18 September 2023 , 10:11
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A woman who "woke up feeling sick" after a night out was left gobsmacked after she realised her hangover symptoms were actually signs of cancer.
Amber Orr, who was 19 at the time, initially brushed off her nausea for drinking too much with her friends - but when the feeling didn't budge, she decided to go to the hospital with her mum two days later. Amber, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, was suddenly rushed into the operating theatre for an emergency appendectomy after her appendix ruptured in March 2019. The teen was unaware of what had caused the issue until two weeks after the incident when it was revealed she had a rare tumour.
Amber needed emergency surgery after her appendix ruptured (Jam Press)
Amber is now in remission following her health scare (Jam Press)Doctors delivered the devastating news that she had a cancerous neuroendocrine mass, which is a tumour that releases hormones into the bloodstream. It was also found in her bowel. Amber, now 24, said: "I had been out partying with friends, so when I woke up feeling sick, I blamed it on being hungover. But as the day progressed, I realised it wasn't a hangover. I kept getting this unbearable pain in my side and I was throwing up."
She explained that she was initially monitored overnight with a suspected UTI in hospital before she was rushed into surgery due to her appendix. She was informed that she would require a second surgery to remove the rest of the tumour, and then chemotherapy to kill any surviving cells.
Speaking of the moment she received the news, two weeks after leaving hospital for the first surgery, she said: "I didn't feel anything. It was more of a numbness... I didn't properly digest the information until months later. My diagnosis also happened so fast that I honestly didn't have time to even think about what was happening to me until the whole thing was over."
Cherished girl, 3, who spent half her life in hospital dies before surgery
Amber would like to work with the NHS following her experience (Jam Press)
Amber said the diagnosis took a toll on her mental health (Jam Press)Thankfully, Amber's second surgery, which took place in May 2019, and involved the removal of half of her bowel, eliminated the mass and she didn't require further treatment. She has had a few scares since, but no reoccurrences, and has now been in remission for four years. The psychological scars, however, have been harder for her to overcome. She said: "I can't count the number of hours I've spent crying and breaking down because of how cancer has made me feel.
"Whether that be physically, from the scars on my body, or mentally, from the anxiety and depression from treatment and fear of it returning. My mental health didn't take a hit until after I was in remission." Amber is now using her experience to raise awareness of the long-term effects of cancer and the importance of early detection. She added: "If my appendix hadn't burst, I wouldn't have found my cancer until it was terminal.
Amber is set to start university following her recovery (Jam Press)
Amber has urged others to trust their instincts (Jam Press)"I try to use my story to encourage others to check themselves and listen to their bodies. I also want to give them the confidence to book appointments and stand up for themselves when they feel something isn't right. Cancer doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter your age, gender, or race."
Amber is now looking to the future and will be starting her degree in social work this month. She thanked the Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Lives vs. Cancer for their support. Amber continued: "I am looking forward to getting my degree in social work and hopefully becoming a social worker for the NHS, working specifically with cancer patients.
"If I can help even one person the way that they helped me, I know that I'll be doing something right. As much as cancer has changed my life, it doesn't define who I am. It shouldn't get to take over my life and make me afraid to live."