Listen to the body, says recovering cancer patient

Sharon Hever received eight rounds of chemotherapy followed by major surgery

"You should always listen to your body and get checked when something doesn't feel right."

Sharon Hever, 58, wants her words to resonate with others. She realised something was wrong when she began "feeling full all the time" and had no appetite. It was ovarian cancer.

She is now recovering from treatment including chemotherapy and major surgery and feels "a lot better". Her progress includes attendance at a support group at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust.

She described the group as great, having met "different ladies diagnosed with cancer" to "share our stories". She said it made her feel less alone.

Sharing her own story is intended to encourage others not to wait when unusual symptoms present themselves.

She said she remembered feeling "very bloated" and also had a slight change in bowel habits, so made a doctor's appointment.

The doctor ordered urgent blood tests and based on those, Ms Hever said she was "put on a two-week referral".

'Feel a lot better'

During this time, she was rushed into A&E due to the severity of her bloating.

After being diagnosed with cancer, Ms Hever had eight chemotherapy sessions, followed by surgery, which included a hysterectomy, an appendectomy and the removal of her omentum.

She added: "I responded well to treatment and feel a lot better now.

"I saw chemo as a positive and I didn't have many side effects, so I was lucky."

Ms Hever described the support she had from nursing teams at Wolverhampton as "fantastic", adding they were "so reassuring and kind".