A TUMOUR growing in a woman for a year was missed by doctors in over 50 appointments – before she was told they can't save her.
Laura Hydes got the heartbreaking news while at home on Friday that she would not survive this cancer, but is determined to save lives with her story.
Still reeling from the conversation with her doctor, she told the Sun Online she wants to make sure another woman's diagnosis might be different.
The hammer blow came after several arduous operations and rounds of chemo, and she had been given two all clears.
Years earlier, in 2014, she was diagnosed with stage 1 cervical cancer before part of her cervix was removed and she was in remission.
But Laura had known something wasn't right once more in January 2018, and desperately tried to get help with numerous appointments.
The insurance claims adviser saw medics an astonishing 52 times after she started feeling pain.
She told the Sun Online she went from doctor to doctor, trying to convince them something was wrong.
But despite having had cancer before, she says no one picked it up and instead gave her painkillers and referred her on to different medics.
She even had an ultrasound months before the 12.5cm tumour was eventually found, but the mass which had steadily been growing for a year wasn't spotted.
It wasn't until she woke up with a numb leg, 12 months after she first went to the GP with back pain, and rushed to A&E that the cancer was found.
Laura, from Poole, said: "No one believed me, I spent the whole of 2018 going to the doctors or health care practitioners and everyone was like there's nothing wrong.
"They made me feel so small. I knew something wasn't right. That was the worst thing about it – I was begging them for scans.
"I kept going back, I kept trying because I knew.
"I knew there was something wrong and that's why I kept going back."
In January she had the option of a high-risk operation to try and tackle the cancer, or the possibility of one year left to live.
She went for the gruelling procedure, which appeared to be a success when her scans came back all clear two months ago.
Laura said: "I was just so happy that that was that and I thought that I could get on with my life.
"I was getting my life back together and trying to be as normal as possible.
"But then I was having some pain in my leg and it didn't make sense as it was the opposite side to where we operated. I just thought – it's back.
"Then the GP called me on Friday morning and I was by myself. He said 'there's nothing that can be done'.
"They'd given me the all clear three times and then three times they said it's come back."
Now facing the awful reality of terminal cancer – missed despite countless appointments – she wants others to know they need to fight when they know something is wrong.
Laura said: "My message to other women is you know your own body and if something isn't right you need to push.
"That's what I wish I had done, I wish I had changed GP surgeries as not one person at my surgery agreed with me.
"I need to raise awareness and I need to let other women know that it's really important that it can kill you."
Possible early signs of cervical cancer:
“Not all women diagnosed with cervical cancer have symptoms, which is why it’s really important to attend cervical screening (smear tests) when invited. But, whatever your age, it’s equally important to be aware of cervical cancer symptoms," Imogen Pinnell, health information manager at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust told The Sun.
Early signs can include:
1. Abnormal bleeding (during or after sex, between periods and also post-menopause)period
2. Unusual vaginal discharge
3. Discomfort or pain during sex
4. Lower back pain
5. Unintended weight loss
Her devastated husband, Rich, two sisters and family are planning to spend as much time together as they can.
They want to make the most of these months, having been kept separated throughout the pandemic as Laura had treatments.
Her sister, Sophie, 30, has set up a Go Fund Me page to help the family create some happy memories and give her some surprises.
She said: "Life is so cruel and so unfair and the thought of not having my big sister and best friend in my life who I have grown up with by my side is horrific.
"To know there is nothing we can do leaves us so helpless and it is heartbreaking.
"We want to try and make as many plans with Laura as possible to make everlasting memories.
"Laura didn’t deserve this and if they had picked up on this sooner this might not even be the case. Now it’s too late.
"To be told you are dying at 36 is unimaginable my heart is broken. So any help to make Laura’s time here better is all we want."
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