A woman has revealed how she is trying to enjoy 'whatever time' she has left following life-changing treatment for cancer that saw 13 of her organs be removed, having bravely spoken out about the incredibly rare diagnosis.
When Rebecca Hind spotted unusual weight gain around her stomach in 2018, she thought exercise would help tackle the issue.
But in December that year, she grew concerned after a bout of food poisoning from a work Christmas meal – an illness that her colleagues swiftly recovered from.
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The 34-year-old, meanwhile, remained unwell for two months.
After a series of tests including a CT scan and biopsies, it was confirmed that she had a one-in-a-million cancer known as Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP).
“Like many PMP patients, by the time that it was found, my appendix (where it originates) had burst seeding cancer cells around my peritoneal cavity causing collections of mucin some of which had hardened around abdominal organs and restricted their ability to work,” Hind explained in a GoFundMe campaign she has set up to raise money for the charity Pseudomyxoma Survivor.
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According to the charity, symptoms usually ‘take a while to appear’, and some patients don’t even show any for several years.
Symptoms can ‘vary widely’ among patients, but Pseudomyxoma Survivor said many report:
- Abdominal swelling or an increase in abdominal girth
- Changes in bowel habit
- Loss of appetite
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
- General fatigue
- Bowel irritation
Hind - who is from Eden Valley, Cumbria - has revealed how doctors were forced to remove 13 organs and body parts that had become cancerous.
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“By the time they found it, I was pretty much riddled with it," she said. “It was heartbreaking. But I’ve just got to try to get on with life, and deal with whatever comes my way.”
Across two surgeries, they removed her greater omentum – which is part of the stomach - gall bladder, spleen, large bowel, womb, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix and rectum, also cutting out a portion of her stomach and small bowel, as well as the surface layer of her liver and both sides of her diaphragm.
"I went through a surgical menopause aged 35 - it was an assault on the body," Hind went on.
"As part of the surgery I had a heated liquid form of chemotherapy - known as HIPEC - to target any remaining cancer cells and they formed an ileostomy. I was in hospital recovering on and off for months after."
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Hind, now 39, is now determined to ‘say yes to everything’ as she turns 40 this year, in a bid to 'have a normal life - but with modifications'.
"I've been surfing, in a hot air balloon and dog sledding so far," she continued, adding: "The message I want to get across is when you have a stoma or an incurable diagnosis, things will be incredibly difficult.
"My daily life is a rollercoaster - but with the right attitude, you can still achieve a lot. And more importantly, enjoy whatever time you have."
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Hind is even taking part in Chris Hoy's Tour de 4, a bike event she says aims to ‘challenge peoples' perspective of Stage 4 cancer’ while also raising vital funds for cancer charities.
In an update earlier this month on her GoFundMe page, she said: “Training is going really well despite sustaining a stress fracture in my foot a few months ago. Chemotherapy and menopause has decreased my bone density so I'm prone to fractures.
“Unfortunately, a tumour in my upper abdomen has broken through my abdominal wall and muscle.
“Luckily, my incredible medical team at the Christie in Manchester are not too worried about it and I can continue riding as much as I like.”
Jess Hardiman