Latest news with #Halan
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I felt an 'electric shock' kissing my husband one morning. It was the only symptom of a silent cancer no one talks about
Sarah Susak was getting ready for work one morning, applying her makeup in the bathroom mirror, when her husband Halan popped his head around the door. As he gave Sarah a goodbye kiss, a zap startled her.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Cancer stole HALF my smile – I can feel hairs growing inside my mouth after my leg and foot were used to rebuild my face
A WOMAN had her face rebuilt with her leg and foot after she lost half her smile to an aggressive cancer that started in her mouth. Sarah Susak, 48, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer after a "sharp electrical current" zinged through her mouth after giving her husband a peck in 2017. 7 The mum, who had given birth to a daughter a year and a half earlier after gruelling IVF, was told she'd need to have her face and palate taken apart to stop the aggressive cancer from spreading to the rest of her body. Surgeons then used her leg and foot to reconstruct her palate, leaving her with half a smile and hairs growing inside her mouth - but a smile nonetheless. 'When I was told they were going to do open face surgery to remove the tumour, I was told I would lose my eye and my hearing,' the 48-year-old mum-of-one explained. 'I gave them permission to do whatever they needed to save me. I came out with missing teeth as they took half my palate. "They used the skin from my leg to build my new palate - I can feel the leg hairs still growing inside my mouth. 'They used my fibula in my leg to rebuild my jaw and veins from my feet to connect muscles. "It was amazing how many different parts of my body they used to rebuild my face.' Sarah's health battle began in 2017 when she experienced her first and only symptom of head cancer – sparked by her husband, Halan, giving her a kiss. 'He kissed me, and I felt like this really sharp electrical current,' the corporate affairs executive from Sydney, Australia, recalls. 'We were joking, 'We've got chemistry!' But I did think, 'That is weird.'' My TV interview revealed tooth gap - it led to a cancer diagnosis The tingling sensation refused to go away, and after a week, Sarah visited her doctor. She was at first told she had neuralgia, severe facial pain caused by compressed nerves. But when her symptoms failed to improve, Sarah was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who discovered a large tumour growing inside her mouth. 'I opened my mouth and, immediately, he could see the tumour. I can't believe I never noticed it or even felt it,' she said. 7 7 Sarah had a biopsy and was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma – a rare and aggressive form of head and neck cancer that tends to develop in the salivary glands. She was told there was a high likelihood the cancer would spread to other parts of her body following treatment - meaning her her life could be prolonged with treatment but not saved. A year and a half earlier, Sarah and Halan had welcomed their miracle daughter, Stella, after enduring a gruelling eight rounds of IVF. Sarah feared her daughter would grow up without a mum but refused to accept her bleak prognosis. She decided to undergo surgery to remove the tumour, which took 19 hours and was followed with months of radiotherapy. The treatment caused bone tissue in Sarah's jaw to start dying and she spent five years in and out of ICU and hospital wards, including months isolated away from her family, before doctors confirmed the cancer was finally in remission. Healing after 'chaos' This was not the end of Sarah's ordeal as, seven years later, the cancer returned, emerging as a small lesion inside one of her lungs. The growth was removed via surgery, and Sarah was told she would not need radiotherapy. But Sarah was blindsided once again — this time by a sudden, chilling sensation that swept across her entire body one week after surgery. 'I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes. Every surface I touched felt numb,' she recalled. 'I took myself to the emergency room, but the hospital dismissed me as having a panic attack.' Over five days, Sarah's condition worsened and she had to demand to be seen by a surgeon. 'My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. My husband was in tears, and within four hours, I was completely paralysed from my neck down,' she said. 'I couldn't breathe, so I had intubation, then a tracheotomy, and I was in ICU for many weeks.' 7 Sarah was suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) – a rare neurological disorder where the body's immune system turns on the nervous system. The cause of GBS is not fully understood but is believed to be triggered by a viral or bacterial infection. Sarah fell unconscious for four days, was put on life support, and her panicked family were told to prepare for the worst. When she woke up, doctors warned her she would be in hospital for at least a year but remarkably, she was able to leave hospital after two and a half months. She had to learn to walk and even swallow again over the following six months. Sarah found strength and comfort in Vedic meditation, a mantra-based tradition which is thousands of years old. 'Meditation enabled me to deal with the constant ups and downs that I had for all those years of my life after my initial surgery,' Sarah said. 'I had so many issues between the first cancer and the second metastasis including face pain, radio necrosis, infections and major fatigue. "I found that my meditation was really the key enabler for me to be able to deal with all that chaos around me and contribute to my own ability to self-heal.' Alongside her role as a general manager of corporate affairs, Sarah has also launched her own business, Medi Steady Go®, where she teaches others about Vedic meditation. She also wrote a book about her health journey and the fundamentals of the practice in her new book, called YOURU: Find the Guru within You. The cover features Sarah beaming directly at the reader. 'As an author, I thought, 'How can I stand out on a bookshelf?'' she said. 'So I thought, well... I'll just smile.'
