the same spa experiences that everyone else can despite their diagnosis.”
