AFTER being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer earlier this year, county councillor Zoe Patrick feared for her life.

But just three months later she was given a birthday present to remember when medics at the Churchill Hospital gave her the all-clear as she turned 63.

The grandmother-of-one said she was “absolutely delighted” that the hospital’s upper gastrointestinal team were shortlisted for our Hospital Heroes award after she nominated them for their round-the-clock care which helped get her back on her feet.

Mrs Patrick, who is county councillor for Grove and Wantage, said: “It was good to have my life back and it was thanks to the team that I have everything to live for.

“On this magnificent ward they all contributed to my getting well again, to go home after undergoing such major cancer surgery. Naming just one of them would not be right.”

Mrs Patrick, who lives with husband of 42 years Glenn at their Grove home, said she went to her GP after suffering constant indigestion and heartburn last year.

An endoscopy in January revealed she had a tumour in the middle of her oesophagus and she was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer the following month.

Mrs Patrick said: “I was hoping they would just say I had a sore throat but as soon as I was told a suspicious-looking tumour was there, I knew it was something much more serious.”

She was then set to undergo an endoscopic mucosal resection procedure to remove the tumour but medics found the cancer was beginning to spread to her lymph nodes and could not operate.

Instead, she had an eight-and-a-half-hour operation at the Churchill Hospital to remove the tumour before spending one night in the intensive care unit.

Mrs Patrick then spent three weeks within the hospital’s upper gastrointestinal centre ward before returning home cancer-free.

She said thanks to the dedicated care and support of all the team throughout her ordeal, her recovery following the operation went well, and had it not been for them it may have been very different.

Mrs Patrick added: “The care that I received from all the nurses day and night was exemplary during this very difficult time. They were always constantly keeping their eye on me.

“You are almost disabled when you are in that position and you can’t do anything for yourself. Even getting out of bed becomes a huge operation really. I relied completely on them being able to help.

“It’s that personal touch I felt was so important because they were always cheerful, always there. Nothing was too much trouble.”