I was experiencing shortness of breath and my sides ached when walking around, nothing specific. I had an ultrasound which showed a large tumour which was confirmed by MRI. I had surgery at my local hospital to remove a tumour the size of a football and my diagnosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) was confirmed.
Around 18 months later, after tumours had started to reappear, I went to Froedtert and Dr Samuel Pappas carried out a full cytoreduction and HIPEC¹. When Dr Pappas left Froedtert for another position, my case was turned over to Dr Turaga. Both wonderful doctors. There isn’t a history of cancer in my family and I certainly hadn’t heard of PMP or appendix cancer before. I was lucky that I had my friends and family as my primary support. I had a ‘go, get it‘ attitude. This whole thing was hardest on my children. They were worried about their primary support person (emotionally and financially) possibly not surviving.
As someone who has survived for over six years, I want to assure others that it is possible to recover and lead a fulfilling life after a diagnosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). While my recovery was challenging, I fortunately didn’t experience many of the common complications associated with PMP. My advice to others is to seek out a specialist as soon as possible, as it may prevent the need for multiple surgeries. It’s important to maintain a positive attitude throughout the journey. I highly recommend a website that provides a comprehensive summary of information on PMP, which can be a valuable resource for individuals and their loved ones.
–Carol
HIPEC
HIPEC – Heated IntraPEritoneal Chemotherapy: heated chemotherapy, delivered directly into the abdomen, after complete cytoreduction.
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Just when your life is going well, things are sent to mix it all up
Ruth was ignored by her GP until she asked to be referred to a gynaecologist.
Too young for cancer
It’s tough being only 20 years old and an appendix cancer patient at that. Mainly because no one expects or even wants to believe you could even end up developing cancer, and the worst culprits are medical professionals. True, the odds are so low it’s a waste of time to even bother, but that ‘waste of time’ could have cost me my life!
My PMP journey and why I’m doing my bit to raise awareness
I was diagnosed with PMP aged 32, after many months of stomach pains, bloating, constipation and irregular periods. After numerous trips to my GP, which led to an ultrasound and eventually a CT scan, I was told I had a nine centimetre tumour on my appendix which had burst and leaked cancerous mucin into my abdominal cavity.
Almost four years after my first HIPEC, I’m going for my second the end of March. Survived my first, the second should be a piece of cake, right?!? I thank God everyday for the miracles that doctors can accomplish. PMP isn’t fun, but it’s survivable and I plan on enjoying life after!
Good Luck Leanne!
Prayers are with you. You got this.