I would like to start at the very beginning of my journey. In the run up to last Christmas I had swelling in my right foot and calf, it was painful, but I didn’t think too much of it. My partner thought it was likely a sprain as I do a lot of walking, so I focussed on resting and planned to get it looked at in a couple of weeks.

Over Christmas though, the pain got much worse, and I got a fever as well as a cough. I was in horrendous pain. I wondered if I was just run down at the end of the year, as work had been so busy. But then I woke up with swelling in the right side of my pelvis and knew it was something more.

A few years prior, I had had abnormal bleeding outside of my period which was being checked still, but the doctors believed it was down to my fibroids. I wondered if this was my fibroids again, but they were on my left-side, so it just didn’t add up.

I was referred for an ultrasound and that showed a mass that needed further investigation. Then, on my first day back at work, I coughed blood. I went straight home to my partner who took me to A&E. The scans confirmed a mass in my ovary, and a pulmonary embolism which had started in my foot and travelled to my lungs.

After some further tests the mass on my ovary was pointing towards some sort of cancer.

When I heard the word cancer it was terrifying. Shocking.

I was in denial. I was all over the place.

I work as a Senior Peer Support Worker in Mental Health for the NHS. So, I was always helping other people and now I was searching for someone who could support me through this.

Luckily, I found Ask Eve and got in touch with Helen. From my very first phone call, I felt that bit of comfort that I needed. For the very first time, I felt I was not alone.

Helen assured me she would be there for me and would guide me through this journey. She was unselfishly giving me support right from the start. I was so thankful for that and I still am. Her expertise, her experience and her empathy was exactly what I needed.

Following all my tests, I was told I had ovarian cancer. It was emotional and scary.

I had the surgery on 4 March. I’ll never forget that date as I’d never had surgery before. They said they needed to do more tests, and they would come back to me with the final diagnosis.

Again, I called Helen. I felt so safe speaking with her, I could speak to her about everything around my diagnosis. Nothing was off limits. I’ve not had anything similar from any other professional I’ve dealt with. I felt so, so supported by her.

I don’t know what I would have done without Ask Eve and Helen, and I’m sure so many others who have used the service feel the same.

A month after my surgery, I saw my surgeon and he told me there was more to share with me around my diagnosis. It had been confirmed my cancer had started in the lining of my womb and had spread to my ovary. I had womb cancer.

I needed to have chemotherapy, followed by 27 radiotherapies sessions, which was brutal. The oncology team gave me everything and more to make sure the cancer didn’t come back.

From the first round of chemo, I had a lot of unpleasant side effects, of which I, again, spoke to Helen about. It’s not that she was just giving me knowledge, she also gave me hope. She helped me understand that there was light at the end of the tunnel and this too shall pass.

I’m now celebrating one-year post-treatment and Helen is still here supporting me.

I’m so glad I still have Helen by my side for anything I need for my ongoing recovery. I’ll be under the care of my oncology team for the next five years, so it’s a long road ahead.

I’m so grateful that I found Helen and Ask Eve. Without them I would have been totally lost. And I would have ended up unwell both physically and mentally. The Ask Eve service is so important, and I want to make sure it’s there for anyone who needs it.

If you are able to donate this Christmas and help make sure The Eve Appeal, and their Ask Eve service, can carry on offering this incredible support to anyone facing a gynaecological cancer diagnosis, then your donation could make all the difference.

And, please, if you have any abnormal bleeding or any other symptoms that you know are not right for your body then get it checked by a health professional and speak with Ask Eve.