Katharina Buczek
But, throughout her second pregnancy, Jemma began suffering from a familiar pain.
“I experienced pain in my lower back and pelvis throughout the pregnancy. But, with clear blood results and scans, I was assured there was nothing to worry about,” Jemma said.
Louis was eventually born, and all was still believed to be well. That was until she became pregnant with her third child, Betty.
“At thirty-five weeks pregnant, I found a lump. I visited my midwife, who red-flagged me to my consultant, who then rushed me for an MRI. It was agreed that I should get booked in early and for a planned procedure instead of waiting for a natural birth,” Jemma explained.
In turn, Betty was delivered via c-section, and Jemma’s lump was removed and biopsied about two weeks later. The day after the removal, Jemma also went for a full-body CT scan, and the results were far worse than anyone expected.
“The results showed a tumor in my left lung and three on my pelvic bone. On February 9, we met with an oncologist in Belfast, and they confirmed my diagnosis of advanced stage four incurable ovarian cancer,” Jemma said.
Stage four ovarian cancer is diagnosed when the cancer has spread to distant body parts, such as the liver or lungs. According to Medical News Today, the five-year survival rate is about thirty percent.
Still, Jemma’s case is exceptionally unique.
“My cancer is acting very unusually and aggressively. It has no documented cases reported in the medical journals, which makes it difficult for my oncology team to know what exactly is the best course of treatment or a prognosis of how the treatment will work,” Jemma explained.
In turn, her battle has been a compilation of trials and errors. Since the diagnosis, Jemma has received three rounds of two distinct kinds of chemotherapy treatments.
“The three rounds of chemo have been physically, mentally, and emotionally the toughest twelve weeks of my life to date. I have to get up every morning and, with the help of my family around me, get my little girl to school and look after my other two babies,” Jemma said.
