UNBORN BABY SAVED MY LIFE
MUM’S INCREDIBLE
LIKE any expectant mum, Jade Palmer was enjoying the experience of being pregnant with her second child.
But at 21-weeks, she began to experience excruciating migraines that would leave her barely able to function.
Just weeks later, the 27-year-old suffered an attack so bad she fainted and was rushed to the University Hospital Wales.
Doctors weren’t able to find the cause of Jade’s migraines, but a routine MRI scan picked up an unrelated lump on her salivary gland.
It was initially thought the lump was benign, but after giving birth to her son Salvador at 38 weeks, Jade, from Cardiff, was told the lump was actually salivary gland cancer.
“It was the hardest experience of my life,” said Jade, a second-year student at the University of South Wales.
“If we hadn’t decided to have a child at that time in our lives, the cancer could have been found too late and it would be a completely different story.
“In my eyes, being pregnant with my son saved my life.”
Salivary gland cancer is a rare type of cancer that develops in the glands that make saliva. Only 720 people are diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in the UK every year.
Jade said: “I didn’t know they had picked something up on the MRI. I was in the hospital for about a week because they said they wanted to keep an eye on me, but all of the tests came back fine and I was allowed to go home with medication.
“My pregnancy was consultant-led from then on because of the migraines and at my 36-week appointment it was agreed I could be induced at 38 weeks because the headaches were so bad.
“The doctor then went on to say that after giving birth I would get a letter explaining something neurological had been found during my MRI. I was taken aback by it – I didn’t know what she meant.
“But all I could think about was my baby. I didn’t think it would be anything serious because nobody had mentioned anything about it before, so I assumed I was okay and it was something minor.
“I gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Salvador, two weeks later and our family was complete. It was my partner and I’s first child together and my son Theodore was a big brother.”
Four days after giving birth, Jade received a letter in the post, explaining a lump had been found on her scan.
She was told it was more than likely benign, but doctors wanted to carry out a biopsy to make sure.
“I had the biopsy when my son was two weeks old and it all went fine, nobody seemed concerned,” she said.
“I was told I’d get a letter with my results in five to six weeks, but exactly seven days later I had a call to say I had to go in the following week. It was at this point I knew something was wrong and I knew deep down they were going to tell me it was cancer.”
“When they first told me, I was numb – I don’t think I expressed any emotion,” said Jade.
“I went into complete shock and I hadn’t even heard of salivary gland cancer before.
“It wasn’t until I looked over to my mum and watched her break down that I started to cry.
“I just kept thinking about my children and my partner. My baby was only four weeks old at this point and my eldest was five. And I was only 27, I was naive and thought I was too young.
“The doctor said they had found it early on, my survival rate was 90% and it was at a very low stage, but surgery was the only option. He gave me a couple of weeks to enjoy Christmas with my boys and then on December 30 I was back in the hospital for the surgery.
“The migraines weren’t related to the cancer – it was a sheer coincidence that I had to have the MRI scan. I keep thinking to myself that being pregnant and having the migraines saved my life.”
Jade underwent a six-hour operation to remove the lump and was left with a six-inch scar running down her ear and neck. But luckily, she recovered well and wasn’t left with any permanent paralysis – a risk of the surgery.
And in April, follow-up tests confirmed the cancer hadn’t spread or returned.
“I wear my scar with pride every day and I want it to be a reminder to people that cancer can happen to anyone at any time,” she said.
Throughout her pregnancy and cancer-battle, Jade carried on with her studies and only had three extensions for coursework.
Last week, she submitted her final assessment and hopes to graduate with a degree in psychology in 2022.
“I still have the migraines and I’m still under the care of the neurology department, but I can cope with them now,” she said.
“And in a way, they were a blessing in disguise.”