Walking through the front door, I dreaded the moments ahead as my husband John, then 56, and I prepared ourselves for a difficult conversation with our daughter Steph, 21. ‘It’s bad news. I’ve got terminal cancer,’ I said. Steph looked stunned, her mouth open, and her eyes glistening. She gave me a hug, but instead of breaking down, reassured me. ‘It’ll be OK, Mum,’ she said. It was typical of Steph to be so positive, and although the odds were stacked against me, I tried my best to take inspiration from her.
‘IT WAS THEN THAT FEAR STARTED TO CREEP IN’
Just two months earlier, in April 2017, I’d started feeling unwell after lunch with friends. When I was sick that evening, I put it down to food poisoning as I’d eaten seafood. Working at a bullion house, I kept myself busy, ate well and my health was otherwise perfect. John and I had even recently been on a skiing trip to France.
But over the next few days, the sickness didn’t subside, and everything I ate came straight back up. A week later, I went to the GP and was prescribed anti-sickness tablets, but they didn’t make a difference.
Over the next few weeks, I struggled, and by June, I’d lost 2st. My eldest children from a previous relationship, Mark, then 47, and Karen, 44, were just as worried about me as Steph was. I pleaded with the doctor. He agreed to fast track tests.
I was taken aback as cancer had never crossed my mind. I tried not to worry, especially as the doctor didn’t seem concerned. The nausea and sickness meant I couldn’t have an endoscopy, and so the only option was investigative surgery.
Denne historien er fra August 10, 2021-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra August 10, 2021-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
ANITA NAIK A PROBLEM SHARED
Mum-of-two Anita Naik has been an agony aunt for 32 years
ON SAFARI IN SOUTH AFRICA
Add the wilds of Kruger National Park to your bucket list, says Amanda James
'LET'S RAISE SOME SERIOUS CASH!'
The Radio 2 DJ is among the hosts of Children In Need…
THREE WOMEN ONE DRESS
Gemma Stevens, 34, needed a wedding dress that had stood the test of time
HOW TO HAVE A SILENT NIGHT
Trouble nodding off? Waking in the early hours? Our experts can help
MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on I'm a Celeb, work attire and young drivers
I THOUGHT HE'D COME TO KILL ME
For Sally Meeson, 45, the end of a relationship was the beginning of a nightmare
Loose Women IN CRISIS
With unhappy viewers and panel fall-outs, are the key characters about to be axed?
MAGNIFICENT MAURITIUS
Pe This istand in the ut 7% Indian Ocean feels Sa: like paradise, says Charlotte Richards
I HATE BEING A MUM
One woman, 55, reveals why she resents all of the sacrifices she made to be a mother