Mum of three died aged 32 after having all-clear smear test

A MOTHER of three who received an all-clear smear test in 2009 went on to develop cancer and died aged 32.

Nicola had to repeatedly ask doctors to re-examine her for cancer when she feared it had returned, her husband David said.

David, who first spoke on Joe Duffy’s ‘Liveline’, described the latter part of his wife’s life as “horrific”.

Nicola started experiencing pain in her pelvis and unexplained bleeding the same year she received all-clear smear test results. Her doctor put her on painkillers before referring her to a consultant who investigated to see if she had endometriosis.

The findings proved to be inconclusive and Nicola’s symptoms worsened. She had a new job at the time and was in such extreme pain she had started taking morphine injections on her lunch break.

Eventually, the consultant recommended presacral neurectomy surgery which involves severing nerves to the womb. It was hoped this would reduce her discomfort.

However, David told the Irish Independent it aggravated her symptoms. When she returned to her consultant, she found him dismissive. He suggested she “go to the gym” to try to reduce the pain.

Nicola returned to her GP asking for a referral to a different consultant. This new consultant, based in a different geographical jurisdiction, recommended Nicola undergo a hysterectomy. There was some hesitation given she was just 28 at the time but as they had three children they decided to proceed.

In April 2010, they drove to hospital for surgery. However, Nicola started bleeding heavily.

“When we left the car in the car park, the car seat was covered in blood,” David said. “She had to be brought straight into surgery and was haemorrhaging.”

The operation was carried out successfully and Nicola was discharged from hospital. A doctor contacted the family in the following days saying they had discovered a tumour during surgery and had diagnosed Nicola with stage 2B adenocarcinoma. This form of cervical cancer can often be missed during routine smear tests.

“It was a shock. This would have been 14 months [after the smear test],” David said.

Nicola began radiotherapy and chemotherapy to ensure remaining any cancerous cells would be killed.

A year after treatment concluded, her symptoms returned and she was in more pain than ever.

They were referred to a different hospital where after several appointments she was advised to visit a psychologist.

Psychologist

“She said: ‘I know I’m not crazy, I know my body,’” David said.

Nicola agreed to see a psychologist on the condition she underwent further medical tests.

“They brought her in to see that the cancer had spread to her ovaries and her stomach, her lymph nodes and part of her lungs.

“After the cancer came back, what remained of her life was horrific,” David said.

“No person should ever have to go through that. No woman should ever have to go through that.”

They returned to their local hospital and were informed Nicola had 11 months to live.

“Hearing that changed me as a person, it changed her too.

“Nothing was the same after that,” he said.

David said he was both angry and saddened reading similar stories in recent days.

“If that could have been avoided. it would make me very angry.”

Nicola fought to be heard all along the way, said David.

He said he had not been contacted by CervicalCheck.