Advocating for Your Health: It Matters
- Nurse Helen Teasdale had been suffering from pain and discomfort in her stomach, along with intense bloating, for years — but after five or six trips to the doctor and multiple misdiagnoses, still had no answers.
- Continuing to push for answers, in December 2020, the mom of two, now 45, finally learned she had a rare cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei, or PMP, which formed in her appendix. She had to undergo a grueling 10.5 hour surgery.
- Though Helen faced a slow recovery, thankfully, she now has no evidence of cancer. However, the lingering trauma endured was understandably intense on Helen and her family.
- After going through such an excruciatingly challenging health experience, it’s important to seek out therapy or support groups if needed. Above all, just know that there are countless resources and support here for you to turn to at any time, such as SurvivorNet’s mental health guide to help navigate these resources — and your feelings — along the way.
Finally, the mom of two, now 45, learned she had a rare cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei, or PMP, which according to Cleveland Clinic, affects the abdomen and pelvis. In Helen’s case, it formed in her appendix. PMP is not a solid tumor cancer and spreads by producing mucin, a jelly-like substance, hence causing what is referred to as a “jelly belly.”
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Finally Receiving a Correct Diagnosis
In December 2020, Beasley had a surgical procedure to examine the organs in her belly, called a laparoscopy, which finally revealed the rare cancer.
“Although I had suspected this, nothing could have prepared me for the news that I had cancer. Worse still, that I would have to tell my loved ones.”
Telling her husband Mark, now 54, Beasley said, was the most difficult. “Seeing his world fall apart was the hardest thing.”
Feel the Fear, and Let it Go — Meditation for Cancer Survivors
“I wasn’t quite ready to tell my daughters, so I put on a brave face in front of them, before crying in the shower so no one could see how scared and upset I was.”
Telling Her Daughters
Her daughters were just 10 and 11 years old — and her youngest, Marlee, asked her mom if she was going to die. “No, we’re seeing great doctors,” Beasley reassured, but braced her and her older sister Maddison that she would be sick “for a while.”
The reality was that Beasley had written out a note of instructions and reminders for her husband in case she didn’t make it through her surgery, which wound up being a grueling “10.5-hour operation during which surgeons cut me open from my breast bone to my pubic bone.”
RELATED: Telling Your Kids You Have Cancer: ‘When it Comes to Your Kids, You Want to Protect Them’
The medical team also “made several smaller incisions on my stomach for drains,” as she underwent HIPEC chemo, which is where her stomach was “basically washed out with chemo to mop up any rogue cancer cells.”
Thankfully, she was told the surgery went well, but surgeons had to remove her spleen, gallbladder, both fallopian tubes and ovaries, along with her belly button.
“My whole body was in pain, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus, but I was determined not to be beaten and by the next day I was standing up for a few seconds.”
A Slow Recovery
Eleven days later, Beasley was able to go home to her family. Since this all took place during the pandemic, even her husband was not allowed into the hospital.
When she saw her girls, “nothing could have prepared me for the wave of emotions I felt.”
Beasley said she “slowly recovered,” with her family’s support, and she sought out people “who’d been through similar experiences, which was another great help to me.”
Be Aggressive When It Comes to Your Health
Beasley’s story is a crucial reminder of the importance of advocating for your health and to never stop seeking opinions until you find out what is wrong. Thankfully, it appears she found the rare cancer just in time.
“I wanted to share my story to raise awareness of rare cancers, particularly PMP. If it helps to save one person’s life then it’s worth it.
Learning About Appendix Cancer
Though symptoms may not present early on, or at least be overlooked for more common conditions such as in Helen’s case, the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation states that patients diagnosed with appendix cancer have reported symptoms including:
- Appendicitis
- Increased abdominal girth
- Bloating
- Pain/discomfort in the abdominal region can be a dull ache or sharp pains similar to appendicitis
- Hernia symptoms often initially diagnosed as a hernia, especially in men
- In women, symptoms of an ovarian cyst or tumor often initially misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer
Ascites (fluid) buildup in the abdominal cavity
Explaining just how rare PMP is, Cleveland Clinic states that the disease only affects two people each year out of every 1 million. And it advances slowly.
Types of Appendix Cancer
There are various types of appendix cancer, which include:
- Low grade mucinous neoplasms of the appendix (formerly known as mucinous cystadenomas), which is a borderline or low-grade malignant tumor.
- Adenocarcinomas are cancerous tumors created by gland-forming cells that line the inside of the appendix. They may spread to other parts of the body, other organs in the abdomen or to the local lymph nodes.
- Signet-ring cell adenocarcinomas (so called because of the physical appearance of the cells under the microscope) are a subset of adenocarcinomas of the appendix. Signet ring cell cancers are generally considered more aggressive than other adenocarcinomas because they are faster growing, more likely to spread to local lymph nodes and harder to completely remove at the time of surgery.
- Adenocarcinoid cancers (also known as goblet cell carcinoids or goblet cell adenocarcinoma) are a hybrid tumor of both adenocarcinoma and a neuroendocrine (or carcinoid cancer). The expected behavior of adenocarcinoid tumors tends to follow that of the adenocarcinoma portion of the tumor.
- Neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumors arise from a subset of cells lining the appendix known as neuroendocrine cells. They are generally considered to be slow growing and have a very different behavior than adenocarcinomas of the appendix.
Treating Appendix Cancer
According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, a top-ranked cancer center at The University of Austin, Texas which often sees patients with this rare type of cancer, treatment options for appendix cancer vary depending on the type of tumor, where it is in the appendix, whether it has spread, and overall health status.
“Surgery is the main treatment for appendix cancer. The type of surgery depends on the type of appendix cancer,” MD Anderson’s site explains.
RELATED: Medical Mystery—Why Are So Many More Young People Getting Appendix Cancer?
“If appendix cancer has spread within the abdomen, the most effective approach usually involves cytoreductive (tumor debulking) surgery to remove the tumor and mucin in the abdomen. Parts of the intestine, gallbladder, ovaries, uterus and lining of the abdominal cavity may be removed.”
During the tumor-debulking surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), a heated chemotherapy, is performed. Chemotherapy is used for patients with this disease, either with a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs, if needed.
Handling Fear After a Serious Diagnosis
SurvivorNet’s medical experts explain that anxiety and fear are normal reactions after a cancer diagnosis. Acknowledging these emotions can be therapeutic and important to the healing process.
So how do you confront your fears without letting them take over entirely?
Consider these simple strategies:
1. Let your family and close friends know and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
2. Keep a journal. It can be extremely cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a nice journal and chronical your different thoughts throughout the day.
3. Join a cancer support group. There are groups in nearly every community offering opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn incredibly helpful insight from others who can tell you about what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
4. Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.
Above all, just know that there are countless resources and support here for you to turn to at any time. SurvivorNet created a guide to help with your mental health along the way.
