A mum who struggled to lift her newborn baby was left devastated when her back pain turned out to be terminal cancer.
Jennifer McNeill was in so much pain that she could barely walk, never mind carry her 11-month-old son Aidan. But when it lingered for several months and painkillers weren’t helping, the 34-year-old said she knew something more serious was going on.
Speaking to the Daily Record, the mum-of-two told how she thought her aches were muscular.
She added: “I was in complete agony for months. When the pain first started, Aidan was only seven months old and my little girl Millie was three, so doctors said I had probably strained it whilst lifting them. It went on for months and got so severe that I could barely walk.
“My husband Kevin had to start carrying me around. The pain was shooting down my thighs. At that point I felt like something more serious must have been causing it. It was horrendous.”
[When the pain eventually spread down Jennifer’s legs and she was unable to pass urine, she attended the A&E department at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in July 2021. Doctors ordered a CT scan and discovered a cancerous tumour on her spine. After several other tests and scans, she was told the cancer had begun in her right breast, however, it had now spread to her spine and was classed as stage four breast cancer.
Speaking about the moment she was diagnosed, Jennifer said: “I knew they had found something because they cleared out the full ward and just left me and my mum. I could tell it was going to be bad news.
“The diagnosis came as a complete shock to me, but in a way I was relieved to know what was going on and why I had been in so much pain. I just couldn’t believe the cancer had already spread to my back and that I hadn’t had any issues with my breasts.
“I hope that by sharing what has happened to me will encourage others to listen their gut if something doesn’t feel right.”
Because her cancer had already spread, medics were unable to operate to remove the cancer and Jennifer was told her illness was terminal. She was offered several rounds of radiation, chemotherapy and has been started on chemo drug Enhertu.
Jennifer said: “My life is completely different now. It’s been turned upside down. All I can do is put on a brave face and pretend I’m okay for the sake of my children. I don’t want to scare them, but the sad reality is this is how they know their mummy. They expect me to be in bed, to be in pain and to be unable to walk. This is our life now.
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“I want to live each day to the max for my children, but I cant due to pain and mobility. It kills me.
Jennifer said knowing that she won’t live long enough to see her children Millie, now 6 and Aidan, now 4, grow up breaks her heart everyday.
She added: “I never want to break them and let them know their mummy’s going to die in a matter of years. When I put them to bed I could lay there for hours and just look at them.”
Jennifer has been attending Ardgowan Hospice in Greenock.
She said: “It’s not just me they’ve cared for, it’s my family too. The support they’ve given all of us has been incredible, and that’s why I hope people will continue to help hospices like Ardgowan. They’re giving families like mine hope and peace when we need it most.”
Over the last few years Kevin, Jennifer’s husband of eight years, and several friends have raised almost £30,000 for the hospice to show their appreciation.
Jennifer added: “I have so many wonderful people in my life who have supported me so much. Honestly if love you save me, I’d be cured already.”
To donate click here.
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