A single mum diagnosed with two rare cancers just six weeks apart had to have SIX ORGANS REMOVED - including her ovaries, uterus and cervix.<br /><br />Hayley Shaw, 44, previously led an active lifestyle but pelvic pain and heavy periods led to the discovery of two cancerous uterine polyps in June 2023.<br /><br />Hayley's world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare form of uterine cancer which typically affects women over 70.<br /><br />She was then told she would have an induced menopause and need a hysterectomy - preventing her from having any more children.<br /><br />Following her hysterectomy, Hayley - a former image consultant - returned home for a few weeks only to begin feeling unwell again.<br /><br />She was admitted to a haematologist who found abnormal lymphocytes in her blood and diagnosed her with 'hairy cell leukemia' in August 2023 - named after the hair-like growths on the surface of the cells.<br /><br />It was confirmed that she had 91 per cent leukemia cells in her bone marrow and 69 per cent in her blood. <br /><br />Having not even processed her first diagnosis, Hayley described the second - which came just six weeks later - as "not feeling real". <br /><br />Hayley - who is mum to Lorenzo, 11 - had one round of chemotherapy in November and will need to have a further biopsy to establish the growth of cells and whether she needs more chemotherapy.<br /><br />For her uterine cancer, Hayley needs regular six-month check ups of her bladder to see if the polyps return.<br /><br />Hayley's total hysterectomy meant she had all of uterus, cervix, both ovaries and both fallopian tubes removed.<br /><br />Mum-of-one Hayley, from Chafford Hundrend, Essex, said: "Beforehand I was a very active and fit person working in an image consultancy and this just totally affected everything.<br /><br />"It has been the most traumatic time I've ever had in my entire life. <br /><br />"My son has had to live through this with me as well - it's affected him too. <br /><br />"I hadn't even processed the first one when the second diagnosis came. It didn't feel real."<br /><br />Following her first diagnosis, Hayley was told her condition would put her into an early menopause.<br /><br />She said: "It's been very hard.<br /><br />"It affects you a lot with brain fog, exhaustion, sleepless nights.<br /><br />"That cancer diagnosis normally happens in people over the age of 70 - it's quite rare. <br /><br />"I was getting a lot of pelvic pain and heavy periods. <br /><br />"The ultrasound picked up on two polyps that I was initially told were benign. <br /><br />"It turns out they were uterine cancer."<br /><br />Just weeks after her op, Hayley was left reeling from her second piece of devastating news.<br /><br />She said: "About four weeks after the hysterectomy I booked myself in to see a haematologist - I knew something wasn't right. <br /><br />"He said I had abnormal lymphocytes in my blood. <br /><br />"He did another blood test and that's when it came back with another type of very rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow.<br /><br />"Two rare cancers diagnosed within six weeks.<br /><br />"It was difficult."
