WATCH: 'Am I going to die?': Young Lurgan mum after being told in A&E she had cancer
Her story comes as new research finds over a quarter of cancers in Northern Ireland are being diagnosed through emergency routes like A&E departments
Last updated 7th Apr 2022
Clare Crossey, from Lurgan, believes she’s lucky to be alive after discovering she had an acute form of leukaemia shortly after arrival at Craigavon’s Emergency Department.
Her story comes as a new study shows one in four cancer patients here – that is more than 4,000 - are being diagnosed only when they present at A & E.
Cancer Research UK says, that means patients only find out they have the disease when their health has worsened.
The analysis comes from the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership, which is hosted by Cancer Research UK.
Clare Crossey (35), a former care-worker from Lurgan found herself among the 4000 when she was diagnosed with cancer in February 2018.
The mum-of-two’s life was turned upside-down when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
She had just finished night duty as a domiciliary care assistant when she started to feel very tired and unwell. She then developed a rash on her chest and bruising on her legs.
Working in care she didn't hesitate to examine her own symptoms and was alarmed to discover she could have leukaemia.
She immediately made an appointment at the local health centre where a doctor felt that she was being over-anxious. But within two days she was being told in hospital she was lucky to be alive.
Clare recalls: “I had a feeling in the back of my head that things weren’t right."
“The doctor obviously did not agree with my suspicions as I was given the number of the Samaritans help line, a prescription for beta blockers and told to make an appointment for the following Tuesday for blood tests. This was on a Friday and Tuesday seemed so far away."
She rang Craigavon Hospital as she began to bleed from her gums with no explanation and found herself sleeping for almost 24 hours. They advised to come to A&E where blood tests were taken.
She recalls: “A short time after arriving at the hospital, I received a blood test. The results came back very quickly and when both a doctor and nurse came to talk to me. I just knew it was serious.”
Clare was sent to the City Hospital in Belfast right away and on arrival was met by a consultant and nurse who admitted her immediately and broke the news that she might have leukaemia.
Clare recalls: “I cried and the first stupid question I asked was, ‘Am I going to lose my hair?’ My thinking was that if I lost my hair, the girls would know I was really ill, so I would have to tell them the truth.
Chemotherapy treatment started immediately and Clare was told that had she waited until the following Tuesday for blood tests, she may not have been alive.
Clare is urging anyone who is second guessing any symptoms to make an appointment as soon as possible.
"When your gut is telling you, whether it's a headache or a sore toe please always get it checked out," she said.
"Please don't leave it too late."