By Rebecca Chitolie
THIS WOMAN’S life was turned upside down when she found out her ovarian “cysts” were misdiagnosed by the NHS and were in fact stage three cancer.
Sales consultant Keesha Walden (27) from Norfolk moved to Nottingham last year before she was given a devastating diagnosis of her previous “cysts” turning out to be Mucinous Adenocarcinoma, which is so rare it makes up just 2-3% of ovarian cancer cases which led to surgeons removing both ovaries, both tubes, her womb, appendix, cervix, 26 lymph nodes and omentum.
Keesha’s journey with the NHS began when she went to see a GP in March 2023 after having shooting pains in her left side, dull aches in my lower abdomen, irregular periods and acne with concerns she could suffer from PCOS.
She was dismissed by her doctors and was told to watch what she eats and to exercise. Her pain and discomfort she felt were also downplayed as just “part of being a woman”.
In September 2023, she was sent to gynaecology as an urgent referral for cancer, but after scans and tests medics said the “chocolate cyst” on her ovary was benign.
A chocolate cyst is a cyst filled with menstrual blood, which according to Keesha the medics incorrectly diagnosed.
She told mediadrumworld.com how she then had surgery in October 2023, an open surgery ovarian cystectomy to remove a 26cm “chocolate cyst” from her left ovary and an excision of the cyst on her right ovary, which was just drained but left in. After a routine biopsy during that surgery, it was revealed that she had stage one ovarian cancer.
Shockingly, her results were not reviewed by the NHS until February the following year, alerting Keesha to the cancer on February 6th. A subsequent CT scan showed new masses in the pelvis and suspicious lung nodules not present in the September scan prior to the initial surgery.
“Due to the delayed diagnosis, I was informed that a radical hysterectomy was my only option for survival, and that they suspected the cancer was in fact stage three, potentially stage four.”
She underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy on 28th March 2024, removing both ovaries, both tubes, her womb, appendix, cervix, 26 lymph nodes and omentum.
Keesha is now living with the reality of her experience and is suing the NHS who have admitted some liability, such as if an oophorectomy (intact removal of the tumour and ovary) had been performed at the original surgery, then chemotherapy would not have been necessary, with reasons for this delay including being “understaffed”.
“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”, said Keesha.
The reason doctors gave her for not acting on her biopsy diagnosis of cancer earlier are listed below.
“The Consultant’s PA who would have tracked results was an agency member of staff who only had experience in a band 3 typing role”, said the NHS.
“They were struggling with their workload and did not follow the departmental procedure for tracking results.
“The gynaecology admin team is short staffed. There is not an effective process for ensuring the timely review of all histology and radiology results.
“There is widespread misunderstanding of current results reporting processes and the role of the cancer centre.
“There is no effective failsafe in gynaecology for highlighting abnormal results. This is a trust wide issue.”
Keesha described the most detrimental ways in which she was gaslighted by doctors.
“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.” said Keesha.
“This made me doubt my own experience and delayed the proper diagnosis and treatment I needed.
“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.”
Keesha described her current recovery plan.
“I’m still currently undergoing chemotherapy, with the hope that my last cycle will be on September 6th”, said Keesha.
“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.”
Keesha explained how this experience has changed her life.
“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”, said Keesha.
“I’ll likely return to therapy to navigate this journey, as I work toward building a new life amidst the unclear prognosis and addressing the suicidal thoughts I’ve experienced.
“When my body feels strong enough, I want to get back into swimming and fitness. I know I’ll face a lifetime of health challenges due to early menopause and the lasting effects of surgery and chemotherapy.
“I think it would be beneficial to speak with someone about exercise, nutrition, and holistic treatments to aid me in my recovery once my treatment ends.”
Keesha described how her family and friends reacted when they found out it was not just a cyst.
“Everyone was in disbelief that this could happen to me at such a young age”, said Keesha.
“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.
Keesha describes the emotional toll the experience has taken.
“Emotionally, this journey has been an uphill battle. There are days when the weight of it all feels unbearable, but amidst the darkness, I have found moments of resilience”, said Keesha.
“I am slowly learning to accept this new reality, to mourn what I have lost, and to find ways to move forward.
“While the scars from this experience, both physical and emotional, will always remain, and the future is still uncertain, I am determined to live a meaningful life despite all this for as long as I possibly can.
“I hope to use my situation to help prevent this from happening to others and to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and diagnosis, especially in younger women.
“The uncertainty of my future and the anxiety about my health have shaken my sense of self. I’ve found it hard to feel attractive, knowing my body is going through something so harsh and life-altering. It’s been a struggle to reconcile the idea of womanhood I once had with the reality of what I’m experiencing now.”
Keesha described how it affected her confidence.
“Cancer and chemotherapy have profoundly impacted my confidence and self-esteem as a woman”, said Keesha.
“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 disconnected from the person I once was, struggling to recognise myself in the mirror.”
Keesha described how her experience has affected her trust in the NHS.
“It’s affected my trust in them massively, I’m struggling to accept that I now need to ‘trust’ the NHS to watch and monitor these lung nodules and watch for recurrent disease”, Keesha.
“I didn’t trust them in the first place and the fact that they misdiagnosed a 32-week term size tumour in the first instance, doesn’t fill me with hope unfortunately.
“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.
Keesha shared her message for other people going through this process and urges others to be more persistent in getting a diagnosis.
“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.”
You can find out more about Keesha’s experience on her GoFundMePage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-keesha-kick-cancers-butt
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