Doctors said that Ward had a gallbladder issue.
She was pregnant and they wouldn't operate because they found a large tumor after the baby was born.
She was struck by a sharp pain in her upper right abdomen while working as a paramedic.
She went to the ER and was told she was probably just constipated. She said that the diagnosis didn't match the pain she was feeling.
When the pain came back in waves, doctors decided on a bad gallbladder as a diagnosis. There were no tests that indicated gallbladder issues. She was pregnant with her second child so she had to have her gallbladder removed.
Ward's pain increased throughout her pregnancies. She didn't leave the house because it hurt to walk. A deep breath could cause pain. She asked doctors to operate. She said that they did not want to hurt the baby. Nine months was a long time.
Ward went to the ER twice after her daughter was born. She didn't want to wait for the surgery to happen. She said that the tumor was the size of a fruit.
She said the doctor told Ward it was probably benign. "You're young, you're healthy," he told Ward.
The results of the biopsy were found to be cancer. She had spread it from her bile duct to her legs and lungs. She was given six months to live by one doctor. Ward said that he was shocked because he never thought that would happen to him at 31. You feel like you can't breathe.
More than two years later, Ward's continued treatments and sharing her story to encourage people to demand answers when they think something is wrong with their body. No one will advocate for us if we don't advocate for ourselves.
The medical records of Ward have been reviewed.
The small tubes that connect the bile to the gallbladder are affected by bile duct cancer. They are difficult to treat because they are diagnosed in late stages. 2% is the five-year survival rate for people who have spread to other organs.
Ward was told by doctors that her hormones may have accelerated the spread of the cancer. She doesn't regret not getting an earlier diagnosis for her daughter.
Either I go back and try to save my life or I never have her. I wouldn't want to not have her.
She hasn't gotten on the floor to play with her kids because of the side effects. She's grateful that her husband is in that role. She claimed to be the cuddle parent.
When Ward's current treatment stops working, she will be considered for various experimental treatments. She said that the mentality was to make sure they were fighting for their life.
Her experience will come with her if she returns to work as a paramedic. She said that understanding a person's situation is the best way to go through it.
According to research, women are more likely to be victims of medical gaslighting, or when medical professionals dismiss a person's symptoms, deny tests or treatments, and misdiagnosing them.
There are more and more people talking about the consequences. Lois Walker, a mother of two in the UK, said she was told she had health anxiety after making 20 calls and going to the ER. She said doctors found tumors in her body after she had a c-section.
It took five months and seven doctor's appointments for doctors to take her persistent cough seriously. She had a rare form of cancer.
Women are not being believed, and that is causing significant delays in care, misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, ineffective treatment, and ineffective triaging, according to a doctor. The women are paying a high price.
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