'My son turned two - then I was diagnosed with cancer'

A mum diagnosed with ovarian cancer just after her son’s second birthday is urging others to be aware of the symptoms.

Emily Prescott, 26, had suffered with abdominal pain and bleeding after the birth of her second child, and was diagnosed with endometriosis. The condition develops when cells similar to those in the womb grow in other parts of the abdomen.

Surgery provided a temporary relief, but the pain returned two weeks later and a biopsy revealed she had stage two ovarian cancer. Researchers believe women with endometriosis may be at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Emily, from Margate, said: “People thought I was too young, and it was really difficult to hear the words ‘you’ve got cancer’, especially when my children were so little.

“I just wanted it gone, so I had a full hysterectomy three weeks later, and six weeks after that I started chemotherapy.

“I wasn’t going to let it stop me; I needed to get back to normal for my children.”

Mum-of-two Emily continued to volunteer for Margate Ambulance Corps during her treatment, and was supported by friends and family.

But she faced challenges that patients diagnosed later in life may not, including having to pay for extra childcare.

She said: “My family, friends, and the staff at my children’s nursery were fantastic, but I always felt so ill the first week of a chemotherapy treatment.

“I couldn’t do anything so I had to pay for extra days in nursery, or to cover my treatment days, and there was no help for that.

“I had good support from charity Target Ovarian Cancer, and the team at the Viking Day Unit at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate were amazing.

“My chemo nurse was Gemma Reeves who is brilliant. She was so lovely and caring and really looked after me.”

Emily is now officially in remission, and is sharing her story for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month this month.

She said: “My symptoms were bloating, back pain, and abdominal pain, as well as bleeding, and no one thought it could possibly be cancer.

“But it doesn’t matter how old you are, cancer can affect anyone.

“It’s really important to speak up if you are worried, because the earlier it is diagnosed the better your chances will be. Don’t think it’s nothing just because of your age.”

Other symptoms of ovarian cancer include a reduced appetite or feeling full quickly after eating, and urinary symptoms including needing to wee more urgently or more often.

You can read more about ovarian cancer at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ovarian-cancer/