After noticing symptoms in October 2023 Bridget’s GP referred her on the two-week cancer pathway. Following a transvaginal scan and a hysteroscopy over the following three months, Bridget was diagnosed with stage 1 womb cancer in February 2024 and underwent surgery in April this year.
Bridget’s story highlights the importance of early diagnosis and not putting off a visit to the doctor if you notice symptoms of womb cancer.
I feel it’s really important to share my story with you all because the earlier womb cancer is diagnosed the higher the chance you will make a full recovery. If my story can save a woman’s life, then reliving what has been a very difficult 6 months will be worth it. I also think it’s important to show women that while it can be daunting to go and see your GP about these things, it isn’t actually as bad as you think it will be, don’t be embarrassed, the doctors and nurses have seen it all before, trust me!
At the age of 56 I’d gone through the dreaded menopause and thankfully come out the other side, albeit not totally unscathed. I suffered with the usual hot flushes and brain fog, I was already suffering with dreadful anxiety, panic attacks and depression, which looking back now may well have been impacted further when the menopause came along.
I hadn’t had a period for over 3, maybe 4 years, so when I started spotting at the end of Oct 2023, albeit very light, I knew it wasn’t normal for me. I had no other symptoms, no pelvic or back pain but I knew that what I was experiencing was abnormal. I consulted Dr Google, although I was already aware that post-menopausal bleeding was a sign of cancer, I also found out that there are lots of reasons why this could be happening which put my mind at rest to a certain degree.
After 3 or 4 days of spotting I rang my GP and explained my symptoms, he referred me to my local hospital on a two-week cancer pathway! I was told not to worry, easier said than done, but they had to investigate. The following week I received an appointment for 7th Nov to see the gynaecologist. We had a chat and discussed my symptoms and my medical history; I’d had no issues with my periods prior to the menopause which was positive.
I was referred for a transvaginal scan to investigate further, the scan took place on 15th Nov. It wasn’t painful, more uncomfortable than anything and only took 10 minutes. I went back to the hospital on 28th Nov to discuss the results with the gynaecologist, the scan had identified that my womb lining was much thicker than it should have been for a woman of my age, the scan also identified a large cyst on my left ovary.
The gynaecologist wanted to investigate further so I was booked in for a hysteroscopy, due to NHS strikes etc the procedure was eventually carried out on 24th Jan 2024. I was given a general anaesthetic, because I hadn’t had children my womb opening was smaller than normal, and the procedure could be more painful, so I was happy to be asleep. The procedure is pretty straightforward, a camera is fed into the womb and enables the gynaecologist to see inside, I also had a biopsy of the womb lining at the same time. I was in hospital for a few hours and afterwards I just had light period pains and light bleeding that settled in a few days. A CT scan was carried out two days later to get a better look at the ovarian cyst. No stone was left unturned as they say.
I received an appointment for 5th February to discuss the findings. The day everyone dreads, I had convinced myself it was cancer, I know my body and I just knew something wasn’t right even though I felt absolutely fine in myself. My husband on the other hand had convinced himself it was nothing other than hormonal. We both braced ourselves. Just as I thought, I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, cancer of the womb lining. Although I had convinced myself that it was cancer, nothing quite prepares you to hear those words and it still comes as a real shock. There was also a huge question mark over the cyst, was it benign or was it cancerous, they were concerned it was the latter, double whammy!
So, where do we go from here?
The prognosis was very positive, womb cancer is one of the most treatable of the uterine cancers especially if caught early. The cancer was Grade 1 stage 1B so that was another positive. I was told that I needed a total hysterectomy including removal of the cyst.
I was assigned a Macmillan Nurse to support me through my cancer journey, a lovely lady by the name of Claire, she was very reassuring and was at the end of the phone whenever I needed her.
