A mother-of-three from Stratford-upon-Avon was devastated after doctors repeatedly dismissed her cancer symptoms as a hernia, claiming she was too 'fit and young' to be seriously ill.
Ten GP Visits
Lydia Southam, 37, visited her GP surgery ten times complaining of heavy periods, abdominal lumps, bloating, and frequent urination. She says her concerns were ignored.
It was only two years later, when a female GP recognised 'something wasn't right', that she was referred for urgent investigations.
Stage 4 Diagnosis
Lydia was sent to Warwick Hospital in June 2023 and diagnosed with Stage 4 low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC).
She said: 'I did naively believe them, I was relatively fit and well. I was still going to the gym and doing everything normally. As a woman you're just told to deal with these symptoms, you have to power through. Because the GP wasn't concerned I wasn't concerned. The potential outcome is that it could have been really quite bad for me.'
Symptoms Dismissed
Lydia first raised concerns in 2021 after noticing changes to her body. She said: 'I've always struggled with heavier periods but they were getting heavier at the time. I'd gone in to see the GP about that initially but I was dismissed.'
During her pregnancy, her discomfort intensified but her concerns were waved away. She added: 'When I was pregnant there was a lump on my tummy and they said it was due to the pregnancy. I'd gone in with a lot of pain and I felt like the baby had no space.'
After pregnancy, she experienced frequent urination, pain, and bloating. Months later, additional lumps appeared, but she says they were incorrectly diagnosed.
Misdiagnosed as Hernia
She explained: 'Fast forward another six months I had some spots that turned up on the right hand side of my abdomen. I then went back in when I found a lump, which looked like a hernia on my tummy. They just told me it was a hernia, they did no scans, and booked me in for an operation.'
Despite discovering further lumps, medical professionals kept providing reassurance. She continued: 'Then I went back in and had a lump on my groin and something wasn't right. I knew something was wrong and ended up going in around 10 times. I finally went back to the GP but this time I had a female doctor who noticed something wasn't right.'
Pushed for Investigation
Lydia insisted on additional testing after being told ovarian cancer was improbable. She recalled: 'They said ovarian cancer happens to older ladies and that I was too young and fit for that, but I pushed for further investigation. I saw a doctor who did a further biopsy of those lumps. It transpired that it was stage 4b low grade, so it was very advanced. It was awful to be honest. My first thought was I need to be here for my kids. The nurse said she didn't know if there was much they could do.'
Private Surgery
After being told surgery might not remove all the cancer, Lydia opted to attend a private London hospital. She explained: 'We found an expert surgeon. She did a full hysterectomy, my spleen, part of my bowel, part of my tummy button, part of diaphragm, it was a very extreme operation. The way it was described is that it spread far, like seeds had sprinkled everywhere. It was on the surface of a lot of the organs but the surgeon managed to get it all.'
Remission and Awareness
After returning home, Lydia endured demanding chemotherapy sessions until she was declared to be in remission. She is now working to increase awareness of LGSOC, an uncommon form of ovarian cancer that typically affects women aged between 40 and 60.
She has joined forces with a charity to commemorate World Ovarian Cancer Day and even featured on a billboard in Piccadilly Circus. She said: 'It was weird seeing myself up there because you saw Jude Law and all these other famous celebrities and then I just came up. It was a big thing, it was confronting seeing yourself and the scar. It's empowering to know I'm helping others.'
