A PRIMARY school teacher who thought she had IBS was shocked when a routine smear test revealed she had stage three cervical cancer.
When Cara Ryan, 36, was initially told that her “severe bloating” and stomach pain were caused by IBS, she “went down a rabbit hole” learning about gut and drastically changing her diet.
Primary school teacher Cara Ryan was initally told by doctors that severe bloating was caused by IBS Credit: Kennedy News
A routine smear test shockingly revealed that Cara had stage three cervical cancer Credit: Kennedy News
But when doctors found a “ ball-sized tumour” in Cara’s womb in April 2023, she was given a devastating cancer diagnosis.
The teacher’s ordeal began in October 2022 when she started going “back and forth” to the with severe bloating, abdominal pain and back pain that was getting progressively worse.
Cara, from , Scotland, said: “They thought I had IBS. At the time that totally fit because I was having a particularly stressful time at work, they thought it was triggered by stress.”
She started researching her diet and soon cut out dairy, red meat, garlic and onions.
Doctors found a snooker ball-sized tumour in Cara’s womb when she went for her smear test Credit: Kennedy News
When Cara initially thought she had IBS, she started cutting out dairy and red meat from her diet Credit: Kennedy News
“I really was doing everything I possibly could,” she said.
Cara then went for a routine smear test in January 2023 despite being “petrified” of the test.
The primary school teacher said: “I’ve had a couple of smear tests in the past and they feel very intimate. I was just always so embarrassed and mortified and just found them really difficult.
It was this smear test that she said “100% saved my life”.
Doctors discovered a 5.5cm tumour at the neck of her cervix that had spread into her womb.
She was given the devastating diagnosis of stage three .
Cara said: “I didn’t know anybody who had had gynae cancer before.
“The only person I had ever followed online was Jade Goody and she died, I just thought ‘I’m going to die’.”
The tumour doctors found was 5.5cm and Cara said her smear test saved her life Credit: Kennedy News
She was scared to get the smear test, but knew she needed to go through with it Credit: Kennedy News
Cervical cancer is most common in women aged between 30 and 35, but it can occur at any age.
One of the main symptoms is pain in your lower back, between your hip bones – the pelvis – or in your lower tummy.
According to the , nearly all cervical cancers are caused by an infection from certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV).
Children aged 12 to 13 are recommended to get the HPV vaccine at their school or in a community clinic.
Alternatively, women aged 24 and under who missed getting the vaccine should contact their GP surgery about getting the jab.
Cara initially went through chemotherapy but when it failed to work, she had no choice but to undergo pelvic exenteration surgery in July 2024 – this involved a full hysterectomy along with having her bladder and part of her bowel removed.
Chemo didn’t work on Cara so she had to have a full hysterectomy and have her bladder and part of her bowel removed Credit: Kennedy News
She now lives with a stoma bag and is urging women to always go to their smear tests Credit: Kennedy News
She said: “What I’ve been through in the past two-and-a-half years has been nothing short of horrifying.”
Cara is now urging women to always go for their smear tests, stressing that they could help save your life.
You can reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer by getting a smear test, which aims to find and treat changes to cells before they turn into cancer.
All women aged 25 to 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years.
The teacher said: “Cancer is one thing but it’s all the collateral damage that people don’t think about.
“You think about the treatment but you don’t think about the impact that treatment has like going into a and losing your .
Cara says her experience over the last two and a half years has been horrifying Credit: Kennedy News
As well as dealing with the cancer diagnosis, Cara also had to accept she would lose her fertility Credit: Kennedy News
“That comes with a lot of grief and loss. Loss of the mum you could’ve been, loss of organs and loss of the person you used to be.”
Cara continued: “Then there’s the scars, the physical ones and mental ones.
“If I could’ve just gone for my smear earlier or just been braver, maybe I wouldn’t be where I am today.
“I was horrified at the thought of having to have my trousers off and have a stranger look inside my vagina.”
She said she could have been in a very different position if she got her smear test sooner Credit: Kennedy News How to protect yourself against cervical cancer
CERVICAL cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women in their early 30s, with around 3,200 new cases and 850 deaths each year in the UK.
According to CRUK, the five-year survival rate is around 70 per cent – and the earlier it is caught, the better.
Cervical screening programmes and HPV vaccines have reduced rates and save 4,000 lives each year.
It is vital you attend your smear test and get jabbed when invited, and that you know the symptoms of cervical cancer to look out for.
These aren’t always obvious, and they may not become noticeable until the cancer has reached an advanced stage.
But you might notice:
- Unusual bleeding (often after sex, between periods, or after the menopause)
- Pain and discomfort during sex
- Vaginal discharge (often unpleasant smelling)
- Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones or in your lower tummy
Women are invited to have regular cervical screenings between the ages of 25 and 64. How often depends on your age.
The HPV vaccine, which helps protect against the virus, is recommended for children aged 12 to 13 and people at higher risk from HPV.
Source: NHS and Cancer Research UK
Now that she has received clear scans, Cara says she’s “ready to get back to life”.
“I’m just ready to get… back to work, back to just doing things I enjoy and making the most of a second chance,” she said.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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