After a few days of processing everything I felt really positive. I was sent for an MRI scan on 25th Feb, it was OK, thankfully I don’t suffer with claustrophobia because it took 40 minutes to get all the images requested by the surgeon. I think the worst bit about that scan was the noise, even listening to music through headphones couldn’t block it out!
I just wanted this cancer out of my body, it was now a waiting game to find out when my operation would be.
Fast forward to the first week in March, I wasn’t prepared for what happened next! I started bleeding heavily, I was losing large clots of blood, and I was terrified! Long story short I ended up in A&E and I was reassured by the gynaecology nurse that this was normal for someone with womb cancer. I was given tranexamic acid intravenously to stop the bleeding and spent the next two days in hospital. I had lost a lot of blood but thankfully I didn’t need a transfusion. I was sent home with medication which I had to take until the night before my hysterectomy.
My surgery was booked for Monday 8th April, it couldn’t come soon enough! I went for a pre-op assessment where everything was explained to me, and they took some blood. I needed two iron infusions prior to my op due to the heavy bleeding I’d experienced previously but apart from that I was good to go.
Finally, operation day arrived. I wasn’t nervous I just wanted to get the cancer out of my body!
It was agreed with the surgeon that I would have full abdominal surgery as opposed to keyhole due to the size of the ovarian cyst. I went down to theatre around 3pm and after being in recovery I arrived back on the ward at 7pm. The surgeon was very happy with how the op went and was particularly pleased that he’d managed to remove the cyst in one piece.
I didn’t remember much else until the next morning. I wasn’t in too much pain when I woke, I’d been given morphine the night before which did the trick. I had breakfast and then the nurses came and got me out of bed. I won’t lie it was horrendous, I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach repeatedly, however the next morning I’m pleased to say it didn’t feel as bad and as the days went on it became so much easier. Getting out of bed and moving around soon after the op will definitely benefit you and your recovery. The worst pain I experienced was trapped wind. I had terrible bloating and wind, unfortunately it’s a common side effect of a hysterectomy and moving around helps move it as does peppermint tea, I drank loads of it but it works!
After 3 nights in hospital I was allowed home, I left hospital with a bag full of painkillers and blood thinning injections, what a joy they are! You have to inject yourself twice a day, morning and night, they’re not particularly pleasant but you do need to persevere to stop blood clots.
I felt so much better in my own surroundings. I was so tired, I hadn’t sleep too well in hospital so it was good to be back in my own bed. As much as you are told to rest and do absolutely nothing you must also get up and move about. I had almost no pain, it was more discomfort than anything else and from the day I left hospital I never took another painkiller! I have quite a high pain threshold so don’t worry if you need to continue with them for a few days once your home. You will feel tired, the first time I had a shower I felt exhausted, your body has undergone a huge trauma so you need to take it easy.
My recovery was going really well, I was up and about and could move around much more easily. After 10 days I had my staples removed, (by the nurse at my GP surgery) all 36 of them, I never felt a thing! My wound healed really well and I felt so much more comfortable without the staples.
Two weeks after my op I got the news I’d been waiting for, the cancer had gone, no sign it had spread and no sign of it in my lymph nodes, and the cyst, thankfully was benign. It was the best news, no further treatment required.
I am cancer free!
3 months on and I feel great, still being careful not to overdo things or lift anything heavy but I’m more or less back to normal. I feel incredibly lucky, and I thank the NHS for the amazing care and support I received throughout my treatment. They answered all my questions and believe me I had a lot and they reassured me when I needed it.
If caught early you can be cancer free, I’m proof of that. Yes, it can be scary and overwhelming but you are not alone. I feel extremely lucky to have the support of friends and family which helped me along the way. Macmillan are also fantastic, so don’t be afraid to reach out to them, talk to your cancer nurse about any concerns you have, I found her to be a huge support.
I hope by sharing my story it will reassure anyone that has symptoms and although it can be overwhelming there’s nothing you can’t handle through this process.
Please go and get checked out if you experience any symptoms and put aside your embarrassment, it might just save your life.
Bridget