A 20-year-old woman who for three years complained of stomach pains is now in a fight for her life after being diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Kirstie Wilson, who lives in the UK, claims that her doctors told her that the stomach cramps were growing pains, and that she had to beg to see a specialist, The Mirror reported.
“I was bleeding in between periods and I was in agony but doctors diagnosed me with thrush and growing pains,” Wilson told the newspaper.
“It took me four months of going back and forth to my GP (general practitioner) before I was given a [Pap] smear test,” she said.
“I wish I had been given a smear test when I first visited my doctor as it might have saved my life,” she told the news outlet.
Wilson said she underwent surgery after her being diagnosed in May 2012, to remove her cervix.
“The operation was a success and I was cancer free for nearly two years. I had smear tests every three mons and every time they came back normal,” she said.
But in April 2014, Wilson’s stomach became bloated and she was struggling to breathe. The cancer had returned and she had two liters of fluid drained off her chest, and eight more drained from her stomach, The Mirror reported.
“The cancer had returned and despite several clear check-up smear tests, it had spread to my liver and spleen. Doctors believe my cancer wasn’t spotted on my smears as it was so small,” Wilson said.
Chemotherapy is no longer working to shrink the tumors, and Wilson is searching for a new treatment plan at the University College London Hospital.
“Doctors have made it clear that my treatment plan may not cure me but it will prolong my life,” she told The Mirror.