Fiona Bailey - Age: 45

Fi and Jonathan Bailey's story - My liver cancer

My husband Jonathan and I went to visit my sister Helen and her husband Simon at the beginning of December 2019. While we were staying with them my sister noticed my skin was yellow which is a sign of Jaundice. We enjoyed the weekend the best we could but obviously concerned as I had to wait till I got a doctors appointment the following week. I was off my food that weekend and felt sick around food as well.

When we returned home I rang the doctors straight away and I was seen by a lovely nurse on the 10th December, this day will never leave my mind. The nurse took a look into my eyes and said there were white dots in my eyes and straight away she knew my liver was not functioning as it should be. With that she took some bloods and sent them off as an urgent case.

The following morning on the 11th December I missed three calls from my doctor as I was driving to work I knew then there something to worry about. I called them back and she confirmed my liver was not functioning and was very worried. At this point I burst into tears and went to see my lovely boss Iona. I could not even get my words out. With that, Iona calmed me down and I told her. I tired the best I could to carry on with my work. The next three weeks the doctor sent me for an Ultra Sound, CT Scan and finally a PET scan.

I was very poorly with my jaundice levels and my skin went more and more yellow. My liver enzymes were sky high, from memory 1,200. I was admitted on boxing day to Guildford hospital to have loads of fluid pumped in me to to try and flush my jaundice levels through. I was not eating either.

I then saw my consultant Professor Nariman Karanjia with my brother James Bull at the Royal Surrey Guildford Hospital on the 23rd December 2019 and he showed us the scans which revealed the cancerous tumour on my liver. I could not believe what I was seeing. I am so grateful my brother was there to take it all in as well. There was talk of chemotherapy before removing the tumour. I felt sick with fear. I thought I was not going to see anyone again as we had no idea what our future was and feared the worst. He said that liver cancer in women is very rare and they were baffled as I did not fit their criteria due to my age (45), do not smoke etc.

However, after the PET scan revealed the cancer cells were in the tumour on my liver and no where else in the body (thankfully), he changed his mind and I received a phone call on the 7th January 2020 from Helen Griffith a lovely nurse to say I had to have my bloods done that afternoon as they wanted to remove the tumour the following day 8th January 2020. I had to break the news to my lovely boss and she just said 'Go'!!.

In some respects my husband Jonathan and I had no time to think about it and prepare ourselves and rushed home to pack my bags as we had no idea how long I would be in hospital for.

We left at 6 am on the 8th January 2020 and drove to Guildford hospital in a daze. My operation was at 11 am that day.

The next thing I remember is waking up and being sick from the drugs in the ICU department. I was there for 2 days and then taken to the Frensham Ward in Guildford hospital. I was in hospital for 4 weeks until the 27th January. I had so many meltdowns at least one evey day, and the staff at the ward were always there are a drop of a hat to hug me when they saw me crying. I cant thank them enough I now have a Mercedez Benz scar which was originally glued and stapled. I had to have help getting out of bed to go to the ladies as I could not do anything on my own and relied on staff 24 hours a day for 4 weeks. I had to have 2 lots of drains which were so painful as they had to drain the fluid on my lungs and on my liver. After 12 days they removed the staples. I had an infection and my infection markers were 376. They should be between 0-30 for a healthy human. They were still high when I left hospital on the 27th January, however, I actually felt OK and well enough to go home. While I was at home, I had to train by brain to give me enough time to get upstairs to the bathroom as my body function was all over the place.

However, 2 weeks later I had to call an ambulance as I felt poorly. I was admitted to Frimley Park Hospital and put on strong intrevenous antibiotics for a week. Frimley were brilliant and liaised with Guildford Hospital every day as they wanted to make sure they were doing the right thing.

In the end the consultant removed the tumour itself the cells around it and a margin of it as well. As of May my liver has grown a 1/3 and currently on track. It can take a year for it to be fully grown. I will have a scan every 3 months and blood tests to check my liver is functioning.

I made sure I had a goal to return to work which was March 16th 2020. I was so looking forward to going back. I was back at work for 2 days when we were all told to work from home. Did this for 2 weeks then on the furlough leave!

I will be so glad to get back to work as this year I have only worked for 2 weeks and I am craving just a bit of normality.

My work, Card Connection in Farnham have been amazing and their support has been tremendous.

I would also like to thank from the bottom of my heart my grateful thanks to Professor Nariman Karanjia my consultant and our nurse Helen Griffith who without their quick actions it may have been a very diffident outcome. Thanks to them I am still here. I will always have to live with the 'worry' it may come back but for now somehow I will try and enjoy life.

My amazing husband Jonathan, my brilliant brother James Bull and his wife Julie Bull, my sister Helen Bennett and her husband Simon Bennett, I could not have got through the last 6 months without them by my side.

All my girlfriends who came to visit me whilst I was in hospital and when I got home I will be forever grateful. They have seen and been there for me in my darkest day and all been there in one way or another.

I have been searching for groups with individuals who have had cancer or have it and I feel there is not enough support out there. I would love to help people who have been through this or are gong through this as talking about it is important I will happily help anyone that needs it whether it is the person who is going through it or their relatives. If one thing can come out of this this would be a good thing helping others.

I hope people can reach out to me that need support.