#GreekGirlsCan 💪♀️🇬🇷
This is the one of the most INSPIRATIONAL stories I have heard!
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Θάλια Κώττη for her courage and many many thanks for sharing it with us! Greek Girls Can
My name is Thalia Cottis and I am a Greek Australian living in Melbourne, Australia. I lived in Greece for 7 years when I was younger and for the last few years spent majority of the year there. My biggest passion is the gym but it wasn’t always like this. When I was 20 years old my life changed. I was diagnosed with cancer, Hodgkins Lymphoma, stage 2 critical. I had a mass on the right side of my neck and another one in between my heart and lung. The mass was pushing up against my heart and was making it hard for me to breathe. Fluids were also created around my heart which had to be drained with a tube.
I had to have 6 months of chemo and a month of radiotherapy. I lost my job, my routine, friends and the life I knew. I was in hospital majority of the week, if not for treatment, it would be because my immune system was low, I would get an infection and would end up in hospital so I can go on antibiotics. I ended up learning the hospital menu off by heart for the whole day. The nurses became my friends, a lot of the times I would even end up in the staff room having lunch with them.
Chemotherapy made me very weak. At the start of the treatment I was fine but as the weeks went past and it built up in my body I became weak, I lost a lot of weight, muscle, I couldn’t walk for more than 6 minutes, I couldn’t be in the sun because my eyes were sensitive, I used to vomit, pass out, I lost my hair and all my confidence.
I also had 2 operations. The first one has scarred me for life. Mid way through the operation I started to wake up and gain my senses. The sergeants hadn’t given me enough anesthetic which Is why I woke up. It was the scariest day of my life also because while I was asleep I was hallucinating. I thought I was going to die. Its hard to explain exactly what happened but I would be in ne room, it would get dark so then I would run into another and then that would get dark and it just kept going on like this until the last room got darker and darker and then I woke up. I honestly felt like I was about to die and I still get tears in my eyes every time I talk about this because no one understands what I went through unless they have been through it themselves.
The second operation I had was also life changing. I was about to go into surgery to have a biopsy done but because I had already been opened in the chest area and there was scar tissue, they informed me there was a change they would have to change the location of the cut. They explained to me they might had to cut me open on the right side of my right chest and go through all the major arteries which meant there was a very high chance of me not coming out alive. I was told about this 5 minutes before my operation and had to decide at that moment if I was going to go through with it. I thought to myself if I don’t do this I won't know if I am cured so I signed the papers and hoped for the best. The surgery was supposed to go for 3 hours and I came out 6 hours later but alive and cured.
Radiotherapy was easier, I did it every day for 10 minutes but it made me extremely tired so I used to sleep all the time.
I always stayed positive throughout my whole treatment because I knew I had to be strong so I can get through it. The mind is the strongest organ in our body. I believe in energies and I believe that if we really believe something and really want something it will happen. There were times where I felt low but I got through them. I just thought to myself don’t give up.
When I finished treatment, I got depression and anxiety. I put on a lot of weight, I was weak, had low self-esteem and just hated myself. I think what I went through really hit me when I finished treatment because during the time, I had no choice but to be strong and keep fighting. My GP wanted me to start seeing a counselor and even told me I have to start taking antidepressants. I refused to do that. That’s when I started the gym. The gym saved my life. Exercise changed my life and it’s a shame that I had to go through something so bad to get my wake-up call. I never took care of my body, I was working as a hairdresser, I was on my feet all day, living off fast food, chocolate and energy drinks.
The gym for me isn't just physical but mental. It’s therapy, my me time, the only time I get to put my earphones in, block everything out and completely focus on myself. I want women to know that weights don’t make you bulky and don’t make you look like a man. Weights make you strong, make you lose bodyfat, help you tone and give you confidence. Don’t be scared of walking into a gym because everyone starts somewhere. I remember when I first started training, I had no idea what I was doing. I started with doing some classes, then progressed to weight training on my own, eventually did my first powerlifting competition and now I’m even considering a bodybuilding competition. I love feeling strong, I love challenging myself, I love feeling amazing after.
I want people to know that things do get better, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Always stay positive and never give up. Surround yourself with positive people, take risks, go after the things you want in life, quit the job you hate, tell people how you feel, travel the world, make the most of every day because you never know when your last day is. I hope my story inspires and motivates people, even if I have an impact on one person, it would mean the world to me.
Respect to this girl!💪🙏❤
📷Instagram: Thalia Cottis https://instagram.com/deadliftsanddoughnutss?igshid=1ptd48n3zk7
📷Instagram: Greek.Girls.can https://instagram.com/greek.girls.can?igshid=6qetc150oj0g
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