Like the Princess of Wales, doctors found cancer during my abdominal surgery
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A woman has shared how she went through a similar cancer journey as the Princess of Wales after doctors discovered cancer following abdominal surgery.
Maia Kennedy, 38, from London, started suffering with nausea in December last year and was called for an emergency colonoscopy.
Doctors found a tumour in her colon which they believed was only pre-cancerous.
But following surgery to remove part of her colon in a routine procedure in February 2024 Kennedy was told the tumour had in fact been cancerous.
After learning about Kate Middleton's own diagnosis, Kennedy says she sees similarities in their experiences.
"As a young, healthy woman, you never think it will happen to you," she says. "But it can happen to anyone - even royalty, with the best medical care in the world.
"I have a lot of empathy for what Kate is going through, it's a tough time - never mind when you're in the public eye.
"When I heard about her surgery my thoughts went out to her - and it was a strange experience finding out my journey was similar to hers."
"With everyone talking about her, it brings up a lot of thoughts of what I've been through too."
Kennedy first started feeling sick and noticing a change of bowel habits in December 2023, which her GP initially thought might be due to acid reflux.
But later that month, following tests, doctors decided she would need to undergo a colonoscopy in January during which they found a tumour.
"I knew something wasn't right, but you don't go into it expecting them to find something like that - it was a huge shock for me," Kennedy says.
Initially, in a story similarly echoing that of the royals, specialists believed Kennedy's tumour was non-cancerous.
She was booked in for surgery to remove part of her colon in February, and stayed in hospital a week.
She was recovering at home weeks later when she received a call explaining that a biopsy of the tumour removed in the surgery revealed it had been cancerous.
Thankfully, the cancer was at stage one, which meant Kennedy didn't need any chemotherapy, and she has now been told she is cancer-free.
"It's taken over my life but thankfully as it all happened so quickly it has been over a short period of time," Kennedy explains.
"It's very surreal to say I had cancer."
Kennedy says learning about the Princess of Wales' cancer journey evoked a lot of emotion.
"It brought up a lot of 'what if' feelings," she explains.
"What if I had left it or hadn't caught it, or had to have chemo like she did?
"I have a lot of empathy for her and what she's going through - it's a tough time, never mind doing it while being in the public eye."
Kennedy is now fundraising for Cancer Research and hopes that by sharing her story it will encourage others to look out for the symptoms.
"It has been the most difficult thing I've had to go through," she adds.
"You need to be aware of the signs, because it can happen to anyone and the sooner you catch it, the better."
Additional reporting SWNS.
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