A Scottish woman who thought she had pulled a muscle due to a DIY project has spoken of her shock when she was diagnosed with aggressive uterine cancer. Joan Frances Boyle was injured while insulating the ceiling of a shed at her home in Hamilton and could barely move.
The 65-year-old clinical hypnotherapist was rushed to A&E in October last year and remained in hospital for 16 days. She underwent an MRI scan at Wishaw General Hospital, which discovered a slipped disc in her back, but also a large tumor in her uterus.
Joanne was diagnosed with uterine fibroids – slow-growing cancers that form in the muscular wall of the uterus – in February this year. A biopsy revealed that Joanne had a mutation in her p53 gene that allows cancer cells to grow and spread rapidly throughout the body.
The mother-of-two told the Record: I was there because of back pain, which left me in so much pain that I could barely move.
“I was told I would have to wait for a gynecological referral. They also couldn’t do surgery on my back because the disc had shifted sideways and there was a risk of damaging the nerves during the surgery and leaving me paralyzed.”
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“After being in hospital for 16 days, I just wanted to go home, so I was discharged while I was waiting for a referral for a uterus scan. It took until February for that to be done until the mass was confirmed to be cancerous. I had to wait.
“Then the consultant said there was a further problem. I have a p53 gene mutation which accelerates the growth of cancer. I am still waiting for my hysterectomy date. I have a pre-surgery appointment at the hospital. “I've been taking several reservations” in the coming weeks, but I've been told there could be a wait of about three months unless there is a cancellation.
“I fear it will be buried by then. The NHS is under huge pressure. My husband Alan is an ambulance driver so I know that first-hand.”
While awaiting surgery, Joanne and her family began researching treatments to boost her immune system. Her friends have rallied together to set up her JustGiving page in hopes of raising £45,000 for her personal treatment.
Joanne added: “I started looking for ways to give my immune system a fighting chance and prepare for surgery and came across dendritic cell therapy at a private clinic in Birmingham.
“Cell therapy is supposed to help the body identify and kill cancer cells, but it costs around £45,000.
“They can do it through a deposit scheme, but it’s £17,000 upfront and £3,000 a month thereafter, which we simply can’t afford.”
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