Woman, 27, told pelvic pain was just 'part of being a woman'...in fact it was a giant ovarian cancer that's spread to her lungs

A woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer has claimed she was 'gaslit' by medics after they dismissed her pelvic pain as just 'part of being a woman'. 

Keesha Walden, from Norfolk, began suffering shooting pains on her left side in early 2023, aged 26.

But by March she experienced agonising aches in her lower abdomen and irregular periods. Yet she claimed she was told by her GP she should simply watch what she was eating and exercise.

It was only after her symptoms worsened she was sent to gynaecology as an urgent cancer referral in September that they found what they believed to be a cyst on her ovary.

Surgery to remove it a month later showed she had a cancerous tumour measuring 26cm — roughly the size of a rugby ball. 

Keesha Walden, from Norfolk, began suffering shooting pains on her left side in early 2023, aged 26. But by March she experienced agonising aches in her lower abdomen and irregular periods. Yet she claimed she was told by her GP she should simply watch what she was eating and exercise 

However, follow-up scans in February showed her cancer had spread, with a new mass in her pelvis and abnormal tissue on her lung. 

She was diagnosed with Mucinous Adenocarcinoma — so rare it makes up just three per cent of all ovarian cancer cases — and has since had to have both ovaries, womb, appendix and cervix removed. 

Recalling her heartbreaking ordeal, she said: 'Due to the delayed diagnosis, I was informed that a hysterectomy was my only option for survival, and that they suspected the cancer was in fact stage three, potentially stage four.'

'I was told all my checks were fine and everything was healthy, despite the GP never seeing me face-to-face, and told to watch what I eat and exercise as my BMI was perfect, but the waist circumference was very large.' 

'One of the most harmful ways I was gaslighted by doctors was when they repeatedly dismissed my symptoms, despite telling them how severe my pain and discomfort were.

'This made me doubt my own experience and delayed the proper diagnosis and treatment I needed.'

The 27 year-old  sales consultant revealed her large abdominal swelling - another telltale sign of the ovarian tumour hiding in her pelvis

She added: 'I was told I was "too young" to have a serious condition, especially when it came to something like ovarian cancer. 

'My concerns were brushed off, and I was reassured that my symptoms were probably nothing to worry about because of my age. This assumption led to a significant delay.

'There were times when doctors implied that my symptoms were due to poor lifestyle choices, without considering other possibilities. 

'They would suggest I just needed to eat better, exercise more, or relax, which made me feel responsible for my own suffering and prevented them from looking deeper into the real cause.

'One of the most disheartening instances of gaslighting I experienced was when I asked my doctor about the five-year survival rate. 

'She responded condescendingly, saying, "They're just numbers", as if my concerns were irrelevant or foolish.

'When I pressed for more information, she vaguely assured me that she was 'pretty confident' I would be discharged in five years but offered no further clarity.

'Her inability to provide a concrete answer, combined with her dismissive attitude, made me feel silly for even asking.

'She concluded by saying, "Sometimes doctors don't have all the answers." 

'This left me feeling even more anxious, as it seemed she was downplaying the seriousness of my concerns.'

Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the UK. 

Ms Walden had to undergo a major procedure to extract the cancer which included the removal of several of her pelvic organs

 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.

It 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.

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.

Stage three means the cancer has spread outside the pelvis into the abdominal cavity or to lymph nodes. 

About a fifth of women with ovarian cancer are also diagnosed in A&E, often when it is too late for any treatment.

In March, Ms Walden underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy, removing both ovaries, both tubes, her womb, appendix, cervix, 26 lymph nodes and omentum.

She said: 'I'm still currently undergoing chemotherapy, with the hope that my last cycle will be on September 6.

She was diagnosed with Mucinous Adenocarcinoma, so rare it makes up just three per cent of all ovarian cancer cases

Ms Walden said: 'Cancer and chemotherapy have profoundly impacted my confidence and self-esteem as a woman. The physical changes that come with treatment, hair loss, weight fluctuations, and the visible toll on my body and the large scars have been challenging to accept'

 'After that, I'll face a five-year period of monitoring to see if the nodules in my lung change and to ensure there are no other signs of recurrent disease.

'The uncertainty of my situation makes it difficult to imagine what my future will look like. 

'At 27, most people are focused on building their lives, buying a house, settling down, and starting a family.

'Unfortunately, that has all been stripped away from me. My new reality is about finding peace with the unknown.'

She added: 'Cancer and chemotherapy have profoundly impacted my confidence and self-esteem as a woman.

'The physical changes that come with treatment, hair loss, weight fluctuations, and the visible toll on my body and the large scars have been challenging to accept.

'These changes have often left me feeling disconected from the person I once was, struggling to recognise myself in the mirror.'

According to the NHS, short staffing and workload were reasons blamed on the late diagnosis.  

'There is widespread misunderstanding of current results reporting processes and the role of the cancer centre,' they added.

'There is no effective failsafe in gynaecology for highlighting abnormal results. This is a trust wide issue.'

Ms Walden said: 'This experience has changed me irrevocably. While I hope to find peace, the uncertainty of whether I even have five years left to live adds to the emotional turmoil. 

Now Ms Walden is urging others to demand answers from their doctors and not give up on getting a diagnosis

Ovarian cancer is 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. 

'Everyone was in disbelief that this could happen to me at such a young age'

'There was anger that it hadn't been detected sooner, especially after I had struggled with my health for so long and had been wrongly reassured throughout.

'It was a crazy and overwhelming time for me and my family. The delay in the results meant that everything suddenly became urgent-there was no time to pause and process what was happening. 

'It felt surreal and terrifying for all of us.'

Now Ms Walden is urging others to demand answers from their doctors and not give up on getting a diagnosis.

'Now I've still got nodules in my lung that have not been tested, the hospital has no plans to conduct a biopsy as they're too small apparently (five millimetres) and so they are still not able to confirm whether they're cancerous, or not.

'But my trust in the NHS is non-existent now considering the misdiagnosis and delay in results being actioned.

'To everyone facing the challenges of cancer and chemotherapy, I know this journey can feel overwhelming, but please remember that you are stronger than you think', said Keesha.

'Every day you fight is a testament to your resilience and courage.

'Your worth is not defined by the changes in your body or the struggles you face, but by the incredible strength you show in navigating them.

'Always listen to your body, if you think something isn't right then make sure to push and follow it up. I regret not being more persistent in getting a diagnosis.'