I’m going to talk about my daughter and why it’s so important to raise awareness of ovarian cancer for the WOMEN of today and daughters of the future.

I am no sports hero, comedienne nor high-flying politician.

I am a wife, a mother and a daughter, sadly diagnosed with both breast and ovarian cancer, triggered by the BRCA gene mutation just over 2½ years ago.

I think most people know that being diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic ovarian cancer is not good news – but I’m sure that most have absolutely no idea that a father can pass on this terrible gift to his daughter.

I inherited my faulty BRCA gene from my adorable, healthy 90-year-old father. I always presumed (incorrectly) that it was only passed down the maternal side. It was this mutation that caused both my cancers.

I thought I was very aware of ovarian cancer symptoms.

To me it was a bloated stomach and constant water infections but I had neither. What I did have was a very delicate stomach and sharp pains. My GP referred me straight away for a scan which did show up something suspicious and I was asked to come back for further tests. That was months before my diagnosis.

No doctor, nor specialist nor gynaecologist I saw was BRCA aware and therefore I was never considered for the life-saving preventative surgery available and, far worse, no specialist recognised my symptoms, which meant the cancers had time to spread.

My arthritis and frozen shoulder were just bad luck; it was the painkillers I was taking that made me nauseous – or so I presumed. I was told my severe stomach pains were diverticulitis. I’ve since learnt that ovarian cancer is often mistaken for this reason. If only the doctors were OVARIAN CANCER aware and also understood about BRCA – how it is inherited and it’s link to both breast and ovarian cancer.

If only they had realised just how HIGH risk I was. I know now – that just being Jewish put me at risk together with the fact that my paternal aunt had died of breast cancer aged 52 – made me almost certainly a carrier.

No one even thought to run a simple CA125 blood test…

It was in July 2014 after approximately 8 months of so called ‘bad luck’ that my whole life took a sharp left turn. I was diagnosed with a rare breast cancer and it was during surgery that my surgeon realised there was so much more going on.

An oncologist was brought in to put together this puzzle and then I heard the words “serous ovarian cancer” and that both cancers had spread. BRCA was mentioned for the first time.

For me, it was like receiving a death sentence for a crime I did not commit – I was shocked.  I was scared for my family. I was absolutely terrified of the chemo I was going to have to face.

My world was completely falling apart around me. My oncologist feared I would not even make my first chemo. But survive I did – through the gruelling sessions of harsh chemotherapy. Nothing can prepare you for it. And I want to make sure that others don’t have to go through it which is why I know that awareness and sharing information is so vital.

I am doing remarkably well with my treatment. I am an oddity. I still have my ovaries, being deemed too ill for any further surgery.

My oncologist gave me 8 sessions instead of 6 of what I would call heavy chemo – a brilliant and risky thing to do.

So I went from no hope to some hope and for the last two years I have had what is classed as a maintenance chemotherapy called Avastin.  It is one of the controversial drugs that the cancer fund is loathed to finance because they feel it is not proven to prolong your life for much longer than 1 year.

But I am absolute proof it works for longer. It is all thanks to my wonderful oncologist Prof Justin Stebbing that I am still here.

But finding out so soon after my diagnosis that my daughter Gaby was also a carrier broke mine and my families hearts.

We knew that as I was a carrier Gaby had a 50:50 chance of inheriting it – and we also knew exactly what the implications were.

Every girl needs their mother – protecting my daughter has kept me driven. I had to keep her safe, I had to be here for her surgery.

Understanding BRCA is a wonderful weapon because now we have the knowledge we also have the power to make the next generation safe and it’s vital that we do so.

So here is the silver lining – Gaby or indeed for anyone who tests positive – can change their destiny…..

So in September last year, at the age of 26, she had a risk reducing, double mastectomy.

Don’t be fooled. It is not a boob job. It is a life changing, lifesaving surgery with a long and arduous recovery. It takes a lot of true grit, determination and courage to go through with it.

In Gaby’s opinion, there was no option. She had seen the pain and suffering that cancer and chemotherapy brought to my life. Her breasts were ticking time bombs waiting to explode.

We even made a tea to say farewell to her killer mutant breasts and we used this opportunity to promote the BRCA Protect Project, which is funded by the Eve Appeal. This hopes to find what actually triggers the mutation resulting in ovarian cancer.

This was the start of her journey to become a Previvor – someone who has had preventative surgery. She will continue her journey by having a family using using PGD – a form of IVF which, in simple terms, means that no embryos carrying the mutation will be used.

She will stop this devastating deathly inheritance by making sure it is NOT passed onto her children.

Gaby has been advised to have her CA125 checked every 4 months and then when her family is complete she must have both her tubes and ovaries removed. It’s so important for both Gaby and myself to spread this knowledge and encourage genetic testing.

I know it’s too late for me but I feel I have been given a purpose and am totally driven to help create awareness. I feel I have a duty to speak out while I am still able to do so.

I hope that prevention, risk prediction and EARLY DIAGNOSIS RESEARCH will progress so that no one will have to endure the awful treatment I personally have experienced and which my family are witnessing.

What is it like living with cancer when you know you can never stop treatment and every day might be your last? Especially knowing your cancers could have and should been prevented

I can tell you – it’s very difficult! I hope and my husband prays every day there will be a cure!