Mum 'with one Christmas left' warns of the signs we should all be looking for

A woman who was told she might only have one last Christmas to celebrate, following a heart-wrenching diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, is now marking five years of being cancer-free. Bryony Thomas, 46, received the devastating news of her pancreatic cancer in December 2019.

She was informed that her tumour was borderline inoperable and if it couldn't be removed, she had approximately 12 weeks left to live. As Bryony spent what she believed could be her final Christmas with her then eight year old daughter Eleni, her scans were forwarded to the regional Hepatobiliary Multidisciplinary Team at Bristol Royal Infirmary, which was part of University Hospitals Bristol at the time.

The consultants there evaluated whether surgery was feasible. There were concerns about operating on the tumour as it was located on Bryony's portal vein, which transports blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver.

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To remove the tumour, they would also need to take out a section of the vein itself. However, it was determined that surgery was Bryony's best shot at surviving more than just a few months.

Two weeks post-diagnosis, Bryony, who was living in Bishopston in Bristol at the time, underwent surgery and the tumour, three affected lymph nodes and a 1.5cm section of the wall of the portal vein were successfully removed, reports Bristol Live.

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Meg Finch-Jones, a consultant at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, performed the complex surgery. Bryony, who operates a marketing consultancy, said: "I simply would not be alive without the work of the team. Only seven per cent of people with my diagnosis make it this far and I am so grateful.

She added, "Even when I was having chemotherapy in the Dental Hospital, during the coronavirus pandemic, care was amazing, and I can't fault the treatment I've had."

Now, to mark her milestone, Bryony plans to run the London Marathon in aid of Pancreatic Cancer UK.

The mother-of-one, who now lives in Stroud, also hopes to raise awareness about the symptoms of pancreatic cancer to help others detect it earlier.

Bryony said: "I went to see GPs on and off for years before my diagnosis and I was tested for so many different things. I was asked about my 'bowel movements' but no one ever asked me if my poo was pale or floating. If they had I would have told them that it was. I later learned that this can be a sign of pancreatic insufficiency."

Doctors initially attributed Bryony's ongoing health issues to lifestyle factors after various tests found nothing wrong.

However, when Bryony noticed her urine had turned fluorescent yellow one day and a deep brown the next, she called 111 and was directed to a local hospital's Emergency Department.

After undergoing surgery at Bristol Royal Infirmary in January 2020, Bryony faced a tough battle with chemotherapy under the guidance of consultant oncologist Stephen Falk. Now, she requires lifelong medication to compensate for the enzymes her pancreas would normally produce.

Living with her husband Tom, 47, and their 13 year old daughter Eleni, Bryony is an advocate for open conversations about health symptoms, stressing the importance of frank discussions. She said: "I think the term 'bowel movements' should be banned. We all need to get used to talking about our poo, and doctors do too."

Main symptoms of pancreatic cancer

According to the NHS website, pancreatic cancer may not have any symptoms, or they might be hard to spot. But the following signs indicate you should get checked by your GP.

• The whites of your eyes or your skin turn yellow (jaundice), and you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual
• Loss of appetite or losing weight without trying to
• Feeling tired or having no energy
• A high temperature, or feeling hot or shivery

Other symptoms can affect your digestion, such as:

• Feeling or being sick
• Diarrhoea or constipation, or other changes in your poo
• Pain at the top part of your tummy and your back, which may feel worse when you're eating or lying down and better when you lean forward
• Symptoms of indigestion, such as feeling bloated

The NHS advises other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome may result in symptoms like these regularly. However, it's important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse or do not feel normal for you.

Mrs Meg Finch-Jones, Consultant in Hepatobiliary surgery at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, expressed her team's delight at Bryony's recovery and her efforts to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer. She said: "We, the Hepatobiliary Team, are so pleased that Bryony has done so well and that she has chosen to champion pancreas cancer awareness. In her case, if we had not been able to operate while she was jaundiced, the tumour may not have been operable.

"All patients are considered on a case-by-case basis, and a lot of factors go into making these critical decisions. But when surgery is possible, aggressive surgery and advanced chemotherapy offer the people in our care the best chance. Recent advances in chemotherapy are also improving lives for patients who cannot have surgery. Overall early diagnosis is key."