I would like to share my story with you to raise awareness for this awful disease called Cholangiocarcinoma and raise money for the amazing AMMF charity. They are the only UK based charity to help people with this very rare form of cancer, money raised is used to fund the much needed research and give help and advice to those that need it.

As a mum to 3 children, Amelia 15, Sam 13 and ben 5, my life is always hectic, I also run my own business from home. It was October last year that I started getting pains in my ribcage. I just presumed I had pulled a muscle, but the pain even though intermittent increased in severity, so at this point I was sent for an X-ray.  I was certainly not prepared for what I was going to be told and what had been found.  They had found a large tumour on my liver. Following CT and MRI scans it had showed the cancer had started in my bile ducts and it was confirmed as the rare cancer called Cholangiocarcinoma (only around 1,000 people in the UK are confirmed with this disease each year but those numbers are increasing).  I was referred to Liver specialists in Birmingham, I was told they could perform surgery to try and remove it, which was my only real hope of survival. I had a liver re-section on the 18th November last year to remove it. This was followed by a 6 month course of chemotherapy which I finished in July this year.

The past 12 months have been a huge challenge but I have remained positive and have a great network of family and friends that have helped me through each step.  I have ended up in Christies a few times due to side effects of the chemo, but keep fighting on! I will continue to have regular CT/MRI scans over the next few months/years as this cancer is very aggressive in its nature and could come back. The reason I want to share my story is to raise awareness of this awful disease as there is still a lot to learn. I have just climbed Snowdon and now plan to climb Scafell Pike (December 16) and then Ben Nevis (February 17) then completing the 3 peaks! The past few months have felt like I have been climbing a mountain, so apt to try the real thing! So please dig deep in your pockets and lets raise lots of money to support new research of this disease! It can affect people of all ages, I myself was only 44 when it was diagnosed.

Many Thanks in advance!

Andrea

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