A WOMAN woman has shared how her extreme menstrual pains and bloating lead to doctors having to remove eight of her organs.
Faye Louise, 39, had already suffered from heavy periods for years and had been prescribed mefenamic acid to ease the pain.
Jam Press/faye.louiseukFaye Louise suffered from heavy periods for years but she grew concerned when her discomfort lasted much longer than usual[/caption]
Jam Press/faye.louiseukFaye Louise was diagnosed with rare pseudomyxoma peritonei and had to have eight of her organs removed[/caption]
Jam Press/faye.louiseukFaye Louise’s lost her mum to bowel cancer two years ago and she thought this was “history repeating itself”[/caption]
But she grew worried in March 2023 when usual discomfort lasted much longer than usual, extending a week before and after her period.
Visiting her GP, she was referred to Redhill Hospital for an ultrasound and CT scan.
While awaiting the results she collapsed and was rushed to hospital where doctors told the 39-year-old from West Sussex she had a 17cm cyst on her left ovary, that was growing into her stomach.
Tests also suggested some swelling in her appendix, so surgeons decided to remove it at the same time as taking out the mass to prevent any further issues.
While the cyst turned out to be benign, doctors made a shock discovery while Faye Louise was on the operating table.
They found a cancerous tumour on the wall of her appendix.
“There was no indication of any cancer at all before the operation,” Faye Louise, a flight dispatcher and model, who shares her ongoing journey with her 30,000 followers (@faye .louiseuk), told Jam Press.
“[When they told me after surgery], felt like my world came crashing down.
“I lost my mum to bowel cancer two years ago, so my initial thought was this is it for me – history is repeating itself.
“I had panic attacks frequently.
“It was honestly the worst days and weeks of my life.
“I was looking at funeral plans and telling my partner Will I wouldn’t live to see 45 or 50.”
Surgeons had been forced to leave the mass inside Faye Louise’s body to prevent it from rupturing and leaking cells into her other organs.
While the cancer was benign at the time, there was the risk of it breaking through her appendix wall and becoming an extremely rare and malignant cancer known as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).
Unfortunately for Faye Louise, the tumour ruptured, spreading low-grade mucinous neoplasm around her body.
She was diagnosed with potentially fatal PMP.
Faye Louise was referred to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in September 2023, which specialises in this type of complicated cancer.
She said: “My consultant showed me my scans and told me the cancer had spread around the peritoneal area (the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity).
“He told me the proposed treatment was a very extensive operation and said they would have to remove multiple organs.
“Heated chemotherapy would then be applied directly into the abdomen.
“It’s the magic potion that kills off any cancer the surgeons can’t see.”
Faye Louise had her operation in November and had eight organs removed including her gallbladder, spleen, appendix, small bowel (which was rejoined to her colon), ovaries, uterus, and part of her liver, plus peritoneal abdominal cavity.
Thankfully, the operation was successful and she is now cancer-free.
But the journey to recovery has been a tough one.
Faye Louise is supported by her partner, Will, 30, and gets plenty of cuddles from their beloved dog Neville.
She said: “I will now have a three-to-six-month recovery period at home.
“So far, it’s been very painful and very difficult.
“I am sleeping a lot and on oral morphine for pain relief.
“I ended up with 65 staples and left the hospital 10 kg lighter.
“I’m in early menopause now, so I will have to take hormone replacement therapy.
“I will also have to have follow-up scans annually to make sure there’s no reoccurrence.”
But the 39-year said she just wants to look towards the future.
“I’m excited to spend Christmas with my family and I want to cherish every moment in my life.
“I feel like I have stared death in the face.
“I had cancer for four to five years before I was diagnosed and had no idea, with no symptoms.
“Some days I just can’t believe I’ve been through this and it all started with a cyst.”
Faye Louise is also determined to raise awareness for low-grade mucinous neoplasm and highlight the phenomenal work of Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital.
She has shared every step of her journey with her followers and is eager to raise awareness of her extremely rare type of tumour, known as a pseudomyxoma.
Faye Louise added: “The team at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital are amazing.
I can’t possibly thank them enough.
“They made me cancer free which is something that felt impossible when I first got diagnosed.
“I’m home now but I think mentally it will take me some time to recover from this ordeal.”
“It still feels too good to be true that I’m cancer-free.”
Jam Press/faye.louiseukThankfully, Faye’s Louise’s operation was successful and she is now cancer-free[/caption]
She has a long recovery process ahead and is being supported by her partner Will and dog NevilleJam Press/faye.louiseuk
Symptoms of pseudomyxoma peritonei
Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a very rare type of cancer that usually begins in the appendix as a small growth called a polyp.
More rarely, it can start in:
Other parts of the bowel
The ovaries
The bladder
Cancer Research UK said this polyp eventually spreads through the wall of your appendix or wherever else it starts.
It then spreads cancerous cells to the abdominal cavity lining – the cells produce mucus.
The mucus collects in the abdomen as a jelly like fluid called mucin, which is why PMP is sometimes called ‘Jelly Belly’.
Some people won’t have PMP symptoms and in women it can be confused with ovarian cancer.
Symptoms can include:
Abdominal or pelvic pain
Not being able to become pregnant
Abdominal swelling and bloating
Changes in bowel habits
Hernia – this is a bulge in the tummy wall or groin)
Loss of appetite
Feeling of fullness