Norfolk student who had cancerous tumour on her ovary training to become NHS nurse
She's studying for a nursing degree to “give back to the NHS”
A Norfolk student who was told she looked pregnant at 15 years old, because of a 20cm cancerous tumour, says she's now studying for a nursing degree to “give back to the NHS”.
20 year old Rosie Williams, from King’s Lynn, began having pain in her side in July 2019, and thought nothing of it until she collapsed in September that year while playing rugby because the pain became so extreme.
It turned out she had a 20cm cancerous tumour growing on her right ovary.
Rosie told PA Real Life: “It really was sort of out of nowhere... I was doing everything I normally do."
At the age of 15, in July 2019, Rosie began experiencing frequent pain in her side, and noticed she put on some weight – these were her first warning signs of cancer.
After several months of discomfort, in September 2019, Rosie’s symptoms came to a head when she was at rugby training.
When she was tackled to the ground, which was something Rosie was used to, she felt an extreme pain, and she began to realise that something was not quite right.
“The pain was so intense that I blacked out"
“The pain was so intense that I blacked out – I can only really remember coming around and then my coaches were asking if I was OK,” Rosie said.
“My dad came and picked me up and that’s when we both agreed to go to the doctors.”
Rosie visited her GP the following day and after having a blood test and her stomach examined, she was referred for an ultrasound at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn which would take place in October 2019.
She explained: “When I was about to have the ultrasound, I was surrounded by pregnant women and it was so strange because I was only 15.
“The radiographer then started scanning with the ultrasound probe, and then kind of just looked a bit confused.
“He called someone else in and explained there was a lot of fluid in my abdomen and from then they asked me to go to A&E.”
She was then immediately admitted to the children’s ward and underwent multiple scans – after two nights, she was sent to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.
“I didn’t really have a clue about what was going on – the doctors would always just talk to my dad and didn’t say anything in front of me,” she said.
On the journey there, Rosie’s father explained her condition – she had a 20cm cancerous tumour on her right ovary, causing a build-up of fluid.
This was pushing on her organs causing the pain in her side, and had been the reason her stomach had got bigger.
"I just started sobbing"
Rosie said: “I just started sobbing – my main thought was ‘Am I going to lose my hair?’ and I was thinking if I’d even be able to go back to school – I just wanted everything to go back to normal.
“I was just in a state of shock really.
“It was definitely serious – I remember my dad saying that he can tell my friends at school for me.”
When she arrived at the hospital in Cambridge, she had a day without any treatment, so decided to go back to school.
She added: “It was the end of term and I just wanted some normality for a day, but I remember having lunch in the canteen and everyone came up to me and so many people were crying – it was really strange because I didn’t really know what was going to happen.”
When Rosie went back to hospital, in October 2019, she had surgery to investigate the problem – doctors discovered “significant evidence of disease” and had to remove her right ovary, fallopian tube and omentum, and drain eight litres of fluid.
“The surgery took about five and a half hours – it’s all a blur really,” she said.
“Doctors explained to my dad that it could be malignant so they put a PICC line in me in case I needed chemotherapy.”
She spent another five days in hospital before being discharged to recover at home.
But, a few weeks later, in November 2019, she was ecstatic to discover she did not need any further treatment and in the previous surgery, doctors were able to remove all the cancer.
"I was so excited to go back to school and just have my life back"
“I can remember just being so happy that I wasn’t going to lose my hair,” Rosie explained.
“Weirdly, I was so excited to go back to school and just have my life back.”
Ever since, Rosie has been regularly monitored through scans and blood tests and this year will mark five years and hopefully end this chapter of her life – she currently has no evidence of disease and if this continues for the rest of the year, she will be officially cancer free.
Rosie’s experience encouraged her to choose a career in nursing and is studying children’s nursing at Kingston University.
“It’s like a full circle moment – I remember being in hospital the day before my surgery and I remember three of the nurses being amazing,” Rosie explained.
“Their names were Charlie, Lauren and Amanda and they used to come in and make jokes and were just so nice to me – it was really sweet and they made me feel less worried.
“I want to be like them and they’re a big reason why I’m doing what I’m doing.
“I’m not there yet, but when I am qualified, I know it’s going to be rewarding and I think after what happened to me, I want to pay it back.
“It’s amazing to think I’ll be able to help children who are like how I was.”