A mother has shared her story of being dismissed by medical professionals 14 times before finally receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Paula Hudgell, a prominent figure in the UK, was honored with an OBE in 2022 for her contributions to preventing child abuse.
Paula is the adoptive mother of Tony Hudgell, a young boy who endured severe abuse from his biological parents as an infant, resulting in the amputation of his legs.
Tony was just over a month old when he was subjected to horrific abuse by his parents, Jody Simpson and Anthony Smith, who were both imprisoned in 2018.
Paula and her husband Mark cared for Tony as foster parents before adopting him in 2016.
Tragically, Paula herself has faced significant challenges, as she was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2022, which has progressed to stage 4 terminal cancer.
In a recent interview, Paula disclosed that doctors repeatedly dismissed her concerns before she was finally diagnosed with cancer.
“I knew something wasn’t right, so I made an appointment with the GP, but was told it was IBS,” Paula shared with The Mirror. “I kept going back, but my symptoms would last for three or four weeks and then settle down, so I thought maybe the GPs were right.”
At the time, Paula was experiencing episodes of diarrhoea and constipation.
She added: “I got used to my symptoms, but then, after four years, I was on the loo and it was almost like my late mom spoke to me and I called the GP with the grit I’d have used if one of the kids was ill and said ‘I need an appointment today.’
“I went with a different attitude and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“I’d started seeing the bowel cancer adverts on TV and demanded they test a stool sample. I knew deep down something was wrong, but I was so busy being a mom I put my problems on the back burner.”
Paula’s insistence on having a stool sample tested revealed significantly elevated cancer markers, leading to her bowel cancer diagnosis just weeks later.
Facing the reality that her cancer is now terminal after it returned, Paula may need to undergo another surgery, which would require a five-week hospital stay.
She described the procedure: “It involves cutting me open from the sternum to the pelvis, removing as much of the stomach lining as possible and flooding my stomach with chemo for up to an hour before flushing it out.”
“This operation is horrific. But if it gives me a little longer, I’ll do it because every extra day I get to be here for Tony is worth any amount of pain.”
If you’ve been affected by these issues and need someone to talk to, you can contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or use their live chat service, available 24/7 every day of the year.