My growing bump was CANCER

Amy Van Wyk looked pregnant but what lurked inside her tummy was sinister

- Amy Van Wyk

Handing the envelope to my boss, I felt a mixture of sadness and excitement at the same time. The envelope contained my letter of resignation from my job as a primary school teacher – a job I’d loved and been devoted to for two and a half years. Quitting a job I’d worked so hard for was never part of my plan, but now was the time to focus all of my energy on other aspects of my life, and one in particular: starting a family.

It was March 2016, and although I’d gone into teaching with the hope of building a family around my career, it had very quickly become the reason for me leaving. Having children meant so much to me and my husband, Marcel, then 36, that I was willing to give up everything to make it happen. Becoming a mum was my focus, but what I didn’t know then was that just living to see another day would very soon become the priority.

When Marcel and I married in July 2014, we started trying for a family straight away. But with no success over a year later, we went to the GP. We were sent for fertility tests in January 2016, and while Marcel’s results came back clear, mine showed I had ‘unexplained infertility’. We were told it affects one in five couples, and although we could keep trying, our chances of conceiving naturally were slim. While Marcel and I tried to remain positive, I started experiencing pain in my lower abdomen. I needed the loo every hour, had migraines and felt exhausted. ‘Something’s not right,’ I kept telling Marcel.

I had tested with a urologist but when the results came back inconclusive, I was confused. I felt terrible but didn’t have a clue why it was happening. On top of that, I still hadn’t fallen pregnant and was feeling lower than ever.