A SINGER has shared her heartbreaking story after learning she has a rare and aggressive form of cervical cancer, in the hopes of encouraging others to get smear tests.
Brave Sarah Waters from Prescot went for her first routine smear test in April, after it had been delayed for two years due to the pandemic.
She said: “It was uncomfortable, but I knew it was supposed to be. So, when I heard nothing back I felt like everything must be fine and got on with things really.”
But after going on a hen do to Mallorca in May, she returned to news that her smear had shown abnormalities and that doctors wanted her to come in for further tests.
Sarah, 30, added: “They called me to ask me to attend a colposcopy and when I went, I got told there were cells that could be cancerous.
“Then the results from that came in on June 22 and confirmed that not only did I have cervical cancer, but it is a rare and aggressive type called poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.
“It’s a rare type and I had a lot to take in and at that point I had a horrible gut feeling something wasn’t right and I felt devastated.
“I thought, there’s my life over and they told me the best treatment would be a full hysterectomy, which means I’ll never carry my own baby.”
Sarah now faces the major surgery next month, with the potential for chemotherapy and radiotherapy afterwards, which could also damage her chance of harvesting her eggs – despite this though she is using her situation to highlight the importance of smear tests.
She added: “I’m a singer and quite well known in the area so after speaking to my sister who is a nurse about how little is known about cervical cancer and how important smear tests are I decided to speak about it.
“I put a post on my Instagram and thousands of people have reacted and got in touch.
“I know my chances are carrying my own baby are gone, that leaves me feeling broken, but that smear test has potentially saved my life.
“I did not know that some symptoms I felt were symptoms of cervical cancer, I put them down to other things.
“Cancer is heartbreaking and lonely, I don’t have a partner at the moment and I know in the future I’ll have to explain that I myself cant carry children, I don’t want anyone to go through this if they don’t have to and that’s why I decided to speak out.
“The support I’ve had from my mum and sister and family and friends has already been amazing but the messages I’ve had since posting about it have been incredible.
“People have messaged saying they had been putting off their smear test, but after reading my post they are booked in to have one.
“That means so much to me.”
Symptoms of cervical cancer include:
• vaginal bleeding that's unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual
• changes to your vaginal discharge
• pain during sex
• pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy
To book your smear test go to nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/how-to-book
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