Nikki Penrice, then 33, had experienced months of extreme sickness, fatigue, and dehydration caused by the pregnancy condition, hyperemesis gravidarum, but as doctors carried out a scan to check her kidney function, they discovered a cancerous mass on her bowel.
Within the space of 11 days, Nikki had delivered her baby girl, suffered a perforated bowel and received emergency surgery to remove the tumour and fit a stoma.
Three years on, after chemotherapy, a stoma reversal and lots of support from her loved ones, Nikki is now well and will join friends and family at Race for Life this summer to support Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research.
Nikki said: “My first thought when I discovered I had cancer was for my baby as I just wanted to get her here safely. Then I was numb and went into autopilot as I tried to get through each day and each hurdle that we faced.
“My family were incredible looking after the baby and my son Reggie who was four, while my sister Emily took charge of organising all my appointments.
“I had to learn to walk again and I couldn’t have got through it without my Dad who was my rock. But sadly just as I had recovered, he was diagnosed with cancer and he passed away just 17 days later.
“Together, my family and I will think of him as we take part in the Pretty Muddy obstacle course and I know I will overcome all the hurdles, just as I did when I faced cancer.
“It will feel like a magical moment when I cross the finish line at Race for Life this spring with my friends and family.”
People of all ages and abilities are welcome to take part in Race for Life Oxford on June 29 at Oxford University Parks. Meanwhile, you can also take part in the 5k mud-splattered obstacle course – Pretty Muddy - in Swindon on May 3rd at Lydiard Park or at Cheltenham Racecourse on June 28th. There is also a Pretty Muddy Kids option.
Anyone who joins Race for Life between Monday March 17 and Sunday April 6 can claim 30 per cent off the entry fee as part of a special sale by using the code 30SPRING
Money raised at the events, which are sponsored by Standard Life, will help scientists find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease- to bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
That’s why it will be an emotional moment when Nikki and her team cross the finish line together at Race for Life this summer. Having benefitted from Cancer Research UK’s work to improve treatment for bowel cancer patients, she hopes her story will inspire people to visit raceforlife.org and sign up.
It was back in December 2021 when Nikki was given the devastating news that she had cancer.
Nikki said: “I’d been in and out of hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) throughout my pregnancy and had lost lots of weight where I couldn’t keep anything down. But unlike my previous pregnancy with Reggie where it settled down after four or five months, the symptoms persisted.
“I would go to hospital, get attached to a drip to replace fluids and receive intravenous medication to stop the vomiting, feel ok for a day, then the cycle would begin again.
“I was getting a lot of water infections and when I was around eight months pregnant, I was in terrible pain, so the John Radcliffe Hospital offered me a scan which highlighted a mass on my bowel.
“I had an MRI scan which confirmed the tumour and then I had a sigmoidoscopy where they use a camera inside you to examine your colon.
“It was all a bit surreal as I hadn’t really had any typical bowel cancer symptoms – just some diarrhoea and fatigue which I put down to my HG and the fact I’d received lots of medication.
“During the procedure, the doctor put his hand on my shoulder and said he was sorry, so I knew it wasn’t good news and that it was cancer.
“All the doctors from the gastro team and the baby team began talking to each other to decide what to do next and they opted to induce me before tackling the tumour.
“Thankfully Connie was born safely and healthy on December 21st and I was told to go home and build my strength back up over Christmas, to then have bowel surgery on January 17th.
“But on Christmas Day I started noticing blood in my poo and on January 2nd, I went to the hospital in severe pain. Thankfully I was in the right place when my bowel suddenly perforated. I was rushed down to theatre for life-saving emergency surgery where they washed out my insides to try to get rid of any cancer cells and removed the tumour.
“They had to leave tummy open for two days so they could wash out my abdomen again and they also created a stoma to let my bowel rest and recover.
“I had to be fed through a central line in my neck which made holding and feeding Connie very difficult. My surgery was also so extensive I had to have a lot of physio and learn to walk again.
“I finally left hospital on the day I was due to have my original surgery on Jan 17th and stayed at my mum’s house to recuperate.
“In the February, I began my chemotherapy treatment on my birthday at the Brodey Cancer Centre. Cancer Research UK carried out vital research into the two chemotherapy drugs I received - oxaliplatin and capecitabine. I was also able to benefit from Cancer Research UK’s SCOT trial that had proved that three months of chemotherapy treatment worked just as effectively as six months for people with the same stage bowel cancer as me.
“The shorter treatment was so important to my quality of life, gave me fewer side effects and meant that I could get back to family life and my new baby much sooner than if I’d had double the length of treatment.
“I had just found out my bloods were all stable in June 2023 when my Dad and my rock, who had beaten bladder cancer many years before, was diagnosed with cancer again aged 63.
“Before he passed away 17 days later, we told him we were going to do Pretty Muddy and he responded with ‘You can’t do that!’ But we did it and we wore his picture on our t-shirts so we had him with us on the course.
“My experience and his has taught me that we have to go and enjoy every day and make the most of everything. I’m very fortunate that I’m now doing really well and I’m grateful every day for what I’ve got and where we are.
“I’m really looking forward to taking part in Race for Life’s Pretty Muddy again because it’s so moving and you get such a buzz from being part of it. It doesn’t matter if you walk it or run it, everyone is involved and everyone will cheer you on.
“It’s such an important cause and it’s exciting to think that by taking part, we can make a real difference to people’s lives with less time in treatment, fewer side effects and better outcomes. I can’t wait to be part of it with my friends and family.”
Nikki’s sister, Emily who organised all of Nikki’s appointments, medication and helped to change her stoma, said: “I Race for Life for Nikki who never felt sorry for herself during her pregnancy, labour, surgery or cancer treatment and I’m so proud of her. We went through her cancer together and we’ll make it over the Pretty Muddy finish line together to mark the end of this chapter.”
Every year around 55,800 people are diagnosed with cancer in the South East.
Elisa Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in the South East, said: “We are grateful to Nikki and all her friends and family for their support and know her story will make an impact on everyone who hears it.
“Sadly nearly 1 in 2 of us will get cancer in our lifetime but all of us can support the research that will beat it. We’re proud that Race for Life has had such a positive impact. Every pound raised supports our life-saving work, which has helped double cancer survival in the UK over the last 50 years.
“We’d love for as many people as possible across Oxfordshire and beyond to join us at Race for Life. There is an event for everyone and we mean everyone. Our events are strictly non-competitive which means everyone can have a go- and love every minute. There’s no pressure to finish in a certain time, just give it what you can. Lace up and join in.
“Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer, in it for the medals or just for the fun of fundraising, there is a place for everyone.”
Since it began in 1994, more than 10 million people have taken part in Race for Life, contributing millions of pounds towards life-saving research. .
Cancer Research UK funded scientists led the development of the Human Papillomavirus Virus vaccine, which is expected to prevent almost 90 per cent of cervical cancers in the UK. The charity was a key player in the development of radiotherapy which now benefits millions of cancer patients worldwide. Cancer Research UK played a leading role in the development of abiraterone - a drug that gives men with advanced prostate cancer more time with their friends and family.
Andy Curran, Chief Executive of Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, said: “We are incredibly proud to continue as headline sponsor for Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, with the opportunity to encourage participation across the country.
“By working to raise funds for life-saving research, we can move towards a future where people live longer and better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
To enter, visit www.raceforlife.org
Race for Life events around the Oxfordshire area
Oxford: June 29th
5k and 10k
Swindon: May 3rd
3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids
Cheltenham: June 28th and 29th
3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids