A mother-of-two who suffered bleeding between periods was devastated to be told she had cervical cancer.
Gemma Patten, 30, had surgery to remove part of her cervix and vagina and chemotherapy after being diagnosed in May this year.
Doctors first did a vaginal swab to test for sexually transmitted infections gonorrhoea and chlamydia after going to the doctors because she was bleeding between periods.
But when they came back negative she underwent further examinations at Barnet Hospital in north London, which revealed she was suffering from cancer.
This was despite a smear test she had three years ago, coming back clear.
Gemma Patten, with daughters Savannah, four, and Arizona, 18 months, discovered she had cervical cancer after going to the doctors as she was bleeding between periods
Ms Patten had surgery to remove the tumour and is pictured here wearing a cold cap, designed to reduce hair loss, during chemotherapy
Faced with the prospect of a hysterectomy, she instead opted for a trachelectomy, where surgeons removed the cancerous part of her cervix.
She is now recovering from her operation but Ms Patten, who is mother to Savannah, four, and Arizona, 18 months, said it feels like part of her ‘has been taken away’.
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In February this year, Ms Patten started experiencing heavy bleeding between periods.
After testing negative for the STIs, she went on to have a routine smear test where nurses found more blood.
‘I was told the doctor wanted to see me immediately,’ she said. ‘He said I would get my results in the post within seven days.’
She was told she had abnormal cells and needed a colposcopy, a procedure to examine cells in the cervix more closely.
‘That’s when I became scared,’ she said.
Ms Patten was told she needed to have either a hysterectomy, where the womb is removed, or a procedure called a trachelectomy (pictured before the operation)
She decided to have a trachelectomy where surgeons removed the cancerous part of her cervix but that also means she can still have children
‘I had the symptoms and abnormal cells. I just knew it couldn’t be anything but cancer.’
In May she went to Barnet Hospital with her mother, Dawn, 52, where her fears were confirmed.
SYMPTOMS OF CERVICAL CANCER
Some recognised symptoms associated with cervical cancer include:
Abnormal bleeding: during or after sexual intercourse, or between periods
Post menopausal bleeding, if you are not on HRT or have stopped it for six weeks
Unusual and/or unpleasant vaginal discharge
Discomfort or pain during sex
Lower back pain
Source: Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
‘I saw on the magnified screen what looked like a huge lump,’ she said.
‘The nurse took a biopsy and sent it off and told me not to worry. She said it could be anything, but I knew exactly what it was and so did she.
‘It looked so evil. I was staring at it and that’s when I knew for sure what it was.’
A week later, Ms Patten was summoned back to the hospital and told she had a 1cm cancerous tumour of the cervix.
She was referred to University College Hospital, central London, where doctors informed her they had caught the cancer early.
But she was given two options – a hysterectomy or a procedure to have part of her vagina removed, called a trachelectomy.
Unsure whether she might want more children with partner Joshua Archibong, 37, they opted for the latter.
The trachelectomy meant the couple would still have the option of having more children and involved having her cervix and the upper part of the vagina removed.
It wouldn’t affect her sex life either, but Ms Patten said the thought of losing part of her cervix and vagina was still daunting.
Miss Patten, pictured before her diagnosis, said the thought of losing part of herself was ‘daunting’ but necessary to see her children grow up
Further tests revealed nodules on her lungs so she had chemotherapy, wearing a cold cap to try and keep her hair, which has so far been successful
The mother to Savannah, left, and Arizona, middle, pictured with her partner Joshua Archibong, 37, after her treatment
Then further tests revealed she had nodules on her lungs. Fortunately, these were found not to be cancerous.
Given the aggressive nature of the is now undergoing chemotherapy until the end of November and is confident she will then be disease free.
‘I look at life completely differently now. I live every day,’ she said.
‘I now feel like I have a purpose in life, to save people.
‘Even though this has been the worst time in my life, I’m glad it has happened as it has made me appreciate life and has given me the knowledge and the facilities to be able to help others from suffering too.
‘Sometimes you have to fight to survive but life is so worth it. ‘
Ms Patten is encouraging women to go for regular cervical screening. Women aged 25 to 49 are invited every three years as part of the NHS screening programme. After that, women are invited every five years until the age of 64.
For further information or support visit Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust