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When Kate Wylie noticed a niggling pain in her left leg she wasn’t too worried – but her decision to visit the doctor ‘just in case’ saved her life.

The 33-year-old, from Perth, visited her GP in October, 2023, for sciatica-related pain but was still sent to have scans as a precaution. These detected a large and unrelated mass growing in her pelvis.

A few weeks later Kate received news she never expected to hear. She had stage three ovarian cancer that had spread to her omentum (a tissue structure in the abdomen), lymph nodes and bowel.

Tumours were also growing on both her ovaries; one was 10cm and the other was 8.5cm.

The devastating news came at the worst time as Kate and her partner Daniel were getting ready to start a family. As doctors advised a full hysterectomy to save Kate’s life and the cancer was ‘suffocating’ her eggs, she can no longer have children. 

Kate Wylie, 33, has always wanted to be a mum but her dreams of parenthood have been taken away after being diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer (pictured before diagnosis)

Kate Wylie, 33, has always wanted to be a mum but her dreams of parenthood have been taken away after being diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer (pictured before diagnosis) 

‘I am heartbroken. I feel like I’ve lost my life meaning, not being able to experience pregnancy and having a child of my own,’ Kate told FEMAIL. 

As the leg pain wasn’t linked to her cancer, the only symptom Kate experienced was bloating. She also has no family history of cancer. 

Kate has suffered from sciatica for years – a pain that travels along the sciatic nerve down the legs – due to being a hairdresser and standing up all day. 

Thankfully when she visited the doctor this time around they sent her for scans instead of prescribing her pain medication. 

In October 2023 Kate noticed a pain in her leg but thought nothing of it as she suffers from sciatica. She went to the doctor and had scans which found a mass growing in her pelvis  (Kate pictured with her partner Daniel)

In October 2023 Kate noticed a pain in her leg but thought nothing of it as she suffers from sciatica. She went to the doctor and had scans which found a mass growing in her pelvis  (Kate pictured with her partner Daniel) 

Turns out she had tumours growing undetected on both her ovaries and needed a full hysterectomy. The cancer has spread to her omentum, lymph nodes and bowel (pictured during treatment)

Turns out she had tumours growing undetected on both her ovaries and needed a full hysterectomy. The cancer has spread to her omentum, lymph nodes and bowel (pictured during treatment)   

After two weeks, her world was turned upside down. 

‘The doctor mentioned there was a possible tumour in my pelvic area,’ Kate recalled. ‘If I didn’t have the leg pain I never would’ve known.’ 

Later she was told she had stage three low-grade cancer that had spread so she was referred to a doctor who specialises in both gynaecology and oncology to arrange a surgical biopsy. 

Ovarian cancer is referred to as a ‘silent killer’ because there are often no obvious signs or symptoms. Pap smears also do not detect ovarian cancer and there is no routine test.

‘I didn’t believe it at first because I didn’t feel sick – I thought they had it wrong. It’s a real mind game,’ Kate said. 

'I am heartbroken. I feel like I've lost my life meaning, not being able to experience pregnancy and having a child of my own,' Kate told FEMAIL

‘I am heartbroken. I feel like I’ve lost my life meaning, not being able to experience pregnancy and having a child of my own,’ Kate told FEMAIL

‘Sometimes it doesn’t feel like real life. I was totally fine (so I thought) one moment and then I find out I have ovarian cancer,’ she said.

Her cancer was also described as a low-grade serous carcinoma – meaning it’s not as responsive to chemotherapy but is slow growing. 

‘I cried thinking, “How do I have cancer? This can’t be real”,’ Kate said. 

‘I sat in my car in the car park with my mum not knowing what to do. My partner was already at work for the day and told me to call him regardless of the news. 

On December 1 Kate had a major five-hour operation to remove the tumours from her ovaries and reconstruct the bowel, leaving her with a ileostomy stoma bag

Chemotherapy has also caused her hair to fall out

On December 1 Kate had a major five-hour operation to remove the tumours from her ovaries and reconstruct the bowel, leaving her with a ileostomy stoma bag (left). Chemotherapy has also caused her hair to fall out (right) 

‘I couldn’t tell him I had cancer over the phone or via text so just explained that I needed to have surgery but didn’t actually say the c word until I was home with him that night.’ 

Kate’s tumours had ‘suffocated’ her ovaries and eggs, making it ‘impossible’ for fertility clinics to harvest any eggs before surgery.

‘I feel like I was also dealt the worst case scenarios. The cancer had spread and invaded my bowel and I lost the ability to harvest eggs or ever bear children.’ 

Being told she needed a full hysterectomy was the worst news she could have received as Kate has always wanted to be a mum. After meeting the man of her dreams she was excited for what was to come. 

What is ovarian cancer and what are the symptoms? 

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumour in one or both ovaries. 

The ovaries are made up of three main kinds of cells – epithelial cells, stromal cells and germ cells. Each of these cells can develop into a different type of tumour. 

The average age of women when they are diagnosed with ovarian cancer is age 64. It is mainly diagnosed in women over the age of 50; however, there are cases diagnosed in younger women.

There are often no obvious signs of ovarian cancer, but symptoms can include: 

  • abdominal bloating 
  • difficulty eating or feeling full quickly 
  • frequent or urgent urination 
  • back, abdominal or pelvic pain
  • constipation or diarrhoea 
  • menstrual irregularities 
  • tiredness/fatigue 
  • indigestion 
  • pain during intercourse 
  • unexplained weight loss or weight gain

Pap smears do not detect ovarian cancer and there is no routine test 

‘This is something I have longed for my whole life. I haven’t just lost the ability to bear a child, but the ability to use my own eggs and create a special human of my own,’ she said.

‘Our dream is to become parents, and this is something we’ll be looking into once chemo finishes. It will be a difficult process but I’m sure I was put on this earth to be a mum. But of course, I need to focus on getting well first.’ 

At the moment Kate feels like she’s ‘grieving’ as she’ll never know what it’s like to have a child of her own.

Now all she can do is wait and hope treatment goes well. She hopes sharing her story will encourage other women to get regular check-ups

Now all she can do is wait and hope treatment goes well. She hopes sharing her story will encourage other women to get regular check-ups  

On December 1 Kate had a major five-hour operation to remove the tumours from her ovaries and reconstruct the bowel, leaving her with a ileostomy stoma bag. 

She had a month to recover and started chemotherapy on January 5 which will finish up on April 16. 

As a result she’s experienced drastic hair loss that ‘rattled her’, migraines, and fatigue. As her ovaries have been removed she’s also been thrown into early menopause. 

When asked what she’d like other women to know, Kate warned that this is a ‘silent killer’ that often isn’t discovered until its later ‘deadly’ stages.  

‘Get regular check-ups at your doctor. If your doctor doesn’t test thoroughly or ask you loads of questions, find another doctor,’ she said. 

‘Ask your doctor for a scan or a blood test. Don’t ignore the signs if you’re bloated and tired and harvest your eggs if you can. If I knew this was going to be my life, I would have done that in my 20s.’ 

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This post first appeared on Daily mail