I assumed my stomach cramps were down to my period… but they turned out to be an ultra-rare cancer which left me planning my own funeral in my 30s
A woman who believed her stomach cramps were due to her period has opened up about her shock cancer diagnosis.
Faye Louise, from West Sussex, ended up having six of her organs removed to stay alive.
At one point, the 39-year-old feared her disease — an incredibly rare tumor that starts in the appendix — would kill her and ended up planning her own funeral.
Faye Louise has now been declared cancer-free and is urging other women with similar symptoms to have them checked. And now she has entered early menopause after having her uterus removed.
A few years ago, she started experiencing severe menstrual cramps, on either side of her actual period.
It was only when she started experiencing pain at other times during the month – described as a sharp, persistent stabbing pain – that she started to think something was wrong.
Faye Louise, from West Sussex, suffered from severe menstrual cramps a few years ago and was referred by her GP for an ultrasound in the spring
The 39-year-old, who works as a flight coordinator and model, was shocked when doctors told her she had a 17cm cyst in her left ovary
Faye Louise, who works as a flight coordinator and model, went to a GP, who initially attributed her pain to constipation or bloating and prescribed her a laxative.
However, when the pain did not improve, she was referred for an ultrasound.
The March 2023 scan showed Faye Louise had a 17cm cyst on her left ovary that was growing in her stomach and pushing into her bladder and kidneys. Doctors said she needed surgery to remove it.
Tests also indicated some swelling on her appendix, so doctors decided to remove it, as well as the cyst, in one surgery to prevent further problems.
The cyst turned out to be benign.
However, when surgeons tried to remove her appendix, they discovered that it contained a cancerous tumor.
Faye Louise, who has documented her journey with her 30,000 Instagram followers, said: 'There was no evidence of cancer at all before the operation.
“(It) felt like my world was collapsing.
'Two years ago I lost my mother to colon cancer, so my first thought was: this is it for me: history repeats itself.
'I had panic attacks regularly. They were honestly the worst days and weeks of my life.
'I looked at the funeral plans and told my partner Will I wouldn't make it to 45 or 50.'
However, during the operation to remove it, doctors discovered that Faye Louise (pictured with partner Will) had a rare form of cancer in her appendix, which only affects three in a million people.
The cancer had spread around internal organs, forcing doctors to remove organs including her small intestine, ovaries and uterus
Surgeons were forced to leave the mass in Faye Louise's body to prevent it from rupturing and leaking cells into her other organs.
A biopsy revealed that she had pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), which usually starts as a small polyp in the appendix, ovaries, or bladder. It is believed to affect only three in a million people.
It eventually spreads through the wall of the appendix and into the peritoneum – the sheet of smooth tissue that surrounds the abdominal organs.
Often patients have no symptoms of PMP, making it difficult to diagnose. However, symptoms may include abdominal or pelvic pain, difficulty conceiving, swelling and bloating in the abdomen, changes in bowel habits, and loss of appetite.
Faye Louise was referred to Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, which specializes in this type of complicated cancer, in September 2023.
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 that the proposed treatment was a very extensive operation and that they had to remove several organs.
'Heated chemotherapy would then be applied directly into the abdomen.
“It's the magic potion that kills every cancer that surgeons can't see.”
Faye Louise underwent this operation last month and it proved successful.
Faye Louise (pictured with mother) has now been declared cancer-free, but it will take another six months for her to fully recover from the extensive surgery and she will have annual checks to see if the cancer has returned
Eight organs were removed, including her gallbladder, spleen, appendix, small intestine (which in turn was connected to her large intestine), ovaries, uterus and part of her liver, plus her peritoneum.
But the journey to recovery has been tough, with Faye Louise being supported by her partner Will, 30.
Faye Louise said: 'I will now have a recovery period of three to six months at home. So far it has been very painful and very difficult.
'I'm in early menopause now, so I'll have to take hormone replacement therapy. I will also need to have follow-up scans annually to ensure there is no recurrence.
'Now I just want to look ahead.
'I'm looking forward to spending Christmas with my family and I want to cherish every moment of my life.
'I feel like I've looked death in the eye. Some days I just can't believe I went through this and that it all started with a cyst.'
She added: 'It still feels too good to be true that I am cancer free.'
Faye Louise is also determined to raise awareness for PMP.
She wrote on Instagram: 'Ladies, if you're feeling bloated and think it might be an issue (…), go get a scan, get checked out.'