Mum-of-two Jo Robinson-Howarth was told to go straight to A&E as she waved her 16-year-old daughter off to prom. The 54-year-old from St Helens had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer but was given the all-clear. Less than 12 months later, doctors found inflammation in her bloods, later confirmed to be a sign of liver cancer.
Breast cancer diagnosis
Jo said: "I was first diagnosed in July last year after finding a lump in my left breast. I had seen a few Facebook posts from people having near misses with breast cancer, so one day, in the shower, I thought I'd have a feel. I didn't know what I was doing at all. I found a lump and thought 'oh cr*p.'"
She went to the doctors, who thought it was benign because she hadn't been feeling unwell, but they wanted to check it out. Within 10 days she had a mammogram, which confirmed the lump was benign but revealed a smaller cancerous lump underneath. She said: "I always think thank god for the benign lump and thank god for that nurse."
A relatively easy experience
Jo had a lumpectomy and was cancer free. She said: "I was so happy and so relieved. I felt really fortunate that the lump had been found early and it was treatable. It was nothing compared to the stories of other peoples cancer battles that you hear, it was still scary though, thinking about what could have been."
Symptoms mistaken for virus
The mum resumed normal life until mid-June when she started feeling unwell. Originally from Somerset, she moved to Liverpool aged 19 for university and "never left." She said: "I started feeling really unwell in mid-June. I'm 54, I've been menopausal. One morning I woke up and felt like all my menopause symptoms had come back and hit me in one go. I had hot flushes, an aching body, honestly, every menopause symptoms had just come back, coupled with a water infection and a pain at the top of my abdomen, which grew and grew over the days."
The doctor did tests and thought she had a virus, giving antibiotics, but nothing improved. Her partner told her to go back for blood tests. She said: "They did the tests and rang me on the day of my daughter's prom telling me to please go to A&E. They said I had an inflammation through the roof and thought I had a gallbladder infection." Further tests revealed spots on her liver, and doctors confirmed the breast cancer had returned and spread to her liver.
Devastating news
Jo was referred back to the breast cancer clinic. She said: "Part of me kicks myself now because when I was discharged last year the one thing they said to me was if I spot anything that isn't quite right to come back instantly, but it didn't occur to me because I just thought I had a virus. I'm so glad my partner made me beg for blood tests." The diagnosis was a shock. She said: "I was disappointed that it had returned so quickly after the first experience, and scared because of the unknown part of it. I kept thinking 'what if it isn't treatable, what if I don't respond to the treatment well'. It's been a real rollercoaster of emotions."
Treatment and support
Thankfully, Jo's cancer is treatable and she's currently undergoing chemotherapy. She said: "I'm thanking everything on earth for the people I have around me. I'm ridiculously tired, the chemo so far has made me so nauseous and given me a dodgy tummy but the people around me have been amazing. I feel like a princess, I have people cooking for me, partner has been amazing. And, my two daughters [18 and 16] have been amazing, they're showing incredible resilience and emotional maturity through it all. I'm ridiculously proud of both of them."
Due to being self-employed as a mental wellbeing supportive and unable to work due to treatment, Jo has set up a GoFundMe to support her and her family. She is also urging people to "get checked." She said: "I had no symptoms of breast cancer until I found the lump and I now know symptoms of liver cancer don't show until it's far along, so please, get checked."
