Young mum told muscular pain was 'early menopause' dies of cancer.

A young mother who was told by doctors that her muscular pain was 'early menopause' has died of cancer.

Not long into the pregnancy for her fourth child, Lizzy Evans, 27, started to bleed heavily and was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The diagnosis meant she had to deliver her daughter eight weeks early so that she could start treatment immediately.

She was given the all clear in May 2020 but started to suffer with chronic muscular pain throughout her entire body a few months later.

Doctors said that the muscular pain was a side effect of her cancer treatment but, when the pain became so bad that she had to call for an ambulance, further tests revealed that her cancer had returned and was terminal after spreading to her lungs, spine and brain.

Lizzy had to use a ‘driver port’ in her arm to administer medication around the clock and was given tablets to manage her sickness and pain. She had also started to make plans for her own funeral after being told nothing more could be done to help her.

She and her partner, Joshua Evans, 29, got married and she hoped to be able to start clinical trials at Christie Hospital, Manchester but was told she was too ill to be eligible and died on March 31 2021.

In an interview shortly before her death, Ms Evans of  Bagillt, Flintshire, said: "I was pregnant with my youngest daughter when I started to bleed a lot. I was back and forth to the hospital and, when they checked my cervix, they said it looked abnormal. I ended up having a biopsy, which resulted in me being diagnosed with cervical cancer.

"I had to have my daughter by C-section just under eight weeks early so I could start treatment. As far as I knew, the treatment went well because I got the all clear on May 6, 2020. "

But she claimed she didn't get regular post-treatment check-ups she was promised and did not see any medical staff from getting the all clear to when she developed chronic pain a few months later because of the coronavirus pandemic.

She added: "I went to my GP with back, shoulder, rib and neck pain, which radiated throughout my body, and the GP put it down to muscular skeletal pain due to me going through the menopause because of the previous treatment I had. I was sent home with pain relief and told to come back if it didn't work.

"I started to also have unbearable stomach pain and went to the hospital as they thought I had a twisted ovary, but when they discovered it wasn't that, I was sent home with more painkillers.

"I had to get paramedics to come to my home as the pain in my shoulder, neck and ribs got worse - they also said the same thing, musculoskeletal pain, and told me to ring the GP for more pain relief, which also didn't work.

“Then one morning, I was in that much pain I had to phone an ambulance because I felt like I was struggling to breathe. It was so bad that the ambulance crew thought I had a collapsed lung.

"I had a chest X-ray which revealed there was fluid on my lung and was sent for further tests and a biopsy. I waited for the results and got called back on January 20, 2021 to find out the cervical cancer had moved up to the lung, which apparently is very rare. It was classed as stage four terminal and the symptoms are only manageable not curable."

Lizzy Evans’ death came after it was revealed that up to 35,000 extra deaths in 2021 may be due to cancer missed during the pandemic. The first lockdown in March 2020 halted many services for three months or more, and may have reduced the number of cancer referrals.

Lizzy Evans’ mother, Chrissie Davies, said:  "I made her last few months the best I could while I was looking after her, she even told me I gave her the best months. She loved it here. She was such a kind-hearted person, very loving and always helped others. We're all so heartbroken and missing her terribly.”