'I knew that if I died I'd have a million regrets'

Georgie has had cancer twice but is determined to remain positive

Georgie Swallow spent her teenage years feeling insecure about her appearance.

Growing up in Iver, Buckinghamshire, she says she wasted so much time trying to lose weight.

At the age of 26 she was diagnosed with cancer, which went away but then came back.

Now aged 32, her perspective on life has changed and she is sharing her adventures on social media.

Here, in her own words, she explains why she wants people to say 'yes' to life.

'I was crying because my legs were so itchy'

Georgie tried to find the fun in chemo days and often dressed up

Growing up I was a very bouncy kid. I had a lovely childhood with an older sister and a younger sister, and lots of friends.

But as a teenager I always felt so insecure and I was constantly trying to lose weight. I now realise it was such a waste of time. If only I had known what was coming.

By the age of 24 I was quite run-down, but I thought I was just going out too much.

I kept getting colds plus I had the most itchy legs you could imagine. I was going to the doctor about that separately and was being checked for allergies and trying different creams.

I would wake up in the night crying because my legs were so itchy. I started to lose a lot of weight, but I was naively taking weight-loss supplements so I thought it was that.

By the age of 26, I was working as an executive assistant for a recruitment company. One day I was in the office and I realised I had a lump the size of a plum sticking out of my neck.

Luckily my dad had private healthcare, so I was seen by specialists quickly. It breaks my heart that there are people waiting so long for treatment. I was told if I had waited any longer there would be nothing they could do for me.

I was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma, which I later found out is the most common cancer in young adults, but I had never heard of it.

I was unbelievably lucky that it was caught just in time. I always say I am the luckiest unlucky person ever.

'The cancer came back but I was determined to stay positive'

Georgie says she has learned to make the most of the time she has

I was diagnosed on a Thursday and I was in for chemotherapy the next day. I had six months of aggressive chemo, which was really tough but I tried to find the fun and used to dress up.

The cancer initially went away but it came back after four months. I was just getting back to normal life and going back to yoga and socialising. We had booked a table at a fancy restaurant for a celebration lunch, I thought I would get the all-clear.

We decided to go for the lunch anyway and have a nice time, rather than going home and crying. This whole thing has made me realise you have to make the most of the time you have.

I needed more chemo and a stem cell transplant, which out of everything was the most traumatic thing. I had to isolate because I had no immune system and I was so weak. The treatment sent me into an early menopause and it was too late to freeze my eggs, so I was told it's almost certain I'm infertile.

But I feel very lucky to have had that treatment just before Covid happened, because my parents could be with me.

'I stopped being self-conscious'

Before Georgie was sick, she wouldn't even wear a swimming costume in front of her friends

Three months after my stem cell transplant I had a scan which showed the cancer had gone.

I recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of being cancer-free with a big party at a restaurant in Mayfair. There were 50 people there, all of whom I just love. We had a raffle and raised money for the Royal Marsden Hospital, where I've had all my treatment.

Georgie recently celebrated five years of being cancer-free with a big party in London

Going through all of this has really changed my perspective. It feels like such a privilege to still be alive and you have to be grateful for the time that you have.

Before I was sick, I was so insecure about how I looked, I wouldn't even wear a swimming costume in front of my friends. I was so self-conscious and I allowed my worries to stop me doing things.

I thought, 'If I die, I will have a million regrets.' So I made a promise to myself that I would start saying 'yes' more.

'I want to encourage people to say 'yes' to life'

Georgie has started hosting group travel trips and recently went to Peru with strangers, who became friends

When I got sick, I started sharing updates on Instagram to let my friends and family know what was going on. I didn't know anyone my age who had cancer, but it allowed me to connect with other people.

I now have nearly 100,000 followers on there and I've started working with various charities, which I love.

I have also started hosting group travel trips, called Life's For Living. They're for people who have always wanted to do something but perhaps been too scared. They are bucket list trips, where you can just meet the most amazing people.

I went to Peru in October with 14 women - none of us knew each other beforehand. Everyone had a reason to be there and we really bonded. It was the most incredible 10 days.

We are all going to Colombia, Costa Rica and more together. The trips are an opportunity for people of all ages to say 'yes' to something they were not sure about.

I am still having scans now every year and have had to have a few extra scans and check-ups recently. I've also had a couple of mini strokes recently, but I'm cracking on and I'm so grateful for the time I've been given.

I wish I could go back and shake young Georgie and say, 'Stop wasting time on trying to lose weight.' There is so much more to life than worrying about what your body looks like.

We all have our insecurities and worries and fears, but you need to drown those voices out. Wear the bikini. Do the things that you have always wanted to do.

Make the memories with the people you love and don't let the little things get in the way. Say 'yes' to life.

As told to Charlie Jones.