Losing my baby has saved my life

A woman from Towcester would never have found out that she had ovarian cancer if it wasn't for having a miscarriage.

Penelope Lang was 36 years-old and seven weeks pregnant when she experienced bleeding and visited her GP.

A test showed her oestrogen levels were low and that she had lost the baby. A subsequent scan showed a lump on her right ovary which was cancerous.

"I found out I lost my baby and had cancer, I was heart broken," she said.

Despite this traumatic experience Penelope is now raising awareness about ovarian cancer with the organisation Ovacome, they are a UK wide support network for people suffering from ovarian cancer.

"They are so great to talk to for support and information. They helped me and so many people realise you can get through it," she said.

"I was never going to give up, I used to tell people how lucky I was to still be alive and I wanted to keep it that way," she said.

Ovarian cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer in the UK, with about 7,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Most of these are post-menopausal women, but many hundreds of young women are also affected.

Coming to terms with it

Survival rates for ovarian cancer are poor, with only 36 per cent of women living for more than five years.

This is because patients can confuse the cancer symptoms with other conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, leaving it too late to detect.

As Penelope tried to come to terms with the diagnosis she had to undergo a hysterectomy, which included removing both ovaries.

Penelope already had two children, Poppy and Austin but was hoping to have more.

''I just wanted to live long enough to look after my babies. Poppy wasn't even three, and Austin was barely one, I was so worried,'' she said.

Penelope's cancer has now gone but it could have turned out very differently.

"I am so happy to be alive and with my two children, this has made me become so much more aware of my body and I want more people to do the same," she said.

If you want more information about ovarian cancer then check out the Ovacome website.