A nurse manager has been given just months to live after bungling medics dismissed her cancer symptoms as side-effects of having the Covid jab.

Katie Pritchard, 37, who works at Horton General Hospital in Banbury, is having to crowdfund £200,000 for private treatment after she was twice misdiagnosed before finding out she had cervical cancer.

The mum-of-two went to her GP after finding a lump but was told there was 'nothing to worry about' and her symptoms may have been down to the Pfizer vaccine.

READ MORE: Driver left trapped after horrific two-vehicle crash

She was also told that it may be a prolapsed bladder from having children and was left insulted by another suggestion it was an STI despite 17 years with her partner.

Unhappy with her treatment, Ms Pritchard independently scheduled an appointment with a gynaecologist and was diagnosed with cervical cancer later that same month.

But she was then forced to wait an agonising three months for her treatment to begin - by which point the cancer had spread.

Katie began five weeks of gruelling radiotherapy, chemotherapy and brachytherapy in April last year and was told the treatment was a success.

But, in December, after undergoing further scans, she received the heart-breaking news that her cancer had returned and she has now been given months to live.

At the start of this year, Katie was diagnosed with lung, shoulder, spine, and pelvic cancer and started palliative chemotherapy three weeks ago.

Katie will now tie the knot with her long term partner Tom Cronin, 35, a teacher, in an emotional ceremony next Monday (February 27).

The couple are also trying to raise money to fund a potentially life-prolonging drug not available on the NHS so they can spend more time together as a family.

Ms Pritchard said: "When I first went to the doctors with my symptoms, I knew something wasn’t right.

“I knew it was more than a bladder prolapse and I had been with my soon-to-be husband for 17 years, so I knew it wasn’t an STI.

“I was left with no faith, and it didn’t make any sense so that is when I booked myself in to see a gynaecologist.

“After examining me, he asked if I had come to the appointment alone and from this moment, I knew what he was going to say – I knew it was cancer.”

Shipston Medical Centre, where Ms Pritchard says she was misdiagnosed, said they could not comment on individual cases.

A spokesperson for the practice said: "We are unable to comment on an individual’s care and treatment, but we would encourage Ms Pritchard to get in touch with us so we can investigate her concerns."

To make a donation towards Katie’s treatment, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-fund-katies-cancer-treatment

 

Read more from this author

This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1