A mother-of-two discovered she had cancer after her stomach swelled so much she looked nine months pregnant.
Wendie Webb, 47, had a 13lb tumour removed from her lower abdomen in a dangerous surgical procedure which doctors feared would kill her.
Mrs Webb, who has subsequently battled breast cancer, says the tumour was only discovered after she had colonic irrigation in the hope of reducing bloating so she could fit into her wedding dress.
Wendie Webb was diagnosed with ovarian cancer after her stomach swelled so much she looked nine months pregnant. She also suffered stomach pain, constipation and a feeling of fullness Mrs Webb, from Flitwick, in Bedfordshire, said: ‘My wedding was just a few months away and my tummy was so huge at the dress fitting that I was worried I wouldn’t fit into it.
‘Aside from the swelling I’d had problems for a year, such a constipation, pain, a feeling of fullness and gynaecological problems. In the back of my mind I had wondered whether anything was seriously wrong but I assumed I had simply put on weight or had IBS.
‘The first irrigation didn’t reduce the swelling as much as I wanted, so I went back for a second session. That’s when technicians asked me to go and see a doctor urgently.’
She attended the A&E department at Bedford hospital where medics were initially baffled.
She said: ‘They asked me whether I was pregnant. By that time, I looked nine months gone. I knew I wasn’t because I’d arranged to be sterilised after having my son.
‘Then they thought it was a cyst. I was referred to Addenbrooke’s hospital in Cambridge where a consultant told me I had ovarian cancer. The tumour was growing at a fast rate.’
Three months before her wedding, Mrs Webb (pictured with her father, Ken, and son, Conor) was told she needed risky life-saving surgery. Doctors suggested that she cancel her wedding but she refused
Mrs Webb (pictured with her father, Ken) says that despite her swollen stomach (pictured) she assumed she either had IBS or that she had just put on some weight
The emergency surgery, which took place in May 2009, required surgeons to cut from Mrs Webb’s breast bone to just above her waist.
The doctors had little idea about what they would find inside.
In the end, Mrs Webb had to have parts of her bowel and bladder removed, and she also underwent a full hysterectomy.
She said: ‘They didn’t know what the tumour was attached to or what it was made of. They told me to cancel my wedding, which was just three months away. I was adamant that I didn’t – the wedding had to go ahead.
‘But they were keen to make the point that the situation was very serious. My GP sat me down and gently told me to get my affairs in order.’
Mrs Webb, a PR project manager, said breaking the news to her fiancé Andrew, 46, who owns a floor cleaning company, and her children Conor, 16, and Katie, 18, was an emotional experience.
She said: ‘It’s not a conversation you can ever imagine having.
‘I threw a big barbeque for all my friends and family. I took each of my friends aside for one-to-one conversations and told them what was happening. There were quite a few tears.
‘The surgery was five days later. I remember saying goodbye to Andrew as I was wheeled down to the operating theatre. I wondered whether I would ever see him again.’
But despite her worst fears, Mrs Webb woke up after the surgery, her body free of the 13lb tumour.
She said: ‘I phoned everyone from the recovery ward. It felt amazing to be alive.’
On September 4 2009 Mrs Webb was helped to walk down the aisle by her father and son.
During surgery Mrs Webb had a 13lb tumour removed as well as part of her stomach, bowel and bladder. She also had a full hysterectomy and doctors said she was lucky to survive the operation
She said: ‘Andrew made a speech thanking the surgeons, without whom I wouldn’t have been there. It was the most
wonderful, emotional, beautiful day.’
Then, in December 2012, after suffering a range of mysterious symptoms, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said: ‘I wondered whether I was going through the menopause. My GP had told me that because I’d had the full hysterectomy, I could experience those kinds of symptoms.
‘I had an unusual rash on my nipple and marks on the underside of my breast. I tried to put it out of mind at first but I decided to get it checked out during breast cancer awareness week.’
To combat the cancer Mrs Webb had a mastectomy on her right side. She also had lymph nodes, nerves in her right arm and muscular tissue from her back removed.
Mrs Webb has written a blog about her experiences. She says it has been terrible but that some positive things have come from it
Mrs Webb will continue to be closely monitored. She is also due to have reconstructive surgery
She underwent a year of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before she was declared cancer-free in January 2014.
She will now be closely monitored and she will shortly return to hospital for reconstructive surgery.
She said: ‘I want people who might be facing a cancer diagnosis that if I can get through it, they can too.
‘I’ve had to be strong. I’ve had to fight for the sake of my family. But I’ve been blessed to have such wonderful support, especially from Andrew, who has laughed with me through the darkest moments.’
Three years after her ovarian cancer surgery, Mrs Webb was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to have a mastectomy, radiotherapy and chemotherapy before being told she was free from the disease
Mrs Webb has found support and inspiration by starting a blog to share her experience with other cancer patients.
She said: ‘The experience has made me in a stronger, more positive person. I would never say cancer is a good thing, but there can be positives which come out of it.
‘I’ve had some dark days, but today I feel great.’
