Listen to your instincts, cancer patient urges

CHRISTCHURCH: After nearly a year of being turned away from her GP, a Christchurch woman has merely months to live after she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Hayley Beaumont, who is just 31 and a solo mother, is urging other people to follow their gut instinct and get a second opinion.

‘‘If something doesn’t feel right with your body, push to get more tests done, and get a second opinion,’’ she said.

In January 2019 Ms Beaumont went to see her GP because she had experienced heavy bleeding.

‘‘I was getting tennis ballsized blood clots.’’

However, she was told she was too fit, young and healthy to have anything seriously wrong.

But just 11 months later she was admitted to Christchurch Women’s Hospital with kidney failure.

‘‘I’d only just woken up from a procedure, and the surgeon came in and said he needed to talk to me,’’ Ms Beaumont said.

He said: ‘‘I’m sorry it’s cancer, and it’s very far progressed as well.’’

She was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer.

‘‘My first thoughts went to my daughter, wondering how she would cope with the news.’’

Ms Beaumont said she had been to her doctor many times in those 11 months and each time she was brushed off, despite her symptoms worsening.

Then on Boxing Day, she ended up in hospital.

After she explained the situation to staff at Christchurch Women’s, a complaint was made on her behalf to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

The investigation was ongoing, she said.

For now though, her energy levels are low and she wants to enjoy what time she has left and her priority is her 11yearold daughter Abbey.

Ms Beaumont is on pain medication and recently finished her second round of chemotherapy.

She said after her third chemotherapy treatment, doctors would be able to decide if it was worth continuing. — The New Zealand Herald