When Vikki Ridler was 27 she felt content with life. A mum-of-two, a job she loved and in the first throws of a new relationship, life felt good - busy, but good.
But everything came crashing down when she went for a routine smear test and the result showed signs of cervical cancer. Since the birth of her son, Vikki had gone in for a smear test every six months.
In August 2017 she was two months late for her test but didn''t think much of it. "I spotted bleeding that prompted me to go to the doctors. My previous smear had been fine so I never predicted what would happen next," she told The Mirror.
Two weeks after her test the doctor called her and asked her to visit the hospital the following day. They told her she needed to take someone with her, and instantly she knew something terrible was about to happen.
Vikki from Blackwood, Scotland, took her mum with her to the hospital appointment. She said: "He talked me through the biopsy results and explained they'd detected cervical cancer. I knew it was going to be bad at the time but I didn't fully prepare myself for a cancer diagnosis.
"Mum crumbled next to me but my whole attitude was straight to the point. All I cared about was: 'Am I going to die? What will happen to my kids?' He asked if I wanted a moment and I said: 'No what do we do next?"
Vikki had an unbearable four-week wait for an MRI scan to see if the cancer had progressed, while life resumed to being a 'normal' mum to Sreyah, seven, and Ashton, five. After an MRI confirmed the cancer hadn't spread, Vikki was booked in for a hysterectomy to remove her womb - which meant she couldn't conceive again.
"I would have loved more children but I was just grateful that I got the chance to be a mum. I was so young and not many women have kids by 27," Vikki said. Vikki underwent the operation in November and a fortnight later, she got the call to say she wouldn't need further treatment or chemotherapy.
"I felt like I'd won the lottery. It was such a special and important day," she said, tearing up. Within just three months, Vikki had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and given the all-clear - her life would never be the same again.
She was desperate to get back into a routine, but the reality of everything she'd experienced finally hit her. "I forced myself to go back to work before I was ready. I felt stressed and anxious and my relationship with my partner broke down," she said.
"I was so convinced that I was going through the menopause, despite doctors telling me that I wasn't. It felt like I had white noise in my head and I couldn't focus. It was the darkest time of my life and I just wanted to feel like myself."
After hitting rock bottom, Vikki was referred to a counsellor and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). "I told him that I was broken and he said that I wasn't and he could help," she explained.
"We relived every single moment of the last three months and how bad things actually were. I could feel myself getting stronger and stronger. The moment I was honest about how I felt was the day I started to get better."
Five years on, Vikki is still coping with life after cancer and has become an ambassador for Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust. "I'm so passionate about showing people that cancer doesn't just look like somebody in a hospital bed. I had very few symptoms and I wouldn't have known without a smear test," Vikki explained.
Vikki was the same age as Jade Goody when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and they both had two children - but an early diagnosis meant Vikki survived. "I remember hearing about Jade Goody when I was younger and watching her documentary, but at the time I was diagnosed, there still wasn't a lot of knowledge about cervical cancer," Vikki said.
"It's so important to be vocal like Jade was and encourage young women to book their smear tests. It could save your life like it saved mine." Cervical Cancer Prevention Week runs from 23-29 January and Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust is launching its biggest ever campaign this year.
The charity is calling for government commitments to ensure no one is missed out or left behind. This means tackling inequalities, ensuring technology and workforces are available, and researching better and more effective ways to prevent cancer.
Find out how to get involved in Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and book your free smear test now.
