Faye Louise, a 40-year-old woman from Horsham, West Sussex, has made a remarkable recovery after undergoing extensive surgery for a rare cancer.
Diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) in 2023, Louise endured an 11-hour operation that involved the removal of eight organs.
She has now returned to her job as a flight dispatcher at Gatwick Airport, where she prepares planes for takeoff and landing.
Louise initially sought medical attention for pain and bloating, leading to a procedure to remove an ovarian cyst.
During the surgery, doctors discovered a large tumor on her appendix, prompting the need for what she described as the “mother of all surgeries” in November 2023.
“I had to lose my spleen, my gallbladder, my appendix,” Louise explained. “I had to have a full hysterectomy, so I had to lose my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, womb. They took part of my liver, part of my small bowel, rejoined my colon, scraped my pelvis one side to the other, scraped my diaphragm, and then blasted me with the heated chemotherapy into my tummy.”
Now cancer-free, Louise reflected on her recovery journey, crediting her passion for aviation as a driving force.
.“This time last year I wasn’t even able to walk. So to be standing here now and being back in the environment I love, doing the job that I love, it’s something that I never thought that I’d be able to do again physically,” she said. “I had no core strength, so I had to rebuild all my muscle in my tummy area. It feels amazing to be back in my home.”
The ordeal has also been deeply personal for Louise, who lost her mother to cancer. “I’ve got the mentality of: ‘I’m not going to let this one beat me. It took my mum, it’s not taking me,’” she said. “I think determination and positivity is what is going to get people through this if they’re ever facing the same as me in future.”
oLoking ahead, Louise will undergo annual scans for up to 20 years to monitor her health. She also offered advice to others, urging vigilance and prompt action. “If you think something is wrong, don’t ignore it,” she said
