As I stood in my surgeon’s office, he put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face the window. ‘I want you to walk out of here and don’t look back,’ he said. ‘You’re all clear.’ I felt a wave of relief wash over me and the biggest smile crept onto my face. Five years earlier, at the age of 56, I’d been diagnosed with bowel cancer. I’d been waiting and praying for this day to come.
Following an operation to remove my sigmoid colon, I’d had regular scans and check-ups and now, in January 2020, I was relieved to see the back of cancer.
My sisters Betty, then 68, Jane, 66, and Kate, 65, were delighted for me and I couldn’t wait to get back to normality, working as a senior civil servant and living by myself in my beautiful home with a big garden where I kept chickens, bees and fish. I was just so grateful to have my life back. But then, just two weeks after being told I was all clear, I started to feel unwell.
I kept coming out in sweats and had a pain in my left side. I saw my GP and, to my disbelief, blood tests showed an alarming spike in cancer markers. ‘There has to be a mistake,’ I kept thinking.
I was referred back to hospital and, after scans and tests, I had an appointment with a surgeon, who told me 60% of my liver was cancerous. I went numb with shock as he showed me an image of the scan. ‘How long can I live with a liver like this?’ I asked. ‘Two months,’ he replied, gravely. I felt sick as he explained that he didn’t think surgery was an option.
NOTHING TO LOSE
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2024-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra April 29, 2024-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
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
