Dr Philippa Kaye has revealed she is struggling as she goes through early menopause after having a hysterectomy in March following a cancer risk. The GP and author, 46, regularly appears on daytime television show This Morning and is known for her work in women's, children's and sexual health.
She gave a health update on Instagram on Friday, detailing how her body has changed during her cancer battle. Dr Philippa said she missed "seeing the person she was before" as she experiences premature menopause following surgery to remove her ovaries.
Body changes after hysterectomy
In a slideshow of posts, Dr Philippa wrote, "I am struggling… With the changes to my body from cancer. It isn’t the scars. Those are the tattoos of my battles. They tell the story of how resilient my body can be."
She continued, "It is the other changes. From the premature menopause from treatment and now my ovaries have been surgically removed." She added, "Despite being on HRT there are charts (hormone replacement therapy)."
Describing physical changes, she stated, "My hair is thinner. My skin changed with more wrinkles and dark marks." She added, "My body is softer despite exercise. I see the changes everywhere I’m grateful to be here. My body doesn’t work as before and now it doesn’t seem to look as before. I know it is vain but sometimes I wanna look in the mirror and see the person I was before… sometimes."
Dr Philippa captioned the post, "I am very aware this is a superficial post. I am also incredibly grateful for how my body works for me. But sometimes it is hard not to look down and notice all the changes I see."
Support from social media users
Myleene Klass led the supportive messages in the comment section. She wrote, "Thank you for sharing your immense vulnerability and strength therein. You’re one amazing human x".
Others added, "I recognise all these things, and you’re allowed to grieve for your ‘old’ body (as in former, not old) x" and "What a journey you have been on. You are amazing and by sharing your feelings, you will be helping others."
Back in January, Philippa announced that she was undergoing surgery but did not reveal details about her health diagnosis at the time. She shared, "When the day of the surgery arrives, the time for worry is over. No more questions or concerns," adding, "You put your big girl pants on. You trust in your team and you let go. See you on the other side."
Bowel cancer symptoms and risks
Bowel, or colorectal, cancer affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Such tumors usually develop from pre-cancerous growths called polyps.
Symptoms include bleeding from the bottom, blood in stools, a change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks, unexplained weight loss, extreme unexplained tiredness, and abdominal pain. Most cases have no clear cause, but people are at higher risk if they are over 50, have a family history of the condition, have a personal history of bowel polyps, suffer from inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease, or lead an unhealthy lifestyle.
Treatment usually involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. More than nine out of ten people with stage 1 bowel cancer survive five years or more after diagnosis, but only around a third of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this early stage.
The majority of people consult a doctor when the disease has spread beyond the wall of the colon or rectum or to distant parts of the body, which decreases the chance of being successfully cured. According to Bowel Cancer UK figures, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. According to the National Cancer Institute, it affects around 40 per 100,000 adults each year in the US.
Bowel cancer diagnosis history
Philippa was diagnosed with stage two bowel cancer aged just 39 back in 2019. After undergoing six months of chemotherapy and a 12-hour surgery to remove a final cancer lesion, she revealed in 2020 that she was given the all-clear.
She said live on This Morning at the time, "For the first time in nearly 18 months I am able to say that I am cancer free, that is huge, and I am hugely excited to be out of my day pyjamas to speak to you!"
