In 2021, Kathryn’s struggle started when she was admitted to the hospital due to excruciating abdominal pain.

In 2021, Kathryn’s struggle started when she was admitted to the hospital due to excruciating abdominal pain.
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.”
Two and a half years ago, neither Annie or Jim had heard of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). In November 2017, Jim was diagnosed with a high-grade appendix tumour that was the first stage of the disease.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare and uncommon cancer.
On March 1st 2016, I was admitted to hospital with abdominal pain and operated on the next day. The surgeon found a tumour in my appendix and mucin throughout my abdomen. My story is about what happened next, my surgery, coping with the stress and the positives that came out of it.
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!
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.
Following an abnormal smear, I was referred to my local gynaecological oncology centre where an ultrasound scan revealed a complex mass believed to be ovarian in nature.
Lauren was diagnosed with PMP following her 20-week prenatal ultrasound.
In the summer of 2008, after having pains in my side, which turned out to be gallstones, and not feeling at all well I went to see my doctor who sent me to Bristol General Hospital to have an ultrasound scan. During the examination, the radiologist was rather puzzled by, as she said ‘a fluid in my stomach’.