Susannah - a woman with ovarian cancer who shared her story with Target Ovarian Cancer

Susannah’s story 

After a difficult diagnosis and a recurrence, Susannah shared her story for our BBC Lifeline Appeal.

After three surgeries in three months, Susannah understands the importance of research in developing better treatments for ovarian cancer. She decided to help us raise awareness of our research by sharing her story in our BBC Lifeline Appeal.


I’ve had so many challenges through my diagnosis and treatment – but my husband Daniel and kids Ese and Uyi have kept me going. 

Long road to diagnosis 

I started feeling unwell early in the year and visited the GP with pelvic pain and bloating. I was told it was IBS and was prescribed some medicine to treat it, but the symptoms didn’t go away. The pain got so bad I went to A&E and this time they said it was constipation. I really felt I wasn’t being listened to. Finally, after I brought up the possibility of it being a gynaecological issue (I’d had a fibroid during my first pregnancy), I was sent for a scan. 

Diagnosis 

It was summertime. The scan appointment took weeks to come through, but once I’d had it, things moved very quickly. The GP called to say they’d found a mass. I was promptly referred to the hospital and had lots of other scans. I also had a CA125 blood test, which came back very high.

Doctors started using the word “cancer” and I was booked for surgery immediately. It was like riding a rollercoaster. In the early autumn I had extensive surgery, with a radical hysterectomy. Finding out I needed that surgery was really difficult because we’d been trying for a third child. Now I realised I’d wouldn’t have that same chance again. 

Three surgeries  

Our lives turned upside down the day we found out that this was stage III ovarian cancer. I had severe bowel problems after the first surgery, which led to a second surgery six weeks later resulting in a stoma, and then a third surgery to reverse the stoma.

Things were very difficult at that time because I was finding it very difficult to eat or drink anything and I lost a lot of weight so I was fed through my veins for a while. But eventually things returned to normal after the third surgery, and I could eat my favourite foods again – including fruit and vegetables which I could not have whilst I had the stoma. I was discharged home from hospital after three and a half months.  

After recovering from surgery, I had six rounds of chemotherapy, and also found out I have a BRCA1 mutation. My younger sister Temilolu, who was going through breast cancer treatments at the same time, was told that she most likely also had the mutation.

When we spoke about this we realised our mother may also have had it – she died from cancer of unknown primary, but it affected her abdomen with fluid in her lungs and we think it could have been advanced ovarian cancer. Sadly, my sister’s breast cancer relapsed and she died in 2017 and now I’m determined to set up a foundation in her name, to raise awareness of ovarian cancer and the BRCA gene mutation at home in the UK and back home in Nigeria. 

Olaparib 

After months of hospital visits, I began adjusting to my new normal and went back to work. I was still being monitored by the doctors with blood tests every three months initially and then every six months when things became stable.

I had a recurrence in 2020, during the pandemic. It was devastating to hear the news. I had to have another surgery and some more chemotherapy. Now I’m on olaparib, a maintenance drug that should stave off the need for further chemotherapy and help me live well for longer.

After my last surgery I wanted to get my strength back, so I used Target Ovarian Cancer’s yoga and relaxation online sessions as a way to rehabilitate myself. They were a lifeline during the pandemic months. 

Target Ovarian Cancer’s research into newer and better treatments for ovarian cancer has never been more needed. It’s so important to me to be able to take olaparib, one of the newer maintenance treatments, and I want to see more women get access to this type of treatment. Research is the only way we’ll find more of them. 


An update from Susannah, December 2022

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis

The month after I shared my story, I noticed a lump in my breast. Fortunately, I work in a hospital so I went to the breast team to get it checked out. They carried out a scan but couldn’t tell from the results if it was anything to worry about. The same happened with the initial biopsy. So I was sent for a further biopsy and it was then, on 1 September 2021, that I was told the lump was cancerous.

I had breast cancer.  

This was tough to deal with emotionally, especially as my younger sister died from breast cancer in 2017 and I was also dealing with a recurrence of ovarian cancer. There was a lot of anxiety. 

The tumour was small and so I was given a couple of treatment options – a lumpectomy with lymph node biopsy or a mastectomy with reconstruction. I opted for the former and after surgery I was told that I wouldn’t need to have chemotherapy but would need radiotherapy which I had in the November 2021.  

The importance of holistic care 

It’s over a year now since then, and I thought it was important for people to know where I am now. Everything seems to be going OK now; I've recovered from my breast cancer diagnosis and my CA125 markers are at a stable level which is a relief. 

It can be really hard to deal with a recurrence of ovarian cancer, and it's hard to deal with another cancer diagnosis. I'm fortunate to have the support of my family which has been invaluable. I've continued to receive support from Target Ovarian Cancer too – especially during my recovery from the lumpectomy.

I attended the yoga & relaxation classes because I believe it's important to look after your wellbeing as a whole. For me the sessions helped to distract my mind and focus on how to get better by looking after my whole self – emotionally and physically.  

I've continued to be a member of the Ovarian Cancer Community too. I really think it’s important to share experiences, offer advice and talk. I was recently invited to do a reading at the charity’s Carol Service where I met lots of people who had also been affected by ovarian cancer.

The more we talk about it, the more people will know about it.


If you’ve been affected by this story and would like to speak to a specialist nurse, you can call our dedicated support line on 020 7923 5475 or contact us: [email protected]. We're open from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday.