Home Features I had a hysterectomy and a splenectomy, but my cancer still came...
By Lakhram Bhagirat
The word ‘fighter’ is a fitting adjective to describe 48-year-old Sharron Madramootoo-Ally, because she is in constant battle with her cancer. So far, she is not allowing it to win their contest, and has no intention of ever allowing it succeed.
Sharron was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer sometime between April and May 2016, and she has been battling it ever since. Her diagnosis was not as a result of a single doctor’s visit, but rather a series of visits, tests, treatments and missed signs. 
At the time of her diagnosis, the mother of three was working as an accountant – a job she held for over two decades – but she has since left that occupation due to the complications caused by cancer.
In 2016, Sharron became very ill, and saw her stomach begin to swell, followed by her feet. She was dizzy at times, and found it very hard to walk and work. She visited the doctor, and was told there was a build-up of “gas” in her stomach, and was given treatment. No follow-up visits or anything, and she was still getting no relief.
“So, I was getting more sick, and like my appetite wasn’t there anymore; I could barely eat. I couldn’t walk, my foot was so swollen, and then I couldn’t wear shoes anymore. I really couldn’t walk, because I would have to wear slippers, and drag my feet to get to and from work. It was really hard,” she recounted.
Prior to that bout of sickness, Sharron recalls going in to work one morning and being advised by her manager to visit the doctor, because she was not looking well. She complied, and was diagnosed with h-pylori. There, she asked to do an ultrasound as well, just as a precaution, and it was discovered that there were cysts in both of her ovaries.
However, the doctor at the private medical institution told her that the cysts would “fall out”, and there was nothing to worry about. There was no indication that she needed follow-up treatment.
A few months elapsed, and then came the swelling and inability to walk. She was subsequently advised to visit the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), and it was there that a CT scan discovered mass in both of her ovaries. Her tumors had already spread beyond the ovaries and were progressing, but her doctors needed confirmation, so she had to do a CA-125 test. The test indicated high levels of the cancer antigen 125.
She was initially crushed, and then engulfed by fear of losing the battle.
“I saw the oncologist at the hospital, and we discussed surgery, but I was told that I am not first on the operating list, and I would have to wait for like a month; but, with fear, it was very hard. I was fearful because I have children and I succumbed with fear,” she said.
Sharron began looking at ways to have her surgery done, as well as surrounding herself with supportive people. Seeking the advice of her family, church and coworkers led Sharron to turning overseas for treatment.
She travelled to the United States of America (USA), and on June 13, 2016, Sharron underwent surgery to remove her cancerous ovaries. The procedure is called a hysterectomy, and it is where the entire womb (uterus) is surgically removed.
“The doctors said they did their best, and the rest is up to God. I spent like a few weeks to recover from the surgery and, you know, get stronger,” she said.
After her recovery from the surgery, Sharron started chemotherapy in the US, and underwent six rounds. That lasted until the end of November 2016, and the process was a gruelling one. It made her incredibly weak, and it took a toll on her body, but she fought tooth and nail because she wanted to survive. She came back to Guyana at the end of November, but was still weak.
“There were times when I would try to walk and just fall and blackout. I was very weak, but I had my mom who took care of me. I continued my checkups here in Georgetown, and then, like every three months, I would go back to the USA for a checkup,” Sharron detailed.
Sharron discovered in 2019 that her cancer was back, and she had to undergo surgery again. This time, she had to do a splenectomy – a surgical procedure to remove the spleen – and undergo chemotherapy again. She came back to Guyana and continued her checkups locally.
“In 2020, I did a CT scan here in Guyana, and it showed a recurrence of the disease, and that was during the pandemic. When I did the scan there, they saw the disease for the third time. It was during the pandemic, and I couldn’t get a flight to leave the country, so I started treatment here, and did three cycles of chemotherapy and did another scan, and they showed a progression of the disease; the treatment didn’t work.
“The doctors wanted to change the treatment, but it was not available here in Guyana. I started searching for a flight, and about two days later, I got a flight and went back to the US for the treatment that was not available. It was July 31 when I got there, and I started that treatment sometime in August, and I completed it in February 2021. So, another six cycles again, after the three cycles in Guyana, and the journey started again. You know, it’s just the feeling and then the trauma that your body go through mentally, physically, emotionally, but it’s like a roller coaster where I try to stay positive.
“I went back in June for a checkup. This is now my life, but I am grateful because many didn’t make it, many didn’t have the opportunity, and it was bad for me, but the third time it was caught where it could have been treated by chemotherapy,” Sharron said.
Her scans are all clear this time, but Sharron is currently on medication to help prevent the reoccurrence of her cancer.
Sharron is currently back in Guyana, continuing her battle. She is advising that everyone pay attention to their bodies and get it checked out to their satisfaction.
