When Christine W Shaw was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma - a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system - she thought it was the worst news she could ever get. That was until, more than 20 years later, her 11-year-old son George was diagnosed with leukaemia.
'I cannot explain how I felt when the doctor told me. I was physically sick and heard myself screaming,' says the 57-year-old from Nottingham. 'It had taken most of my adult life to have my two boys and now I could potentially lose one of them. The fact we are both here today is just incredible - it's something I'm grateful for every single day?
Christine met husband Steve, now 61, back in 1983, when she was 16 and he was 20. Even then, they both knew they wanted children. After five years together, they began trying. Yet Christine suffered from a series of health problems and was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows outside of the uterus, sometimes causing infertility.
They tried a course of IVF i 1996 but doctors decided she wasn't well enough to have th fertilised embryos implanted. 'It was devastating - all I wanted was to become a mum, yet it felt like our chanc had been snatched away. We were right back at the start, Christine remembers.
Then, in February 2004, when Christine was washing her hair in the bath, she felt a small, hard lump on her neck. A week later it had grown, so she saw her GP, who referred her for a biopsy. When Steve went with her to get the results, they were much worse than they could have imagined. 'I couldn't believe it when the consultant told me it was cancer. He said we'd caught it in the early stages and that I'd need chemotherapy, Christine explains.
Esta historia es de la edición March 12, 2024 de Woman's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 12, 2024 de Woman's Weekly.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Patchwork PROJECTS
Easy ideas to show off English paper-piecing techniques
Night train to BERLIN
Germany's exciting and varied capital is now reachable by train from the UK
French FANCY
Raymond Blanc's right-hand man, Benoit Blin's favourite bakes
Are you missing out on BENEFITS?
Here's how to find out what you are eligible for
TRAY bien
All-in-one tray bakes, packed with flavour
We took a grown-up GAP YEAR!
Who says taking time out is just for students?
'I'm obsessed with reality TV!'
THIS WEEK'S COLUMNIST Author and presenter Louise Minchin
What to eat and do for A HEALTHIER GUT
Fix those problems and boost your wellbeing
Picture palaces
In an age of cinema complexes, we celebrate five historic and beautiful picture houses that have stood the test of time
'My diet during Bake Off is cake and alcohol!'
Dame Prue Leith on the popular baking contest