Mum with rare cancer now battles daily 'temporary amnesia' after heavy periods warning

Mum with rare cancer now battles daily 'temporary amnesia' after heavy periods warning Hailey Barr, 42, was diagnosed with rare Uterine Adenosarcoma after years of heavy periods A mum is battling an invisible side effect of her life-saving treatment that impacts her daily existence, leaving her struggling to recall words in the middle of work meetings. Hailey Barr was diagnosed with a rare cancer, Uterine Adenosarcoma, in February 2024. When the 42 year old received the news that she had conquered the disease following a total hysterectomy and the removal of both ovaries, she believed the most gruelling chapter of her ordeal was finally behind her. Yet the treatment plunged Hailey into immediate surgical menopause. Now cancer-free, she says debilitating brain fog, chronic exhaustion and aching joints have completely upended her everyday life, making it a struggle to both work and look after her two young sons. "Brain fog almost sounds gentle, but for me it's more like temporary amnesia," Hailey, from North Yorks, told creatorzine. com. "I can forget what I'm saying mid-sentence, which is especially difficult at work. "My word recall isn't what it used to be, and if I don't write something down, I won't remember it. Physically, my joints feel like they've aged decades overnight, and mornings are particularly tough. "The fatigue is constant and when you're trying to balance that with a full-time job, being a mum to two young children, a wife, a friend, it can be really challenging. It often feels like I'm having to work twice as hard just to keep everything going. "To everyone I look like the same person I was before cancer, but inside I don't feel that way and some days are more of a battle than others." The Royal Mail manager first noticed something was amiss at the age of 38, when she began suffering from increasingly heavy periods. Initially advised to take the contraceptive pill and later given an ultrasound that revealed no irregularities, her condition continued to deteriorate. By mid-2023, she was bleeding every single day. During an appointment to discuss having a contraceptive coil fitted, a doctor performed an examination and immediately discovered a sizeable tumour on Hailey's cervix. Hailey said: "At that point, I broke down. My life had been completely taken over by heavy bleeding. "I couldn't stand up without flooding, I couldn't sit without a towel under me, I could only wear black clothes and I felt like no one was really hearing me. My doctor must have sensed my desperation and offered to do a quick examination before deciding on next steps. "The moment she examined me, I could feel the shift in the room. She started asking detailed questions about my symptoms and history. "That's when I was told I had a large tumour on my cervix. I was terrified but also, strangely, relieved. I finally knew I hadn't imagined it." A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of uterine adenosarcoma on February 24, 2024. Hailey said: "I got a call at 10am asking me to come into hospital at 12pm, so I just knew it wasn't going to be good news. When I heard the words, 'I'm sorry, but it is cancer', and that it was a rare cancer called adenosarcoma, it felt like everything around me warped. "The air, the sound, the light in the room. I could see my husband slump into his chair. "Nothing felt real. The first thing I said was, 'Oh no, what about my boys?'. "They had just turned six and eight the month before. The nurse held my hands and reassured me, but in that moment, all I could think about was them." Thankfully, the cancer was caught at Stage 1a and was low grade, which meant surgery alone proved adequate and she didn't need chemotherapy. Unlike natural menopause, which progresses slowly over multiple years, surgical menopause happens instantly when both ovaries are removed, triggering a sudden plunge in hormone levels. For women whose menopause results from cancer treatment, controlling symptoms can prove especially challenging as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) isn't always suitable, depending on the cancer type and existing medical evidence. Hailey discovered help through the patient organisation Menopause and Cancer following a referral after her treatment. She now participates in support groups and credits them with helping her grasp the lasting impacts of surgical menopause while empowering her to raise more questions about her ongoing care. Having remained cancer-free for two years, Hailey is still coming to terms with her new symptoms. Hailey said: "It's incredible. My focus has shifted to long-term health, so protecting my heart, brain and bones, not just managing day-to-day symptoms. "For me, this is where conversations about things like HRT become really important. I stay engaged with Menopause and Cancer, attend their support groups at the Leveson Centre in York, and continue advocating for myself even if that means asking difficult questions or challenging my long-suffering oncologist. "I've also had to accept that I won't feel exactly like the person I was before cancer. Instead, I focus on staying as healthy, informed and present as I can for myself and for my family." Hailey firmly believes that menopause support ought to be a standard component of cancer treatment for women whose care will bring on the menopause. She added: "It shouldn't be something we have to go searching for ourselves. When you're diagnosed with cancer, especially as a parent, your energy is focused on survival and everyone else around you. "You don't have the capacity to become an expert in menopause as well. Ultimately, you don't know what you don't know. "What I needed was for that information, guidance and support to be there from the start, not something I had to piece together afterwards. I have enormous respect for my medical team and the care I received and I am forever grateful to them. "But I do believe menopause expertise should be part of the multidisciplinary team when treatment decisions are being made, especially when those decisions will trigger menopause. Surviving cancer is one thing but living well after it matters just as much." Research from the charity Menopause and Cancer alongside UCLH reveals that 70 to 90% of women aged over 40 experience permanent menopause as a result of cancer treatment.