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Mum felt funny when kissing husband before deadly diagnosis
A woman experienced what she described as an "electric shock" sensation when kissing her husband, only to discover that this unusual symptom was a warning sign of cancer. Prior to undergoing surgery, 48-year-old Sarah Susak was informed that a substantial portion of her head would be removed. She recalled: "When I was told they were going to do open face surgery to remove the tumour, I was told I would lose my eye and my hearing. "I gave them permission to do whatever they needed to save me. I came out with missing teeth as they took half my palate. They used the skin from my leg to build my new palate - I can feel the leg hairs still growing inside my mouth. "They used my fibula in my leg to rebuild my jaw and veins from my feet to connect muscles. It was amazing how many different parts of my body they used to rebuild my face." Sarah's health ordeal began in 2017 when she noticed her first and only symptom of head cancer – a sharp sensation when her husband, Halan, kissed her. The strange tingling persisted, leading Sarah to consult her doctor after a week. Initially misdiagnosed as neuralgia; a condition where pain results from pressure on nerves, her symptoms didn't improve. She was then referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who discovered a large growth inside her face. Sarah said: "I opened my mouth and, immediately, he could see the tumour. I can't believe I never noticed it or even felt it." Following a biopsy, Sarah was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma – a rare and aggressive form of head and neck cancer that often grows silently and can be challenging to treat due to its propensity to invade nerves. She was informed that there was a high chance the cancer would metastasise to other parts of her body post-treatment, indicating a prognosis that could extend her life but not cure her. A year and a half earlier, Sarah and Halan had celebrated the birth of their miracle daughter, Stella, after enduring eight challenging rounds of IVF. Despite refusing to accept her grim prognosis, Sarah confessed to experiencing severe anxiety, haunted by the fear that her daughter might have to grow up without her mother. With an interest in holistic health, she sought advice from a wellness guru she followed on Instagram to help manage her anxiety. This guru also connected her with doctors in India who recommended surgery to remove the tumour – advice she followed. The operation to excise the tumour lasted 19 hours and was succeeded by months of radiotherapy, which unfortunately led to osteoradionecrosis; a severe complication causing the bone tissue in Sarah's jaw to begin dying. She spent five years alternating between ICU and hospital wards, including periods isolated from her family, until doctors finally confirmed her cancer was in remission. However, seven years later, the cancer reappeared – manifesting as a small lesion inside one of her lungs. The growth was surgically removed, and Sarah was told that she wouldn't need radiotherapy. Believing she was at last free to rebuild her life, Sarah was caught off guard once more - this time by a sudden, icy sensation sweeping across her entire body just a week after surgery. She said: "I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes. Every surface I touched felt numb. I took myself to the emergency room, but the hospital dismissed me as having a panic attack." Over the next five days, Sarah's health deteriorated significantly, and she had to fight to be taken seriously. Eventually, she found herself lying in a hospital corridor, insisting on being examined by a surgeon, before taking a severe turn for the worse. "My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. My husband was in tears, and within four hours, I was completely paralysed from my neck down, I couldn't breathe, so I had intubation, then a tracheotomy, and I was in ICU for many weeks." Sarah's battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare condition where the body's immune system assaults the nervous system, was a nightmare no one saw coming. The roots of GBS remain somewhat a mystery, often associated with previous viral or bacterial infections. During her strenuous ordeal, Sarah slipped into unconsciousness for four terrifying days, found herself on life support, and her family braced for the darkest outcomes. Defying expectations, Sarah emerged from her coma only to hear prognoses of a year-long hospital stay, however her fighting spirit saw her discharged just after two and a half months. Her journey didn't end there, though; six more months of rehabilitation outside the hospital taught her to walk and even swallow once again. Throughout her recovery, Sarah expressed deep gratitude for the medical care she received. However, she credits her life's turnaround to the practice of Vedic meditation, an ancient tradition rooted in the use of mantras. "Meditation enabled me to deal with the constant ups and downs that I had for all those years of my life after my initial surgery." Sarah battled multiple complications, ranging from facial pain and radio necrosis to infections and immense fatigue following her first bout of cancer and its metastasis later. For Sarah, it was the art of meditation that became her sanctuary amid chaos, fostering her extraordinary capacity for self-healing .Aside from her corporate responsibilities as a general manager, Sarah has pioneered her venture, Medi Steady Go®, aiming to impart her knowledge of calming the nervous system to others through the teachings that dramatically transformed her life. Embrace the power of Vedic meditation. She chronicles her extraordinary health journey and introduces the fundamentals of the practice in her new book, YOURU: Find the Guru within You, out next month. The cover features Sarah beaming directly at the reader - a bold, radiant smile that defies everything she's endured. "As an author, I thought, 'How can I stand out on a bookshelf?'" she says. "So I thought, well... I'll just smile." YOURU: Find the Guru within You is available to pre-order globally now via
Wales Online
16-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Woman who got 'shock' when she kissed husband needed half of face removed
Woman who got 'shock' when she kissed husband needed half of face removed Doctors used Sarah's leg to rebuild her jaw and she says she can feel hairs 'growing inside her mouth' Sarah faced multiple surgeries and health battles as well as IVF A woman who got an 'electric shock' when she kissed her husband was told the symptom was cancer. Before surgery, Sarah Susak, 48, was told she would lose a significant part of her head. She said: 'When I was told they were going to do open face surgery to remove the tumour, I was told I would lose my eye and my hearing. 'I gave them permission to do whatever they needed to save me. I came out with missing teeth as they took half my palate. They used the skin from my leg to build my new palate - I can feel the leg hairs still growing inside my mouth. They used my fibula in my leg to rebuild my jaw and veins from my feet to connect muscles. It was amazing how many different parts of my body they used to rebuild my face.' Sarah's health battle began in 2017 when she experienced her first and only symptom of head cancer – when her husband, Halan, gave her a kiss. 'He kissed me, and I felt like this really sharp electrical current.'We were joking, 'We've got chemistry!' But I did think, 'That is weird.'' The tingling sensation refused to go away, and after a week, Sarah visited her doctor who misdiagnosed the condition as neuralgia; a condition where pain is caused by one part of the body putting pressure on a nerve or set of nerves. But when it failed to improve, Sarah was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who discovered a large growth growing inside her face. Sarah had to have parts of her face removed and rebuilt 'I opened my mouth and, immediately, he could see the tumour. I can't believe I never noticed it or even felt it,' she says. Sarah had a biopsy and was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma – a rare and aggressive form of head and neck cancer that often grows silently and can be difficult to treat due to its tendency to invade nerves. She was told there was a high likelihood the cancer would spread to other parts of her body following treatment meaning her prognosis was one that meant her life could be prolonged but not saved. A year and a half earlier, Sarah and Halan welcomed their miracle daughter, Stella, after enduring a gruelling eight rounds of IVF. While Sarah refused to accept her bleak prognosis, she admits she suffered extreme anxiety and feared her daughter would grow up without a mother. She was interested in holistic health and turned to a wellness guru she followed on Instagram for advice on combating her anxiety. He also put her in touch with doctors in India who urged her to undergo surgery to remove the tumour – advice she followed. The procedure to remove the tumour took 19 hours and was followed by months of radiotherapy, which ultimately caused osteoradionecrosis; a serious complication that caused Sarah's bone tissue in her jaw to start to die. She spent five years in and out of ICU and hospital wards, including months isolated away from her family, before doctors confirmed the cancer was finally in remission. Seven years later, the cancer returned – emerging as a small lesion inside one of her lungs. The growth was removed via surgery, and Sarah was told she would not need radiotherapy. Believing she was finally free to rebuild her life, Sarah was blindsided once again — this time by a sudden, chilling sensation one week after a surgery that swept across her entire body. 'I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes. Every surface I touched felt numb,' she recounts. 'I took myself to the emergency room, but the hospital dismissed me as having a panic attack.' Over five days, Sarah's condition worsened, and she had to battle to be taken seriously. Ultimately, she lay in a corridor at the hospital and demanded to be seen by a surgeon. At this point her condition took a drastic turn. 'My eyes were rolling in the back of my head. My husband was in tears, and within four hours, I was completely paralysed from my neck down,' she recalls. 'I couldn't breathe, so I had intubation, then a tracheotomy, and I was in ICU for many weeks.' Sarah was suffering from Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) – a rare neurological disorder where the body's immune system turns on the nervous system. The cause of GBS is not fully understood but is believed to be triggered by a viral or bacterial infection. Amid this health battle, Sarah fell unconscious for four days, was put on life support, and her panicked family were told to prepare for the worst. When she woke up, doctors warned her she would be in hospital for at least a year but remarkably, she fought so hard she was able to leave hospital after two and a half months. Sarah felt a shock when she kissed her husband Article continues below Her recovery took six months as an out-patient and involved learning how to walk and even swallow again. Sarah is grateful for all the medical help she has had. But she believes she owes her life and survival to Vedic meditation, a mantra-based tradition which is thousands of years old. 'Meditation enabled me to deal with the constant ups and downs that I had for all those years of my life after my initial surgery,' Sarah insists. I had so many issues between the first cancer and the second metastasis including face pain, radio necrosis, infections and major fatigue. I found that my meditation was really the key enabler for me to be able to deal with all that chaos around me and contribute to my own ability to self-heal.' Alongside her role as a general manager of corporate affairs, Sarah has also launched her own business, Medi Steady Go®, where she teaches others how to de-excite their nervous system and embrace the power of Vedic meditation. Sarah with her daughter She chronicles her extraordinary health journey and introduces the fundamentals of the practice in her new book, YOURU: Find the Guru within You, out next month. The cover features Sarah beaming directly at the reader - a bold, radiant smile that defies everything she's endured. 'As an author, I thought, 'How can I stand out on a bookshelf?'' she says. 'So I thought, well... I'll just smile.' YOURU: Find the Guru within You is available to pre-order globally now via
