Anne Cargill

I was misdiagnosed in August 2017 and told my lump was glandular tissue (in a literal 69 sec exam). 

After a year ½ of back and forth with GP’s- being told my pains were because of my weight or muscular or, in the case of my shoulder where I couldn’t lift my arm, I was told it was a “suspected torn rotator cuff” I was also constantly off work sick with pain and I finally went back to work on 5th Nov.  I was there an hour when I blacked out and fell. 

I was taken to a&e and told I was going for an xray, but it was just a precaution because they though it was a neck sprain.   Came back and a different Dr was waiting for me.  He asked if he could speak in front of my family and I said sure.  Then he said “we’ve looked at your Xrays and think you’ve got cancer” ” you have the bones of someone in their 90s”  turns our the glandular tissue was a cancerous tumour spreading into my bones. 

When diagnosed I had broken my back in 2 places, my neck in 2 places,  I had 60 odd fractures between my 2 hips, 30 odd fractures in my pelvis and that “torn rotator cuff” was a huge crack in my shoulder.  I got 6 doses of doxetaxel and then herception injections in 3-weekly cycles.  I also get infusions of zometa every 3 months.  I’ve had rads to my head and shoulders and lower back to heal fractures and breaks. 

This year I also developed a brain tumour, of which 99% was removed in June and I had whole brain rads in August to hopefully get rid of any remnants. 

Why you wanted to be involved with the MetUpUK campaign: I’m fed up being cancers dirty little secret.  I want us to stand up and be counted, I want what happened to me to never happen again.  I want under 40s to be given mammograms or biopsies and not just ultrasounds. I want a bloody cure!!!