A mum has been diagnosed with terminal cancer just six weeks after she was given the all-clear – with an ache in her bottom the only sign something was wrong.
Gemma Denham, 29, from Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, was originally diagnosed with cervical cancer in March this year.
The mum-of-two went through 11 rounds of chemotherapy, 28 sessions of radiotherapy and three of brachytherapy (internal radiation therapy), as well as having a nephrostomy bag fitted to drain blocked urine, and was treated at University College London Hospital.
The treatment went well and on 5 October she received the results of an MRI and was given the all-clear.
But in the weeks that followed she started to experience a pain in her bum cheek and leg, which caused her to limp, and went to get another MRI of her cervix to find out what was wrong.
On 7 November, the mum was given the heartbreaking news that the disease had spread across her pelvis and the bottom of her spine – and was now terminal.
“My whole body felt like it was on fire when the consultant told me the cancer was back,” Gemma, a dental receptionist, told Jam Press.
“They told me I had months-to-early years left to live – devastated was an understatement.
“I wasn’t going to be there for my babies after all. We had so many plans for our future and I was so scared I would miss their life – they are still babies.
“I had a panic attack in the surgery and just couldn’t understand why this was the outcome.”
Gemma, who is mum to Faith, seven, and one-year-old Ellison, went for a routine smear test in August 2020, amid ongoing leg, pelvic and back pain.
She had been prescribed painkillers but her symptoms were believed to be due to post-natal depression rather than physical pains.
During the smear test, the nurse spotted a growth and she was referred to her GP, who said she had a “healthy cervix” but had cervical ectropion – which occurs when cells that line the inside of your cervix grow on the outside.
She was tested for HPV and the results came back positive, but Gemma was then told to wait another three months for a repeat smear as there were not enough cells on the swab to detect abnormalities.
In November, they then found high-grade cells and she had a colposcopy.
The nurse confirmed the presence of abnormal cells and she was put under general anaesthetic for a surgeon to remove them, but they couldn’t as she was bleeding.
Instead, they did an ultrasound – and the results confirmed a mass in her cervix.
Finally, in early March 2021 she was given the diagnosis of cervical cancer – something she had previously asked doctors if she had, but had been “assured she was too young” for.
Gemma said: “A part of me felt relieved as crazy as that sounds – I knew I wasn’t going mad.
“I definitely knew my own body and knew something more severe was wrong.
“My main worries were I wouldn’t be here for my children – they are my absolute world and everything I do is for them.”
She immediately started treatment to fight the cancer, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, blood transfusions and platelet transfusions.
Gemma said: “Treatment went really well. My body was luckily strong enough to handle the chemo.
“As soon as I started my second cycle of chemo alongside radiotherapy I got quite sick.
“I ended up losing over five stone in weight and due to rapid weight loss I ended up with gallstones.”
Finally, on 5 October she was given the all-clear after an MRI found no trace of the cancer – and she and partner Elliot, 31, were thrilled.
Gemma said: “I was completely over the moon. I couldn’t quite believe it but felt a sudden edge of bravery – I was finally going to be OK for my children.
“The PET scan was broken on the day of my MRI scan but they assured me I will definitely get it done when the machine was fixed.
“From my MRI they confirmed I was NED (no evidence of disease) and booked me in a couple weeks later for the PET scan.
“The results came back from the PET scan and they confirmed the cervical cancer had gone – however I had a slight glow on my right pelvic lymph node.
“My consultant had reassured me that she was pretty much certain that it was the radiotherapy still working in my body so will repeat the PET scan in six weeks.”
But during that wait, she started experiencing pain in her bum cheek and leg and was once again limping when she walked.
Knowing something wasn’t right, Gemma called the hospital and was booked in for an MRI of her cervix.
Tragically, the results found the cancer had spread across her pelvis and lower spine – with doctors unsure if something was missed in the earlier scan, or if it had grown back rapidly in the weeks that followed.
She had the planned PET scan a few days later which found that it thankfully hadn’t spread to any organs, but she was still given a terminal diagnosis.
Gemma said: “When they broke the news to me, they did say that there is nothing to offer me going forward – not even chemo as it wouldn’t work.
“But since finding out the bad news, they think there may be a clinical trial available for me which will be immunotherapy. I’ll be undergoing tests to find out if I’m a good candidate to participate.”
While Gemma told Faith after she originally finished treatment, she hasn’t yet broken the news to her about her terminal diagnosis.
Now the mum is focusing on making memories with her children – and hopes to take them to Disneyland, with a GoFundMe page having raised more than £17,000 to aid the special trip.
She said: “[My biggest worry] is not being the best mum I can be for my beautiful babies, and not being able to guide them through the most important journeys in life.
“My children growing up without the one person that loves them the most, more than anything in the world – their mum.”
After hearing the sad news, Gemma received video messages from two celebs – singer Craig David and reality star Gemma Collins.
Craig David even came to meet her at her house, bringing presents and signed albums and lifting the mum’s spirits.
Currently, the cancer has not spread further and remains in Gemma’s pelvis and lower spine.
She is being considered for a clinical trial, and a team at Hammersmith Hospital are considering further immunotherapy.
Gemma said: “[Going forward] my life will be very different, but I will not let cancer define me.
“I need to defy the odds and not be labelled ‘terminal’.
“I hope to be around for a very long time for my children – and I will stay as positive as I can be to fight this with all my being.
“I am feeling very determined and ready to battle round two.
“I will do anything I can to beat this, defy the odds and not be another statistic.”
In Other news, have you seen the woman, 22, who has spent over £34,000 on extreme body modifications
