Gabrielle Flower

Gabrielle Flower was 19 when she was diagnosed with an ovarian dysgerminoma, a type of germ cell tumour. After receiving chemotherapy treatment she is hoping to return to university to finish her degree.

It all started for Gabrielle when she had been visiting her doctor for 2-3 months with fatigue:
“My main symptom was fatigue; I fell asleep early every night and was tired throughout the day. My GP put this and my other symptoms down to my exams in my first year at university. Their diagnosis was depression and they tried to give me anti-depressants, which I refused. I was then sent to a counselor who agreed with me that I wasn’t depressed. After my boyfriend and family encouraged me I went back to my GP as by this time I was getting more and more symptoms. I had occasional stomach pains; my abdomen started to look a strange shape and seemed to be increasing in size. Also my lower abdomen became firmer, I needed the toilet more often and I started to feel sick. When my GP felt my abdomen I was referred for an urgent ultrasound scan and blood test, although I had to ring to get a quicker appointment as they gave me an appointment three weeks away due to the GP filling in the wrong form.”

“The day after my ultrasound scan I got called in for an urgent GP appointment.”

Gabrielle’s GP told her that the scan showed a mass but that they couldn’t see or work out where it was from, as the mass was pushing all her organs to different places:
“I was told it was definitely nothing serious though as the blood test didn’t show raised levels of the tumour markers, and I was far too young for it to be cancer, I was then referred to a gynecologist. But between seeing the GP and the gynecology appointment I fell ill, I was sick and dizzy and I had severe stomach pains, which meant I didn’t sleep for 2 nights. So my mum took me to A&E but the consultant there gave me a prescription for pain killers and sent me home. He said I already had an appointment coming up with a specialist and if I stayed in hospital I might pick up an infection and would see really ill people which could upset me.”

“The consultant said nothing serious would be wrong because of my age.”

On the day of Gabrielle’s appointment the specialist wasn’t in so she had to see a registrar:
“She examined me and sent me straight for a blood test and to another consultant gynecologist who was in the hospital that day. She booked me in for surgery in four days time, and she said she had no idea what it was but was hopeful it was a cyst as she had never seen ovarian cancer in someone so young. I had the surgery, and that night she came to see me and said the mass (my ovary) was nearly 20x12cm and that she had sent it and other biopsies to the lab urgently. She never mentioned it could be something serious though.”

Four days after her operation, Gabrielle went home and was booked in for a blood test and a results appointment two weeks later, a week after she should have returned to university:
“At that appointment I was diagnosed with an ovarian dysgerminoma but got no more information as my consultant gynecologist was not linked with oncology so knew nothing about the treatment I would receive. My specialist nurse also went on holiday for 3 weeks the day after my diagnosis so I couldn’t contact her either.”

“She told me to research online to find out any information I wanted, which I did but wished I hadn’t!”

Two weeks after her diagnosis, Gabrielle was transferred to the main city hospital:
“I was told it was stage 1c due to the CT scan showing it hadn’t spread, which was lucky given the size. My consultant was very positive and sat with me for over an hour answering all my questions, and sorted out an appointment with a fertility consultant before I signed up for the chemotherapy, which hadn’t happened before surgery as I was given no options by my surgeon. He introduced me to a young person’s liaison officer and social workers from Clic sergeant, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and their families, who I could text and phone whenever I wanted. They would also come and visit me when I was in hospital or at home and sorted out all my appointments. I was treated on an adult ward, and although I didn’t meet any other young people, the staff were great.”

Gabrielle had 3 cycles of BEP chemotherapy, a combination treatment for ovarian cancer, which takes 9 weeks to complete, with in and outpatient chemotherapy which meant she was in hospital weekly:
“Because of the type of treatment, I had a PICC line, peripherally inserted central catheter, put in. After getting an infection during the first cycle, which meant I was stuck in the hospital for another full week, I had to have daily injections which my step-dad did to try to keep my blood counts higher. My hair started to fall out during the time I spent in hospital with an infection, which I found difficult as I would have liked to of been at home. When I did get home I shaved off my remaining hair because I thought I looked more ill with the patches of hair I had left (I had already cut it short before I started chemotherapy). I also had to have steroids which meant my weight increased.”

“For the length of my treatment I did nothing except hospital and home, I was far too exhausted to do anything else.”

Gabrielle finished her last cycle just before Christmas 2011, as the cycle had to be cut short because the chemotherapy started to damage her lungs:
“I am now awaiting the results of a second CT scan to hopefully get the all clear and a referral to a chest clinic. I am looking to return to university in October 2012 after having a year out because of my treatment, hopefully I’ll be able to get back into the hectic life of university and catch up with my boyfriend who is now a year ahead. I’m also waiting for my hair to grow back! I had a lot of support from my family and boyfriend, and instead of losing people I made new friends, even a few school friends got back in touch when they found out.”

“Having a lot of people around really helped me deal with it.”

In February 2012 Gabrielle went to Find Your Sense of Tumour (FYSOT), as she hadn’t yet met any young people and now felt that it might help:
“It really surprised me to see how many other young people get cancer and how many types can affect young people. It was very inspirational to see them carrying on with their lives and it was great to be able to talk to so many different people going through similar things to you, not just about cancer but normal things to. I made some great friends there and it encouraged me to go to more things like FYSOT as well as to start volunteering and fundraising. It helped me to think positively and encouraged me to want to go back to university which I was considering not doing.”