Doctors told me to say my goodbyes, then I was thrown a lifeline.
I braced myself as I picked up the phone to my doctor.
‘You’re on the cancer pathway and will be seen soon,’ he said.
A scan had revealed a cyst in my pelvis, and I’d been waiting for the results.
He explained there was a low chance I’d be diagnosed with cancer, so I shouldn’t worry too much.
Eventually, I was seen by a specialist and told I needed complex surgery because of the location of the cyst.
‘The risks are high,’ the surgeon said, and explained I could end up losing half my bowel and using a colostomy bag.
When I came round after seven hours of surgery, the news was good.
‘We’ve removed the cyst and managed to save your bladder and bowel,’ the surgeon said.
‘Will this ever end?’
But a month later, I was called into hospital for the results of the biopsy.
‘You have Stage 1C ovarian cancer,’ a specialist said.
‘Will I need chemo?’ I asked in shock.
‘Yes,’ he replied, gently.
Chemotherapy was gruelling and the side effects were horrible. I was tired, nauseous, had a sore throat and terrible pains in my legs.
‘Will this ever end?’ I asked my husband, Phil.
‘Hang on in there,’ he replied.
After six months of chemotherapy, I had another CT scan.
‘I’m sorry, the cancer has spread to your lungs,’ the doctor said.
I sat with a nurse and cried, then drove home and broke the news to Phil.
‘This can’t be it,’ I said tearfully.
I was determined this wasn’t the end for me and researched trial drugs, but there were none suitable for my type of cancer.
I asked my consultant what he’d do if it was his wife.
‘Make the most of the time you have left,’ he said.
I knew I needed a second opinion, so I went to the world-renowned Christie Hospital in Manchester.
After many tests and scans, the doctor said, ‘There is no cancer in your lungs.’
I couldn’t believe it. The treatment had worked.
Instead, I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, a rare auto-immune disease which causes painful swellings in the lungs.
It was indescribable knowing I’d been thrown a lifeline.
I’m no longer terminally ill but I’m having to face up to living with a new disease.
Plus, I’ve lost my voice following chemotherapy treatment, because of the damage to my immune system.
I’m hopeful my it will return but for now, I’m just thankful I’m still here.
From Cassandra Wardle, of Alfreton, Derbyshire
Sarcoidosis
•What is it? A rare condition which causes small patches of swollen tissue, called granulomas, to develop in the organs of the body.
•What are the symptoms? Tender bumps on the skin, shortness of breath, a persistant cough
•What’s the treatment? In severe cases, steroid tablets or immunosuppressants
•Where can I find out more? Go to nhs.uk/conditions/sarcoidosis