A 42-year-old cancer patient who was given just six months to live has beaten all the odds – despite catching swine flu and almost dying on the operating table in the last year.
Charlotte Galliers, of Bayston Hill, was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the oesophagus on August 25 last year.
One year on a scan has revealed the tumour has completely disappeared and Charlotte now wants other women to be more aware of the disease.
The mum-of-one was told the cancer, which had spread to the lymph nodes of her stomach, was so far gone that it was terminal. She had to break the news to family and friends including her 12-year-old son Edward, and put her ‘house in order’.
She said: “I had problems swallowing for six months beforehand but I just ignored it and when I was finally referred the oncologist told me it had spread so much it was inoperable. He wanted to fit a stent in my gullet so I could eat past the tumour and they gave me six to 12 months to live. He was pretty polite but basically told me to get my house in order and I just completely fell apart.”
Charlotte started intensive chemotherapy, which led to her losing her hair and becoming less resistant to other infections.
In November she was rushed to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital where she was diagnosed with the potentially fatal swine flu virus before being transferred to Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital where she was kept in isolation for a week.
A scan around Christmas revealed the stomach tumour had significantly decreased and by January surgeon Joseph Khalil-Marzouk agreed to operate.
But on the operating table in March, Charlotte had an allergic reaction to hospital drugs which caused an anaphylactic shock and staff battled to save her as she went into cardiac arrest.
The operation was rescheduled two weeks later and this time surgeons managed to remove the tumour by taking out part of Charlotte’s gullet and stomach valve.
She then began the recovery by having intensive radiotherapy five-days-a-week up until July.
Despite survival rates for women with oesophageal cancer being just eight per cent, a recent scan showed the tumour had been fully removed and has not returned.
She will have regular check-ups and as a year passes since she was first told she would die, Charlotte has rejoined a gym as part of her recovery.
“It’s been a massive rollercoaster ride and 12 months ago I didn’t have a hope because it was a pretty diabolical situation – I was effectively given a death sentence. No-one should have to go through telling your own son the situation but I think it was the right thing to do because there was no way I could hide it from him.
“The last scan didn’t show anything so technically there is no cancer in my body and it looks like I have beaten it with the help of some amazing support.
“It is a rare cancer for women my age and the survival statistics are dreadful – but it does seem to be increasing so I hope my story will highlight the risks and encourage people to go and get checked out,” she added.
By David Seadon