The MSP for Stirling has met with a local artist who paints artwork of NHS workers who cared for her during the pandemic when she was undergoing ovarian cancer treatment.
Gillian McLaren, a secondary school art teacher, was 33 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Prior to being diagnosed, Gillian visited doctors for over 18 months with bowel changes, exhaustion, nausea, pain and symptoms of urine infections.
In March 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, Gillian underwent lifesaving surgery which also took her fertility; Gillian describes this as heart break she now carries.
Now, two years on, Gillian is raising awareness not only of ovarian cancer symptoms, but also of the self- sacrificial work NHS workers did during the pandemic and continue to do today.
Gillian said; “It was brilliant to meet Evelyn and discuss the issues l sincerely hope will be addressed to make it quicker for women to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“My experience of cancer was made a lot harder by the fact that I had a long misdiagnosis. It took over a year for me to get the diagnosis I needed to start lifesaving treatment.
“I am eternally grateful for the care I got in hospital which led to my remission and got me through the recovery period. However it was a very tough journey to get to the point of diagnosis. I knew there was something wrong, but my symptoms were continually misdiagnosed as something less serious. I felt I was being heard, but not listened to. Knowing your symptoms, knowing your body and knowing you’re never too young is vitally important.
“There needs to be a significant increase in knowledge about what to look out for when it comes to symptoms of ovarian cancer. We need to embrace an approach that involves everyone. When a woman gets ovarian cancer, this woman could be someone’s mum, wife, daughter or sister. It affects everyone.
During her recovery in Ninewells hospital in December 2020, Gillian painted artwork of the many NHS workers that took care of her and created an ongoing series: Portraits and Tales from a Hospital Bed.
Gillian’s paintings and corresponding tales can be viewed online on her Instagram or on her website www.gillyartist.com, and will be featured in an exhibition in Dundee later this year. Gillian says the portraits and tales immortalise moments in time of incredible human compassion, and consequently, celebrates them.
“What inspired the paintings was the incredible team work and buzz that I witnessed across the entire team of people looking after me and the other patients. Everyone from the doctors, to the nurses, dieticians, cleaners, hospital porters – it’s every person no matter what colour their uniform is. They were all people who chose to sacrifice their own health and needs to come in and meet ours.
“They’re all links in a chain, it takes every single one of them to make the whole thing work. The NHS work under such pressure; it just blew me away. I was in the hospital when people were dying of Covid and yet I was surrounded by people doing everything and anything to make me comfortable during such an unprecedented period in history.
“These are some of the people who lit my journey in an otherwise very dark and difficult time.”
In March this year MSPs held a Parliamentary debate about how to tackle and raise awareness of ovarian cancer. In recent years Scotland has led the UK in improving early diagnosis of ovarian cancer with the shortest diagnostic pathway, with the CA125 blood test and ultrasound carried out at the same time. However there is still no one, viable screening tool.
Evelyn Tweed MSP, who took part in a debate in parliament, said; “It was an honour to meet Gillian in person, an inspiring young woman who is shining a light on ovarian cancer.
“Gillian has had lifelong physical effects from cancer treatment and has needed continuous support from family and friends to be able to face life again. The impact cancer has on lives cannot be understated.
“We need to focus on finding not only an effective screening tool but also increased awareness of the disease, amongst the public and health professionals. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the prognosis, which is why knowing your body and knowing the symptoms is so important. I encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer, and always seek medical advice if you have concerns.
“Gillian’s amazing artwork has created a snapshot in time of the incredible compassion she experienced whilst recovering from her ovarian cancer diagnosis. The paintings serve as a reminder of how fundamentally important our NHS is, and I am eternally grateful for all the NHS have done and continue to do. I have huge admiration for all Gillian has done to raise awareness of ovarian cancer as well as honour our incredible NHS. I wish her all the very best of luck for the future.”
Gillian’s art work can be viewed on her Instagram page @gillyartist or on her website – where the date for her upcoming exhibition will be updated in due course.
Ovarian Cancer Action lists four main symptoms associated with the disease. These are persistent stomach pain, persistent bloating, difficulty eating or feeling full more quickly and needing to urinate more frequently.
The charity’s website says these can also be symptoms of other, less serious, conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, ovarian cysts and polycystic ovary syndrome. It is advised that if symptoms become persistent, severe, frequent or out of the ordinary, you should make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.
For more information please visit; https://ovarian.org.uk/ovarian-cancer/ovarian-cancer-symptoms/
ENDS
Olivia Pullman
Communications and Research Officer
Office of Evelyn Tweed MSP for Stirling
The Scottish Parliament | Edinburgh | EH99 1SP
E: olivia.pullman@parliament.scot
T: 07792 919 314
