'I noticed I needed to pee more often - the reason why is devastating'
08.07.2023 - 15:43
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
With a new job and new apartment secured, Georgina Parkinson couldn’t wait to start the next chapter of her life in Manchester.
The 23-year-old decided to move away from her home in Berkshire in search of new beginnings up north and arrived in the city in April 2022.
For a few months, the future was looking bright. But sadly, Georgina's excitement would be snatched away from her before she even had time to settle in.
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It was September 2022 when she had a “gut feeling” something wasn’t right with her body. However, with no real symptoms to go off, Georgina felt she couldn’t visit a GP.
But when she noticed she needed to urinate more often and began bleeding after sex, she booked an appointment to see a doctor.
While Georgina thought she may have a cyst or an infection, nothing could prepare her for the devastating truth. Georgina had an extremely rare form of cancer – and it was already at stage three.
“It’s never really something you expect,” the graphic designer said. “You wouldn’t expect it at any age, especially when you’re fit and healthy, and I live a very healthy lifestyle.
“My friends can’t believe it’s happened.”
Following an MRI scan and biopsy, Georgina was told she had vaginal cancer, a very rare cancer that can be found anywhere in the vagina.
There are around 240 new cases of vaginal cancer per year in the UK, with the disease most being common in women aged between 80 to 84.
Vaginal cancer is often found and prevented by attending cervical screening, which aims to find and treat abnormalities before they turn into cancer. Women in the UK are invited to these screenings at the age of 25.
Vaginal cancer