Danniella Westbrook has been diagnosed with womb cancer and says she’s determined to get off drugs and beat disease for sake of her kids
DANNIELLA Westbrook has revealed she’s battling womb cancer aged 44.
In an emotional interview, the former EastEnders actress said she when she received the diagnosis she was was terrified she would die like her good friend Jade Goody, who passed away from cervical cancer in 2009.
However after coming to terms with the news, Danniella said she is focusing on her two children, Kai, 21, and 16-year-old Jody, and vowed to fight the disease for them.
She told : “I’ve always said I am not scared of dying. But when the doctor said, ‘You have cancer’, straight away my thoughts turned to Jade and that I don’t want to die.”
Danniella also opened up about relapsing on drugs after the meeting with her doctor but she says she’s now determined to stay sober.
She added: “Getting this diagnosis has made me realise I don’t want to die. I want to live and sort out my health. I know I have to fight, I know I have to get up and battle it.”
In the heart-wrenching interview, Danniella revealed her family have a history of womb cancer, with her mum being diagnosed when the actress was just 15-years-old.
Next month she will undergo a hysterectomy and is anxiously waiting to find out if the cancer has spread.
Danniella started getting symptoms of womb cancer, the 4th most common cancer in women in the UK, over a year and a half ago.
She explained how she started to bleed so badly she would need to change her clothes six times a day and would have to shower constantly.
What are the symptoms of womb cancer?
The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina.
The bleeding may start as a light bleed with a watery discharge, which may get heavier over time, according to NHS Choices.
As most women who are diagnosed have been through the menopause, any vaginal bleeding will be unusual.
In women who haven’t been through the menopause, periods may be heavier than usual or women may experience bleeding between periods.
Less common symptoms include:
- pain in the lower abdomen
- pain during sex
- pain in the back
- loss of appetite
- tiredness
- nausea
After visiting a doctor, Danniella said she didn’t feel she was taken seriously and claimed the medic was unable to give her answers.
She then collapsed in June this year and was taken to hospital but again said they didn’t understand her concerns.
It was only when she returned to her second home in Spain and visited a doctor she trusted last month that she was given the diagnosis.
She flew back to England for a second opinion and Danniella said doctor finally confirmed her worst fears.
Danniella, who previously battled a £400-a-day addiction to cocaine, admitted she went on a drug fuelled binge to try and cope with the news.
However, after coming to terms with what the doctor had told her, Danniella said she is now determined to stay clean.
She also urged other women to go for regular smear tests, after admitting she had not had one in years.
Danniella added: “I’ve always said I’m not scared of dying but then when you get cancer you think ‘I don’t want to die’.
“It makes me think about my health and getting better.
“Using drugs isn’t my priority, getting to my appointments is.”
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