A woman who initially attributed her womb cancer symptoms to menopause is now urging others to seek medical advice for any new symptoms without delay. Dawn Willis, 58, had been dealing with vaginal bleeding for about a year, which she assumed was a sign of menopause.
However, when her abdomen started to swell, her family persuaded her to visit the GP, leading to the diagnosis of advanced womb cancer. The former teaching assistant, who has since recovered from the disease, is sharing her story in an effort to raise awareness and potentially “save someone’s life”.
According to NHS guidelines, primary symptoms of womb (uterus) cancer may include post-menopausal vaginal bleeding or spotting, unusually heavy periods, vaginal bleeding between periods, and changes in vaginal discharge, reports Kent Live. Dawn, a resident of Canterbury, Kent, said: “I was so angry with myself when I got the diagnosis as I had ignored the symptoms. So much happens to your body during the menopause that I thought the bleeding was normal. But then my belly became swollen and my family told me to get checked out.
“I’m really glad they did because I was diagnosed with advanced womb cancer. If I had waited even just a couple more months, I don’t think I’d be here today. I’m always the first one to advise people to see a doctor so I don’t know why I left it for so long. I was just so angry at myself for ignoring these signs.”
After receiving her diagnosis, Dawn was determined to overcome the disease. She explained: “When they told me that it wasn’t terminal, I thought, ‘Right, I’m going to beat this.’ I love my life. I love my husband Mark, who I have been with since we were 16. I wasn’t ready to go anywhere. Cancer wasn’t going to beat me.”
Diagnosed with cancer in March 2017, Dawn went through a year of treatment and by March 2018, she was in remission, reaching an official status of being cancer-free in March 2022. Unfortunately, she suffered serious side effects, including a perforated bowel from radiation damage, resulting in a stoma. Nonetheless, Dawn continues to embrace life and aims to raise awareness about early checks.
She said: “I’m fine with my stoma as it saved my life – but I likely wouldn’t need that if I had got checked sooner. So I just really want to spread that message. If something isn’t right – don’t leave it!” Stressing the importance of health checks, she said: “Even if you feel fine. I only had that symptom and otherwise felt healthy. So visit your GP and get yourself checked out. If someone can see what I’m saying and think, ‘I’ve got that – I’ll get checked’… If I could save one person’s life. That’s what this is for.”
Dawn added: “I had a fear of hospitals before having cancer so I was really anxious about needing to go regularly – but I very quickly got over it. The only thing I felt was safe and reassured that they were going to fix me. I’m so grateful to the team for saving me and for making my cancer journey a positive one.”