Mom’s Painful Butt Is A Symptom Of Terminal Disease

A British mother who was cleared of cancer recently has been diagnosed with a terminal illness after going to the doctor over butt pains.

Gemma Denham, 29, discovered she has between months and a few years to live following her terminal cancer diagnosis on Nov. 7, 7News.com.au reported.

The dental receptionist was initially diagnosed with cervical cancer last March following a routine smear test.

Denham's August 2020 test, which was done amid ongoing leg, pelvic and back pain, revealed she had a cervical ectropion — a condition where cells that line the inside of the cervix start to grow on the outside.

She was allegedly "assured she was too young" to have had cancer when she asked if she had it before the diagnosis.

Denham underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, blood transfusions and platelet transfusions to counter the growth. She and her 31-year-old partner, Elliot, were allegedly "thrilled" after she was given the all-clear on Oct. 5.

"I was completely over the moon... From my MRI they confirmed I was NED (no evidence of disease)," Denham said.

A PET scan also confirmed Denham's cervical cancer was gone, but she noted that she had a "slight glow" on her right pelvic node.

"My consultant had reassured me that she was pretty much certain that it was the radiotherapy still working in my body so will repeat the PET scan in six weeks," Denham said.

However, Denham went back to the hospital after she began limping again and started experiencing pain in her butt cheek and her leg during the wait.

An MRI test then revealed Denham's cancer had spread across her pelvis and lower spine.

"My whole body felt like it was on fire when the consultant told me the cancer was back. They told me I had months-to-early years left to live — devastated was an understatement," Denham was quoted as saying.

Doctors were unsure if they missed something in Denham's earlier scan or if cancer had grown back rapidly in the weeks that followed.

Denham was told that even chemotherapy would not work, but a clinical immunotherapy trial has since become available, and she will undergo tests to determine if she can participate.

Denham told her 7-year-old daughter, Faith, that she had finished treatment for her cervical cancer, but she did not break the news about her terminal diagnosis to her.

The mother has decided to focus on making memories with her daughter and her 1-year-old son, Ellison.

"[My biggest worry] is not being the best mom I can be for my beautiful babies, and not being able to guide them through the most important journeys in life. My children growing up without the one person that loves them the most, more than anything in the world — their mom," Denham said.