“Because of my uncertain prognosis, I am keen to make lots of memories with my children, but now have limited income due to my inability to work as many hours as I used to.”
Survivor’s Story articles
My overnight hospital stay eventually turned out to be 17 nights!
I was informed that I had pseudomyxoma perintonei (the nurse had to write it down for me) and they were referring me to The Christie specialist cancer hospital in Manchester.
Only 3 or 4 people per year are diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei
Late in 2020, I went to A&E with stomach pains. I had a CT scan which showed a mass in my pelvic cavity the size of a grapefruit.
I was diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei
I had a ten-hour operation in 2015 for bowel and bladder cancer. Three years later, I was diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).
I was shocked by my pseudomyxoma peritonei diagnosis
Being diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei (or PMP) came as a huge shock. It was discovered accidentally as my usual yearly bloods showed abnormalities.
Don’t let a cancer diagnosis mean waiting and delaying become habits
Following a major operation in September to remove my left ovary, a cyst, my appendix and litres of mucinous jelly from my abdomen, in November I received the horrible news that I definitely had cancer. We didn’t know which cancer, whether it was mucinous ovarian cancer or pseudomyxoma peritonei (or PMP). I was told we could wait several months for a final diagnosis.
In sickness and in health
On the 4th May 1974, we married in the beautiful Christchurch Priory which was then Hampshire and is now Dorset, to have and to hold from this day forward. I didn’t realise how important the words in our vows “in sickness and in health” were at the time.
I feel so lucky for family love and care
In 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I had cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC at the Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital.
I found out I had an appendix tumour during my c-section
Oh, there’s an issue with your appendix. We’ll need to get another surgeon across to remove your appendix. There seems to be a tumour-like growth on your appendix and there is mucous leaking around your abdomen.”
A grant from Pseudomyxoma Survivor helped me
I am so grateful for the grant from Pseudomyxoma Survivor which I received. It has helped me financially during such a difficult time.
I’m now on ‘watch and wait’ following a diagnosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei
For me, it all started with blood in my urine and an increase in the size of my stomach. In retrospect, I could feel the mucin moving when I walked. Now I’m on ‘watch and wait’.
I had abdominal pain and a small hard lump to the left
When I had abdominal pain and a small hard lump to the left, thought to be IBS playing up and that I needed to get it under control. It wasn’t that simple.