Woman reveals symptoms dismissed by doctors 10 times before being given cancer diagnosis
Poppy Bilderbeck
Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer and graphic images which some readers may find distressing.
A 37-year-old woman has opened up about being diagnosed with cancer after being told by doctors she must have a hernia instead because she was too 'fit and young' to be seriously unwell.
Suffering from frequent bloating, urination, heavy periods and stomach lumps, in 2021, Lydia Southam went to her GP.
The 37-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 'was relatively fit and healthy' as was 'still going to the gym and doing everything normally' but had been experiencing heavier and heavier periods.
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When she went to the GP, she was 'dismissed' but then during her pregnancy, the pain worsened and she developed a 'lump on her tummy' alongside 'frequent urination'.
"As a woman you’re just told to deal with these symptoms, you have to power through. Because the GP wasn't concerned, I wasn't concerned," she told SWNS.
However, her symptoms continued and so did the GP trips, Lydia visiting her doctors 'around 10 times' seeking help for her recurring symptoms, only sent for urgent tests two years on from when she first raised her concerns.
She reveals: "Fast forward another six months I had some spots that turned up on the right hand side of my abdomen.
“I then went back in when I found a lump, which looked like a hernia on my tummy. They just told me it was a hernia, they did no scans, and booked me in for an operation."
After finding more lumps, including one on her groin, Lydia went back to her GP and this time had a female doctor who 'noticed something wasn't right'.
Despite being told ovarian cancer was unlikely and 'happens to older ladies and that [she] was too young and fit for that', Lydia pushed for further investigation.
In June 2023, after being referred to Warwick Hospital, Lydia was diagnosed with Stage 4 low-grade serious ovarian cancer.
"I saw a doctor who did a further biopsy of those lumps," she continued. "It transpired that it was stage 4b low grade, so it was very advanced. It was awful to be honest."
Lydia recalled: "My first thought was I need to be here for my kids. The nurse said she didn’t know if there was much they could do."
Lydia ultimately decided to go private, finding an expert surgeon who 'did a full hysterectomy' also removing her spleen, parts of her bowel, part of her tummy button and part of her diaphragm - 'the way it was described is that it spread far, like seeds had sprinkled everywhere'.
"It was a very extreme operation," she added, but thankfully, the surgeon managed to 'get it all'.
Lydia is now speaking out about her experience in a bid to raise awareness of the type of rare cancer she had - LGSOC - that often affects women between 40 and 60.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.