a woman of the United Kingdom suffered “prolonged, heavy periods” and “a lot of pain” after giving birth for the second time in 2016. She went to the doctor back then, but was told her symptoms were because her body was still adjusting after being a mother .
The specialists recommended Kelly Pendry using birth control pills or an IUD to try to control her period and even prescribed antidepressants, but nothing helped.
Mira: She did not stop yawning, she went to the doctor and the diagnosis devastated her: “I started crying immediately”
“Some days I was doubled over in pain. The days that she wasn’t bleeding were fewer than the days that she was. She was gaining weight without explanation. She had her abdomen very, very swollen.”said the British in conversation with the BBC.
Several years later, in 2020, a doctor Kelly describes as a “hero” learned that his situation was concerning when he felt some lumps in your abdomen.
“For the first time someone validated something”he remembered. “The doctor said, ‘how can you take it?’ I said, ‘I’m not taking it’”. So they diagnosed benign fibroids.
The pandemic made their situation even worse
Although she was told that a hysterectomy was the best procedure, she was unable to undergo any treatment due to the pandemic. The surgery never took place.
Unfortunately, the cancer progressed and in June 2021 Kelly was bleeding every day, while the swelling in her abdomen made her “look like a nine month pregnant woman”.
A few months later, following a lung biopsy, the mother of two was newly diagnosed with leiomiosarcoma. However, it was already too late because the pathology was in stage four and terminal. “A nurse told me not to make plans for Christmas”he pointed.
After receiving the terrible news, she decided to see an oncologist who would do everything possible to treat her cancer despite its advanced stage.
“He asked us what we wanted and we told him time. As long as humanly possible.”indicated. “I said, ‘I can’t bear the thought of not being around for milestones. [de los niños]’, silly things like first boyfriends, girlfriends, graduations”.
Hope your case helps other people
Almost a year after the treatment ended, Kelly claims to suffer some side effects such as tiredness, hot flashes, aches and painsbut he says they don’t compare to the pain he had before.
For his part, Michael, patient’s husband, soon she will start a 290 kilometer run to raise resources to pay for the hysterectomy she needs.
“We just want the kids to know that we tried everything we could. I think that would bring them great comfort.”concludes the mother, hoping that her experience will help others.
She hopes that her story “reach someone in the early stages of the disease and make them say, ‘I want more tests or I’d like a referral’”.
“We are starting to talk about women’s health, menopause, periods”add. “My hope is that this improves”.
It should be added that leiomyosarcoma, according to the US National Cancer Instituteis a type of malignant cancerous tumor that develops in the smooth muscles of the body, for example, in the abdomen, pelvis or uterus, just as it happened to Kelly Pendry.