. I was totally crushed but, surrounded by my loving family, I felt ready to tackle it. I went straight into survivor mode as the doctor explained the plan.After struggling to get doctors to take me seriously for so long, I was suddenly sitting in a chair about to have chemotherapy.
I endured nine weeks of chemotherapy treatment followed by an operation, called radical debulking surgery, to remove my womb, cervix, fallopian tubes, ovaries, a lymph node leading to my heart, my peritoneum and a huge part of my diaphragm. My liver and bowel had to be checked. I was single at the time and children hadn’t been something I’d had on my mind before the diagnosis. As a girl I’d always imagined that one day I’d become a mother – and I still hope to, just in a different way.
We set 26 August 2019 as our wedding date. As we excitedly prepared for our big day, that April, a routine CT scan of my abdomen picked up a possible sign of cancer recurrence. A small tumour was found behind my bowel. Determined chemo was not going to stop me, I continued working as a primary school teacher all the way through treatment, had my hen party – a peaceful trip to a farm cottage where we played games – then my wonderful siblings surprised me with a trip to Paris for the weekend.We married at The Waldorf Hilton hotel, London, with 300 family and friends watching, who all knew that we’ve both battled cancer and won. It was truly special.