I always went to my cervical screening. I am not shy about getting things tested. I only knew two types of gynae cancer: cervical and ovarian, and then the other cancers I knew were just breast and bowel. I would get screening for bowel and breast; other cancers weren’t on my radar. 

To start with, I had a lump. I thought it was just a hair follicle or a pimple, it was also uncomfortable having sex. I asked my partner to have a look, they said it was red and took a picture for me. I went to see the doctor who thought it was a cyst, so I left my appointment with some antibiotics. 

I began to feel more uncomfortable in tight jeans or sitting down so I went back to the GP. They got the GP expert in women’s health who also thought it was a cyst but referred me to the clinic. I was seen within two weeks and again told it was a cyst, as it was seen as non-urgent, I was told I could be waiting for between six to 12 months. 

After waiting for around six months, I felt the lump had grown and was now a lot more painful all the time, so I decided to get a private consultation.  They told me that they could remove it and I was booked in for February 2024.  Again, I was told it was a cyst. My first removal operation was abandoned as it was too painful under the planned local anaesthetic and rebooked under general anaesthetic for a weeks’ time, this was now 11 months after my first appointment with the doctor. Following on from my successful removal operation I woke up to be told it wasn’t actually a cyst but a mass and I needed to wait for histology results to tell me what it was, as I may need another operation if it was cancer.    

Around a week later, I was asked to come in again and they told me it was cancer.

I was told it wasn’t ‘normal’ vulval cancer, it was NET of the vulva; only 30 other cases. 

Nobody had seen one before, so lots of teams and hospitals needed to be involved as they had never treated one, they couldn’t tell me my pathway initially. 

After being given time to heal from the first operation and lots of meeting, scans and being told it had spread to my lymph nodes, it was decided that I would need another operation know as a wide local excision of my vulva to remove any margins and lymph node removal of my right groin. 

With my diagnosis and treatment, I had to take a medical absence as a foster carer due to my own emotional needs and the needs of the child, who had been with us since he was three (now 16). 

I had surgery in May 2024 and was in hospital for nine days, where unfortunately I got norovirus and an internal infection. At my clinical follow up a few weeks later I was told that one lymph node was cracked which would mean radiotherapy and possible chemotherapy. 

I have just started chemotherapy at Clattebridge in Liverpool, I’m on the second cycle of six, and I will have radiotherapy on both sides of the groin.