Teacher Cara Ryan, 36, believed her symptoms were caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But she was left in shock when a scan revealed that she was actually suffering from stage three cancer, . Currently, she urges all women to go for regular check-ups.
- Cara was troubled by a number of symptoms for which she regularly visited a doctor.
- She tried to alleviate her difficulties by changing her diet, but her health did not improve.
- A routine cervical smear finally revealed a huge tumor.
In October 2022, Cara from the Scottish city of Inverness began to complain of severe bloating and abdominal pain, which gradually worsened. Although she visited her doctor several times, he assured her that it was nothing serious. “He thought I had IBS. It made sense at the time because I was having a particularly stressful time at work“, she stated.
The elementary school teacher decided to deal with the situation herself. She changed her diet and eliminated dairy products, red meat, garlic and onions from it. “I was really doing everything I could. I wanted my condition to get better,” she said.
In January 2023, Cara underwent a routine cervical smear, which she said she dreaded. “In the past, I have already overcome this withdrawal a few times, but it is very unpleasant. I was always ashamed of it,” she added, but she had no idea that this examination would save her life. Doctors discovered a 5.5-centimeter tumor on her cervix that had spread to her uterus, and soon after diagnosed her with stage three cancer.
Cervical cancer is most common in women between the ages of 30 and 35, but it can occur at any age. One of the main symptoms is pain in the lower back, between the hip bones or in the lower abdomen. According to experts, almost all cases are caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
After the diagnosis was made, the Scotsman underwent chemotherapy, but it did not work. Therefore, in July 2024, she had to undergo a complex operation called a pelvic exenteration, during which doctors removed her uterus, bladder and part of her intestine. “What I went through in the last two and a half years was really scary“, she noted.
Cara is currently urging women to get regular cervical smears. “Cancer is horrible, but there’s another thing that people don’t think about. No one asks you about the lasting effects of the treatment, like the onset of menopause and loss of fertility. That brings a lot of sadness and a sense of loss. If only I had gone to the smear sooner or had been braver, maybe the whole situation would have developed differently,” she concluded, saying that she is ready to return to her old ways after the procedure.
