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More on KentOnline
A brave mum has told of the devastating moment she was diagnosed with cervical cancer - aged just 26.
Naomi Hougham, from Herne Bay, was first invited for a smear test in 2018. But she was unable to attend because she was pregnant with son Kyron.
She did not get herself checked until July last year, when she started feeling discomfort.
Following a further appointment to obtain a biopsy, the working mum was left reeling in September when doctors confirmed she had cancer.
“I didn’t say anything for a few hours afterwards,” she said.
“Not for one second did I think that would be the outcome.
“It was like I was watching a soap opera. You think, ‘How’s that? I’m healthy, I’m a young woman’.”
At the beginning of November, Naomi underwent a radical hysterectomy to remove her uterus and cervix.
But after receiving numerous blood transfusions and being admitted to hospital with an infection, she was told the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
Naomi was later put on a five-week course of chemoradiotherapy, which has resulted in her experiencing sickness and tiredness.
“That was the moment I realised I wouldn’t be having any more children,” Naomi added.
“I’ve got sickness from the chemotherapy and I now don’t go to the toilet like a normal person because it makes the systems in your body react completely differently.
“I worry about leaving the house because it’s embarrassing.
“My consultant has said to me there’s no guarantee I won’t go through this again. I will always have it in the back of my mind if I start feeling unwell.”
"I couldn’t pick my boy up or play with him. You can’t explain to a toddler why his mummy is unable to do these things..."
Naomi, now 27, is urging women to regularly attend cervical screening appointments.
The tests are available for those aged between 25 and 64 every three to five years.
She is also hoping to raise £5,000 to support herself and one-year-old Kyron after being left unable to work by the illness.
“The treatment has meant I’ve gone from being a working mum to not being able to do it anymore,” she explained.
“Especially after my surgery, I couldn’t pick my boy up or play with him. You can’t explain to a toddler why his mummy is unable to do these things.
“I’m trying to make others understand that those five-minute appointments can stop you from feeling like this. Even if it’s something little you should still get it checked.”
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