A WOMAN was given 12 months to live just weeks after breaking her toe.
Sharon Daley was about to fly to Tenerife, Spain, with her sister when she hit her foot against her bed.
Sharon Daley with her sister Stephanie and niece IssySharon Daley
Sharon, 55, has been given 12 months to live after being diagnosed with stomach cancerSharon Daley
Despite the pain, she jetted off on holiday and hobbled around for a week in the sun.
On her return, Sharon went to A&E, where tests revealed her blood level was worryingly low.
Two weeks later, the 55-year-old was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer.
Initially, doctors hoped they could treat it with surgery.
But on May 17, Sharon received the devastating news that it was incurable.
With chemotherapy, she has 12 months to live, and without it, just three to six.
Sharon, who has opted to try to prolong her life for as long as possible, said: “I was there with my sister and we were gobsmacked.”
Looking back, the former charity sector worker, from Brighton, East Sussex, reckons her symptoms started in February – but she thought nothing much of them at the time.
“I felt quite nauseous, which I don’t normally suffer from, and I had a bit of a stomach ache, but I didn’t pay much attention to either,” she said.
In March, she was getting ready to travel to the Canary Islands for seven days when she stubbed her toe against her bed.
Having injured it before and knowing there was “little doctors could do”, she didn’t get it checked out, hoping the pain would go down while she was away.
Unfortunately, Sharon spent the week “limping in trainers”.
When she got back, she still couldn’t walk so took herself to hospital on Good Friday to confirm she hadn’t broken a bone in her foot.
“While I was there, I mentioned I had some shortness of breath so they did some blood tests and X-rays,” she said.
“They identified that my blood level had dropped quite significantly so I ended up having two transfusions, but I didn’t really take in what was going on.”
Sharon had a follow-up appointment the next week and was admitted to a ward.
Further scans identified she had a stomach ulcer that was bleeding and might be malignant.
Her stomach cancer diagnosis was confirmed two weeks later.
I probably wasn’t the healthiest person in the world, but I wasn’t ill – at least I didn’t think so
Sharon Daley
“I thought, ‘How has this happened and why?’,” Sharon said.
“I’d been feeling a bit tired for a bit, but I put it down to my mental health condition.
“I go for my mammograms and I do my bowel samples, so I actively get checked for cancer, but stomach cancer just isn’t something they screen for.
“I probably wasn’t the healthiest person in the world, but I wasn’t ill – at least I didn’t think so.”
DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS
At the time, she was advised that her condition was curable with an operation to remove part of her stomach and pancreas, but on May 1, following a laparoscopy, she found out that wasn’t the case.
Then her oncologist delivered the most brutal blow – Sharon had 12 months to live with chemotherapy, and three to six without it.
“It was hard telling my 21-year-old niece; we are very close,” she said.
The aunt is still awaiting a date to begin chemo, but for now she’s being supported by Macmillan.
“They have been fantastic and really helped me,” she said.
To say thank you, Sharon is raising money for the charity through GoFundMe.
She has already been “overwhelmed” by the response.
The main symptoms of stomach cancer
Like many cancers, the symptoms of stomach cancer can be tricky to spot.
But if you notice any of the following for an extended period, you should see your GP:
Heartburn or acid reflux
Problems swallowing
Feeling or being sick
Burping a lot
Feeling full very quickly when eating (even small amounts)
Loss of appetite
Unintentional weight loss
A lump at the top of your stomach
Tummy pain
Bloating
Feeling tired or having no energy
Dark poo or blood in your stool
Source: NHS and Cancer Research UK
“A huge thank you to everyone for donating,” she said.
“Having worked in the charity sector, I know, particularly in the current climate, fundraising is an issue.
“But Macmillan’s work has really helped our lives, even in this short difficult period, so this means so much.”
Sharon wants to spend the rest of her life, however long she has left, surrounded by her loved ones.
“I want to spend as much time with her and my sister – that’s the most important thing to me,” she said.
The keen traveller also hopes to tick a couple of things off her bucket list before the end of the year.
“I’ve had to forget about some of the things I wanted to do, like go to India, because I’ve realised I won’t be able to travel that far, so anywhere outside of Europe is now gone,” Sharon said.
“But I really hope to arrange to visit Portofino in Italy, as well as ride overnight on the Orient Express.
“I’m a ridiculous fan of the Sound of Music so I’d also love to go to Salzburg in Austria.
“Myself and a friend have said for years that we would do it so I hope to hurry that along. I know all of the words.”
Sharon Daley with her niece Issy Daley – Woman, 55, given just one year left to live after breaking her toeSharon Daley