A former model has spoken out about having to have eight tumours removed in a horror mother of all surgeries.
Until last spring Faye Louise, a 38-year-old model from Horsham, was going about her daily life as usual when she began to have pains and bloating in her stomach. After initially putting it down to her period, she later visited a GP where she was asked if she had ever suffered from appendicitis and after telling her that she had not, Faye was then sent for an ultrasound scan.
When the result of the scan came back they revealed that she had a 17cm cyst on the left ovary and she would need surgery to try and remove it. They also confirmed that they could see some swelling on her appendix so would also try and remove that.
But the next day, after what Faye thought was a routine operation, her life would be turned upside down. She told the Brighton Argus: The next day changed my life forever. I heard the dreaded C word. The surgeon explained they had taken the cyst out and it was full of fluid but was just a normal cyst. But she said she had to leave the appendix in.
And then she said ‘I’m really sorry Faye – we found a cancer.’ I was so shocked. The walls felt they were closing in on me.
Having found cancer in her appendix the doctors said she had had it for a while and had left it in to prevent it leaking any harmful cells to nearby organs. She now had to endure an anxious five-week wait to see what would happen next.
But as the five weeks came to an end her tumour had spread and she had developed a very rare form of potentially fatal cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).
The news was then broken to Faye that she would require an operation known as the mother of all surgeries, which would see her appendix, part of the liver, spleen, gallbladder, full hysterectomy, bowel resection, scraped diaphragm, scraped pelvis and her greater and lesser-omentum removed.
Thankfully, Faye’s treatment was a success and has been recovering at home with her partner Will and golden retriever Neville.
She also announced that she would be launching Cancer Research UK’s 2024 Race for Life season, and will sound the horn at Race for Life in Stanmer Park, Brighton, on June 30 and take part in the race.
