A mother-of-two from Kent who initially put her symptoms down to the stress of selling her home has received a devastating pancreatic cancer diagnosis, forcing her to seek life-saving surgery abroad.
From Stress to a Shocking Diagnosis
Annie De'Ath, 58, from Tunbridge Wells, first noticed a loss of appetite and nausea in January. At the time, she had just put her house on the market and attributed her ill health to the pressures of the move.
"I thought it might be stress," Annie recalled. "Then my daughter pushed me to go to the doctor." Her GP appointment in mid-February led to an ultrasound, which revealed a lump in her pancreas. "It's all devastating. I thought I was going to die the next day," she said. "I'm otherwise very healthy - I've never even had a day off sick in my life from work."
The Fight for Treatment and a Portuguese Lifeline
Following scans and endoscopies in March, Annie began chemotherapy in April. She endured six months of gruelling treatment, administered through a port-a-cath in her chest. "For six months, every other week, you have to go and sit in a hospital for a day," she explained.
However, with pancreatic cancer, surgery offers the only real chance of a cure. UK medics ruled out an operation due to the intricate nature of her tumour. Her hope was restored after a video consultation with Professor Markus Buchler at the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre in Lisbon last month. The globally renowned specialist believes surgery is possible, but Annie must first undergo more chemotherapy to control the cancer.
"We just need to get the tumour markers down to a certain level and then he'll operate," Annie said. "When they hit a certain level, I've got to get on a plane straight away."
A Community Rallies to Fund the Fight
The total cost of the treatment, travel, and post-operative care is immense. In response, her colleagues at Sackville School in Hildenborough, where Annie has worked as a teaching assistant for over 15 years, launched a fundraising campaign.
They have set a goal of £25,000 and have already raised over £17,500. The funds are critical to covering the immediate chemotherapy, the complex surgery in Lisbon, and all associated costs.
"I just can't not do it. I'm trying to be positive," Annie remarked. "I'm walking a lot, I'm trying to keep moving and just trying to do my best, which is all you can really do, isn't it?"
A Vital Warning to Others
Annie has issued a stark warning to others, urging them not to ignore unusual changes in their body. "I love eating, I'm slim and active, but I love food and the loss of appetite and nausea was a bit odd for me," she said.
"You can have loads more symptoms than that. But obviously it's all still going on in my body so just don't ignore anything that's unusual for your own body. Go and get it checked out."
Donations to support Annie's treatment can be made via her GoFundMe page.
