A yoga enthusiast diagnosed with ovarian cancer has told of her horror after mistakenly believing her agonising back pain was caused by tight hips.
Alex Macgillivray, from Wrexham in Wales, took up the flexible hobby in January in a bid to relieve the pressure on her back.
But by June it had intensified and she began experiencing constant bloating and constipation that made her ‘look pregnant’.
It was only after visiting the GP, who referred her to hospital thinking it was appendicitis, that tests showed she had two ovarian tumours measuring 12cm and 8cm — roughly the size of grapefruits.
By June the pain had intensified and Alex Macgillivray began experiencing constant bloating and constipation that made her ‘look pregnant’
Now the 26-year-old bride-to-be is undergoing gruelling chemotherapy to blast the tumours, in the hope she can keep her ovaries and fertility.
Recalling her terrifying ordeal, Ms Macgillivray said: ‘I’ve always known my hips are tight so I get lower back pain.
‘It was an ache in my lower back, then I’d randomly get a stabbing pain in my lower groin on the right side.
‘When I got to June I started to experience severe bloating, which is really odd for me. My stomach was distended, I looked and felt pregnant.
‘Everyone was saying to me “oh I get bloating, it could be IBS” but I said “no it’s really weird”.
‘I was also constipated, which I never am.
It was only after visiting the GP, who referred her to hospital thinking it was appendicitis, that tests showed she had two ovarian tumours measuring 12cm and 8cm — roughly the size of grapefruits. Pictured, Alex with fiancé James Ingleby-Jones
Germ cell tumours are a rare form of the disease that develops in the ovaries, the female organs that produce eggs. It is often called a ‘silent killer’, as symptoms don’t present until late stages of the disease.
‘I hadn’t changed anything I usually eat, including Sunday dinners at the pub, so by day two of being constipated I went to the doctor.’
Tests, including CT scans and ultrasounds, at Wrexham Maelor Hospital later uncovered the two giant ovarian germ cell tumours — measuring 12cm x 13cm and 7cm x 8cm.
Germ cell tumours, a rare type of ovarian cancer, are more common among women under 30.
They develop from germ cells, which create human eggs. Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the UK.
The disease kills around 11 women every day in Britain, on average, or 4,000 a year.
It also kills three times as many women in the US every year, figures show.
The disease is often diagnosed late because symptoms are vague and can include indigestion, pelvic or abdominal pain, loss of appetite, constipation, and needing to urinate more often.
Alex Macgillivray, from Wrexham in Wales, took up yoga in January in a bid to relieve the pressure on her back
Around 93 per cent of women diagnosed live five years or more if it’s spotted at the earliest stage, compared with just 13 per cent diagnosed at stage four.
About a fifth of women with the cancer are also diagnosed in A&E, often when it is too late for any treatment.
Before beginning chemotherapy treatment, Ms Macgillivray who is engaged to 27-year-old recruiter James Ingleby-Jones, last month shaved her head for The Robin Cancer Trust.
She donated 14 inches of her blonde locks to Little Princess Trust.
She said: ‘It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster, from the joy of getting engaged to the heartbreak of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
‘Fair play to them, [the hospital staff] they did all the scans and found it, they didn’t just send me home with laxatives.
‘James proposed after my exploratory surgery, he had it all planned out before I got ill, I had no idea it was coming.
‘It’s been something to really look forward to and a light at the end of a tunnel.
Now, Ms Macgillivray is urging anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to get them checked out straight away
‘The hope is the chemo will blast it out without the need for an operation.
‘The type of cancer I have is extremely rare in females, it’s more typical in males with testicular cancer. If you’re going to have it you usually have it before you’re 30.’
Now, Ms Macgillivray is urging anyone experiencing unusual symptoms to get them checked out straight away.
She added: ‘Bloating and a change in toilet habits could just be linked to monthly cycles, but I’d said to anyone to get anything unusual to them checked out.
‘I’ve been lucky, I’ve got the “best” ovarian cancer you can have as it’s usually silent and people don’t get diagnosed until later on.
‘But I would push as soon as you experience any uncommon symptoms to get them checked out.’
