Jessica Dempsey shares her story on Facebook to bring cancer awareness and urge women to keep up to date with their cervical screenings.
28-year-old Jessica Dempsey will need cancer treatment for her whole life after doctors failed to diagnose her correctly over numerous visits.
In a Facebook post, Dempsey from Liverpool, UK revealed from late 2014 onwards she spent months suffering from agonising lower back pain and blood clots.
After several visits to doctor's, to try to get to the root cause of her pain, she was told she was suffering from water infections and kidney infections to being three months pregnant.
Then in January 2015, a different GP who examined Dempsey discovered she needed an immediate transfusion because of heavy bleeding and was rushed to Liverpool Women's Hospital, where she was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer.
Dempsey, who began treatment immediately said she would need to start therapies urgently and would be unable to have children in the future as the cancer was in the late stage. "I knew something was wrong and that it was more serious than what they (doctors) had said and I wish I'd stood my ground., " she said. "When I got my diagnosis my world was turned upside down, it was such a massive shock but I was relieved to finally have an answer.
"My treatment started so quickly that there was no chance of me having children, I don't want other people to have to go through everything that I have so I thought if my post saves one person I'll be happy."
Dempsey's experience urged her to write an open letter on Facebook, to help other women be aware of the symptoms and importance of keeping up to date with their cervical screenings. She's sharing her story " to urge people to be aware of the signs and symptoms to cervical cancer and push girls to keep their smear appointments!!!"
"If you have any signs tell your doctor and if you don't get the answers you want then push for an examination! Please! It's one test. It doesn't hurt and it doesn't take long," she urged.
Dempsey also revealed things could have been different for her, "If just one doctor had even examined me then I would have known sooner".
Jessica has completed five weeks of daily radiotherapy, 11 sessions of weekly chemotherapy, three doses of an advanced cancer treatment known as Brachytherapy and has undergone seven blood transfusions and lost her hair. Sadly, due to the late diagnosis her tumour cannot be shrunk and she will need treatment for the rest of her life.
Jessica, also wants to raise awareness of the importance to donate blood, because the blood transfusions she saved her life. "It was so frustrating not having an answer, I wanted to encourage people to get regular check ups and if they think something's wrong to push for an examination. "I also just wanted to say that without people donating blood I wouldn't be here today, I want to encourage people to give blood because it really does save lives."
You can read Jessica's entire story in her own words here:
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 "Jessica Dempsey")
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