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TERRIFYING TRUTH
I blamed back pain on my uncomfortable bed but it turned out to be a silent killer
THE start of a relationship is an exciting time for any new couple.
There are plenty of milestones including making it official, moving in together and joint purchases for the home - but for Gemma Brown one item helped reveal a deadly illness.
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Gemma was 26 when she and new partner Michael bought their first double bed together.
Gemma, from Derby, said they had been in the honeymoon period of their relationship and it had been an exciting time.
The travel agent soon started to suffer with back pain, but just brushed it off as she thought she was adjusting to the new mattress.
But after nagging from her mum Julie, Gemma saw her GP – and was later diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Gemma, now 30, is making a full recovery but went through the menopause at 27 and can never have children.
She has lasting and devastating damage from her ordeal, but she and her partner Michael have grown closer and now are planning to get married.
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Gemma said: “Michael and I were in the honeymoon period of our relationship and buying the bed together was our first big purchase.
“I was excited when it arrived but within days the backpain started. I just blamed it on the new bed because it was a memory foam mattress.
“My mum eventually insisted I saw the doctor and I was shell-shocked when it was cancer.
“It’s been heartbreaking to find out I will never have a baby, but my illness has brought me and Michael closer together and now we’re planning to get married."
Gemma added that she now wants to make other women aware not to ignore smear test appointments.
"Don’t stick it on the fridge with a magnet like I did," she added.
Michael and Gemma met in June 2016 on a dating site and the following year they decided to buy their first double bed together, in preparation for moving into their first home.
She says: “We got a memory foam mattress which I hadn’t tried before and so when my back pain started, I blamed the mattress.
“But my pain was getting worse, and I was taking lots of painkillers. My mum persuaded me to see the GP and I was sent for tests.
“I remembered I’d had a letter for a smear test which I hadn’t followed up because I’d been so busy at work.”
In September 2017 Gemma was diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer.
THE FIVE EARLY SIGNS OF CERVICAL CANCER YOU NEED TO KNOW
Signs can include:
1. Abnormal bleeding (during or after sex, between periods and also post-menopause)
The most common and earliest sign of cervical cancer tends to be irregular bleeding.
It happens when the cancer cells grow on the tissue below the cervix.
It's an especially alarming sign in postmenopausal women who no longer have periods. There's no age limit to developing cervical cancer.
2. Unusual vaginal discharge
Everyone's discharge is different, so it's a case of knowing what is normal for you.
If you find that the colour, smell and consistency has changed, then that's something you really need to have checked out.
When cancer lacks oxygen, it can cause an infection which leads to strange smelling discharge.
3. Discomfort or pain during sex
Pain during sex can be a sign of a number of different issues, but one is cervical cancer.
Because the disease often comes with no symptoms, pain during intercourse is one of the key indicators. It can be a sign that the cancer is spreading to surrounding tissues.
4. Lower back pain
It could be down to you straining something in the gym, or it could be a warning sign that something's wrong with your reproductive organs.
Persistent pain - just one off twinges - in the lower back, pelvis or appendix can be a symptom of cervical cancer.
5. Unintended weight loss
While effortless weight loss might sound like the answer to many of our prayers, it's never a good sign if it happens seemingly without cause.
A loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss tend to be signs that the body isn't working properly - it's trying to conserve energy. If you notice that you're not eating as you normally do, go to your GP.
As the disease progresses, it can also result in:
- increased need to pee
- blood in pee
- bleeding from the bottom
- diarrhoea
- incontinence
- lower limb swelling
She says: “I was shellshocked; I was a young woman, in a new relationship. I was told I couldn’t have kids which broke my heart, and I was worried how Michael would feel.
"I told him to leave me; I felt guilty that I couldn’t give him a baby. I couldn’t even have sex for a long time.
“He was incredible, he stood by me and refused to walk away.”
Gemma underwent five rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiotherapy and two brachytherapy treatments.
She says: "The chemo was horrific. My parents and partner could hear my screams in the waiting room on the ward.”
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The treatment was a success, but Gemma faced a series of side effects.
She says: "I went through menopause at 27 years old and at 30 years old now I am just coming out the other side. I can't hold my bladder or my bowels. I experience a lot of pain and weakness.
"But I am so lucky to be alive and so grateful for the Royal Derby Hospital for their support and the work they do."
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In October, Gemma took part in a 14,000ft skydive to raise funds for the .
Michael proposed on Valentine’s Day 2018 during a holiday to Fuerteventura, and they are planning to marry this year.
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Sister Frances has to give heartbreaking news to a woman diagnosed with cervical cancer on Call the Midwife
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