A MUM who went to hospital with what she thought were IBS-related stomach cramps was told to go home and make memories with her kids.
Clair Honeywood, 45, was given just 17 months to live after being diagnosed with a “silent killer” condition that’s inoperable.
The mum is doing her best to make memories with her loved ones – saying she has two kids to “live for”.
Her “last wish” is to marry her partner Danny Burch, 40, who she’s been with for 21 years.
Clair – an A&E healthcare assistant from King’s Lynn, Norfolk – started suffering pain in her stomach just before Christmas last year, which went on for two weeks.
But as she has IBS, she thought the cramps were related to that condition.
The pain was putting her in “agony”, so she made a visit to her local hospital – where something was spotted in her pancreas.
Clair’s symptoms worsened and she started looking yellow.
Weeks after her first visit to the A&E, Clair received shocking news.
She was diagnosed with stage three pancreatic cancer. Doctors said she had a ‘C-shaped’ tumour located around a major artery, causing it to be inoperable.
“They didn’t want to give me my diagnosis because I was alone,” Clair recalled.
“My poor consultant didn’t want to tell me but I begged him to tell me.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”‘I fear leaving my children,’ says heartbroken dad facing last Christmas after ignoring stomach ache” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6365796472112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]“They then told me I had pancreatic cancer.
“The doctors told me that the cancer had not spread – but then they said it was not operable.
“It was another blow – I didn’t know what was going on.
“The doctors said to just go home and make memories.
“You just feel like your whole world ended – you just think about your kids,” she added.
Doctors gave the mum-of-two a five per cent chance of success with chemotherapy – but if it is not effective, she has been given 17 months to live.
Doctors still won’t be able to operate on the tumour even if it shrinks.
She said: “The oncologist said six months worth of chemo and gave me 17 months to live.
“It is a C-shaped tumour wrapped around the artery.
“It is not normal for someone my age to get this cancer – it is a silent cancer too, it is really tricky.
“When you don’t know what’s happening your mind just goes to some dark places.”
Despite the diagnosis, Clair says she has been “really positive” – as she has two children to “live for”.
She said: “I am only 45 and you don’t expect to go through this at this age.
“There is still hope but at the moment I am just focusing on the three months in chemotherapy.
“Life is for living – the body can’t survive without the mind so I have to be positive.
“Working in the NHS you see traumatic things and you push it aside – I don’t know if it is a coping mechanism.”
Last wish
As Clair starts chemo, she said marrying her partner Danny would be a “dream come true”.
Her friends and family are raising funds to make the dream a reality.
The 45-year-old said: “My partner Danny had been talking about getting married and my friend offered her hand to do the wedding in a farm, which reminds me of my dad’s home in the country side.
“I feel like I have been given the gift of time. I am spending more time with my boys – I have to look at the positives.
“We have been together for 21 years and it has been crazy that it took us this long to get married.
“He keeps looking at me and saying ‘I can’t wait for you to be my wife’.”
The wedding is set to take place at the end of July when she finishes her chemo.
Clair is hoping to have a laid-back wedding – surrounded by nature and with their loved ones.
“It is going to be such a perfect day to get together with all of my friends and family that you don’t get with when you are working,” she said.
Her friend has set up a GoFundMe page where people can donate towards Clair’s wedding.
To make a donation on her GoFundMe page visit the link here.
