A Stirling artist who painted NHS staff who cared for her during treatment for ovarian cancer is hoping to raise greater awareness of the disease.
Gillian McLaren, who works as a secondary school art teacher, was just 33 years old when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer - undergoing lifesaving surgery during the first wave of the Covid pandemic.
Before receiving the devastating diagnosis, Gillian visited doctors for more than 18 months with various concerns including bowel changes, exhaustion, nausea, pain and symptoms of urine infections.
Two years on from that surgery in the quiet wards of Ninewells Hospital, Gillian is raising awareness of the symptoms associated with ovarian cancer, but also the work of NHS staff both during the pandemic and beyond.
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.”
While recovering in a hospital bed, Gillian began painting some of the staff and soon created an ongoing series named ‘Portraits and Tales from a Hospital Bed’.
The series has been a big hit online via her Instagram and website and are set to be featured in an exhibition in Dundee later this year.
“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”, Gillian added.
“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.
“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.”
Stirling MSP Evelyn Tweed met Gillian recently after taking part in a debate discussing efforts to tackle and raise awareness of ovarian cancer - with no single, viable screening tool availability to increase levels of early diagnosis.
Ms Tweed said: “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.”
