Anna Maria Szalay was studying for her university exams, as well as working a part-time job and finishing up her coursework.
She thought that was the reason she was always tired. But just a few months later, she was told that it was actually because she had ovarian cancer at just 19.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘The symptoms of ovarian cancer aren’t very well known so I never thought about anything like that. I thought it was just university stress.’
Anna Maria was in the second year of her law degree at Oxford Brookes University when started feeling unwell around September 2017 – but with so much going on, she initially put off going to the doctor, thinking it was nothing serious.
In December, as she started to feel worse, she went to see her GP but it took three visits before she was referred on – something that is common with ovarian cancer symptoms.
Ovarian Cancer Action found that on average it takes a woman eight visits to the GP to be diagnosed.
It was particularly difficult for Anna Maria because of her age – according to Cancer Research, just two in 100,000 people between the ages of 15 and 19 are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year.
Anna Maria says: ‘I was brushed off numerous times. That’s common with lots of people but I think particularly because I was so young. It can spread quite quickly so it’s important that it is caught early.’
By then, Anna Maria also had persistent bloating, unexplained weight loss and a change in bowel movements but admits that she didn’t realise they were all things that show it could be ovarian cancer because they are symptoms for so many things.
The third GP she saw told her to trust her instincts that something was wrong because we know our bodies better than anyone.
She was referred for a blood test and scan, which showed that she had a mass on her ovary. Doctors told her that they thought it was cancerous but they wouldn’t know how advanced it was until she had surgery to remove it.
‘I knew something was wrong but I just didn’t ever think it would be cancer so it was a huge shock to the system,’ she says.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
The four main symptoms are:
- Persistent stomach pain
- Persistent bloating
- Difficulty eating/feeling full more quickly
- Needing to wee more frequently
Ovarian cancer symptoms might also include back pain, changes in bowel habits (going more often or a lot less), and extreme tiredness for no obvious reason.
‘The whole process between starting to experience symptoms and having surgery took less than six months so it just shows how quickly it can spread.’
She had the surgery on 22 January 2018 to remove it that they told her it was stage three.
Two weeks later, she had an intensive course of chemotherapy which led to complications.
Anna Maria added: ‘Chemotherapy was really tough. I developed sepsis and had blood clots and it was just really hard to go through.’
Cancer had a huge impact on Anna Maria’s life and because of the gruelling treatment, she was forced to withdraw from the university.
Before starting treatment she tried to talk to university staff about her options but says that she eventually felt she had no choice but to leave.
Anna Maria wanted to continue studying but with lots of medical treatment and the effects of treatment, it meant she had to miss classes.
She says: ‘My doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to do this. I couldn’t have chemotherapy and keep studying.
‘I felt there wasn’t an awful lot of support and when I told them I wanted to withdraw, it was the same process as withdrawing to go on holiday.
‘The university said it was a personal choice for me to withdraw and I had to get my doctor to write a letter saying I didn’t choose it. It was really upsetting.’
But in May 2018, she had her last dose of chemotherapy. The treatment had been successful and she was now in remission.
She adds: ‘I do have that fear of it coming back. I have checkups every two months and the longer I stay in remission, the further apart those will get.’
Now doing better, Anna Maria reapplied for university after finishing treatment and decided to start at a new university, moving away from Oxford, where she had grown up and studied before cancer.
She says: ‘I decided I wanted to start afresh. I felt there wasn’t an awful lot of support before. For that reason, I wanted a fresh page in a new place after I finished treatment.’
She’s now studying law with business and management at the University of Sussex and says she is very happy there.
She adds: ‘There is an amazing support system in place here. I felt like it had lots of reminders of life before cancer so I wanted to go somewhere new.
‘Now I am enjoying having a normal life again.’
Anna is speaking out as part of an Ovarian Cancer Action campaign to raise awareness and fund research.
The campaign is centred around a video with the voice of Kate Winslet, who lost her mum to the disease in 2017.
The video, with music by Birdy, aims to encourage women to trust their instincts and to go to the GP if they worry that something is wrong.
It highlights that one woman dies of ovarian cancer every two hours in the UK.
Anna Maria adds: ‘There is so little awareness for ovarian cancer. We need more research, prevention and treatment.
‘Many GPs are amazing but ovarian cancer is being misdiagnosed as less serious conditions so I want women, their families and their doctors to know and understand the symptoms.
‘If you are worried, don’t be scared to go to the doctor and say that it is an issue.’
Cary Wakefield, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Action, said: ‘For many years ovarian cancer has been overlooked and underfunded. It’s a cancer that takes the life of a woman every two hours here in the UK, and early diagnosis can be the difference between life and death.
‘Today less than a third of women are diagnosed before their cancer spreads, where treatment becomes harder and chance of survival becomes low. But we can change this. Investing in research now could produce a reliable screening tool, better treatments, and will transform the lives of the next generation. If we act now, they will survive.’
Addressing Anna Maria’s concerns about withdrawing from the university, a spokesperson for Oxford Brookes said: ‘While the university will not comment on individual cases, the wellbeing and care of our students is of utmost importance and we are committed to offering a range of support and services.
‘The University’s Exceptional Circumstances Policy is designed to ensure that students are not unfairly disadvantaged when experiencing circumstances beyond their control.
‘Any student experiencing difficulties also has access to support which includes Wellbeing services, Student Support Coordinators, Academic Advisers, and the Students’ Union Advice Service.
‘The University has a range of flexible study options for students experiencing exceptional circumstances. These options can range from the implementation of adjustments for the student, through to temporary withdrawal of studies.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/21/student-thought-tired-exam-stress-actually-ovarian-cancer-19-11190258/
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