Charlotte's Race for Life

I was diagnosed with Stage 1b1 cervical cancer when I was just 27 years old. I had a total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy and bilateral sentinel node dissection the day after my 28th birthday. I’m one of the lucky ones. I survived. But it was only luck that I was diagnosed. After the birth of my third child I decided to have a contraceptive coil fitted. The specialist GP saw something she wasn’t happy with and did an urgent referral to gynaeoncology. I had an extensive cone biopsy, where a significant proportion of my cervix was removed and sent off for analysis. The tumour removed at this point was 1cmx2cm. I was advised to have surgery to remove all remaining cancer cells as I had an aggressive form of cancer and a suppressed immune system. If I hadn’t had that coil fitted, my story could be very different and my three lovely little boys could have lost their mum. I’m running so we can beat cancer sooner. In the last few months, running is the only thing that has kept me sane. I has given me purpose and focus. I will be running the 5k Pretty Muddy! This is a huge challenge for me as I will be only be seven months post-hysterectomy. But every step I take is proving that cancer hasn’t beaten me