“Briefly: It took 4 years to get my Ovarian Cancer diagnosis. They kept telling me “you are too young”, “it’s just a heavy period”, “you are just bloated, lose weight”, “eat better, you will feel better” “it isnt cancer, stop being dramatic” “yes, we can see the huge cysts growing on your ovary and can … Continued
“I am still waiting for my gyni operation it’s been 12 months. I had womb biopsies and became very ill, the hospital said I had to have an operation and was put on a waiting list to remove womb pollops and have more biopsies. I am still waiting even though they put me on the … Continued
“I was already a patient at Nephrology and had many open Renal surgeries. This prevented my ambition to be a Dr myself although supported by Professor Gerry Coles, my Nephrologist. When tiny spots of blood in my knickers appeared during mid monthly cycle. Very unusual as this never happened. 28 day, light period cycle. Saw … Continued
Maisie*, 40, from Llanelli, is experiencing ongoing gynaecological issues. She feels she is not being taken seriously and has been dismissed for being “too young”. She worries that something more serious may be happening alongside a uterine prolapse, yet feels she is being “left to suffer”. Despite repeatedly reporting a burning sensation under her navel – particularly … Continued
Emily’s mum, Jennifer, died from aggressive ovarian cancer in March 2021, having been diagnosed in August 2020 at the height of Covid. Jennifer had been repeatedly dismissed by her GP and the hospital despite ongoing bleeding. She was in her 70s, making the lack of investigation unacceptable. Crucially, a CA125 blood test, a standard blood … Continued
Stephen’s 42-year-old wife, Susan, died after delays and poor gynaecology care provided at Cardiff and Vale Health Board. Initially, there was a two-month delay in the GP referral. Then another doctor from the same practice referred her as USC (urgent suspected cancer). This was downgraded by the consultant without any consultation with either the doctor … Continued
Carly, 34, shares her experience of living with undiagnosed gynaecological conditions and feeling dismissed by healthcare professionals – an issue that reflects the wider neglect of women’s health needs. Carly has been dismissed by gynaecological services “all [her] adult life” due to endometriosis, adenomyosis and pelvic congestion syndrome. She was recently dismissed as “perfectly fine” … Continued
Joe, 64, from Swansea, experienced chronic backache and spotting years after menopause. When she visited her GP, they were dismissive and declined to investigate further. Concerned, Joe decided to go private, where a scan revealed endometrial cancer. What followed was a nightmare of trying to get the NHS to carry out additional tests. Eventually, Joe … Continued
Amy*, 30, from Aberdare was ignored and dismissed for years from 2018 until 2024 after developing concerning symptoms. When she finally had an operation, it was confirmed she had stage 2 ovarian cancer. Amy thinks that without putting in four complaints and threatening legal action, she might never have been seen. During this time, she … Continued
Following 10 months without a period, Julie Ashbrook, 55, from Cheshire, experienced a one-off episode of abnormal bleeding in February 2024. Concerned, she went to her GP in early March and was fast-tracked to a gynaecologist under the two-week cancer referral pathway. The consultant performed a smear test, which came back clear. An internal scan … Continued