North Glasgow bride to be to wed after shock cancer diagnosis

From dress shopping to finding the perfect venue, it is a non-stop, difficult process that can push even the calmest person to the brink.

But, Jennifer Irving, doesn’t mind the added stress because there was a point when she wasn’t sure she’d come this far.

In 2011, the now 36-year-old attended her second routine smear appointment.

Her first, three years prior, had been clear, she wasn’t behind in her screening tests, had no symptoms and was a young, healthy 24-year-old woman. Why wouldn’t it be clear again?

“They found what they thought was a polyp,” Jennifer, from Sandyhills, told the Glasgow Times, “so, I was referred for a colposcopy.

“When I got to Stobhill, they told me it was cancer.”

Jennifer was shocked and, like most people, had the initial reaction of wondering whether she’d make it through the disease.

She was plunged straight into three rounds of chemotherapy and brachytherapy as well as a radical hysterectomy.

During the ordeal, Jennifer also underwent a gruelling IVF process in order to protect her ability to have children when she met the right person.

That happened soon after her treatment finished, and Jennifer fell head over heels for fiancé Ross.

The pair are due to tie the knot in September after they were forced to bring their wedding forward when it was discovered Jennifer’s mum had late-stage cancer herself.

Jennifer said: “If I hadn’t went for that smear, it would have been so different – and that was only my second one.

“My mum was like ‘how could this happen in the space of three years?’ “I was only just turning 25 so, it was just a shock but I went back to work when I finished my treatment and I’ve been absolutely fine since.”

She added: “I did alright with chemo but I did have one reaction after some of it.

“I was just tired, and I lost all my hair. That was the hardest part. I was completely bald.

“My hair was really long and I had got it cut short because I was hoping I could save it, but I lost it all anyway.”

Jennifer has now thrown her support behind the Glasgow Times Don’t Fear the Smear campaign, which is encouraging women to attend their routine appointments which remain our best defence against cervical cancer.

As previously reported, Glasgow’s uptake is among the lowest in the country with women and people with cervixes aged between 25 and 30 – the youngest category – one of the most likely not to attend.

Experts have revealed that many women feel their age coupled with a lack of symptoms deems the examination unnecessary, however, Jennifer wants others to know this is exactly the time to receive the test.

“I was so lucky,” she said, “but I try to keep quite healthy.”

“I exercise and my diet and things were good, but you’ve got to get those tests.”

Today, cervical cancer is a far thought from Jennifer’s mind. Aside from planning her dream wedding to Ross, she’s busy taking her career to the next level and planning for her future.

She said: “I’m a paralegal and I just finished my law degree so, I’ve got to pick where I’m going for my diploma.

“It’s all stressful, it will be good but it’s all happening at one time. Hopefully, by next year I’ll be a trainee solicitor, so things are looking up.

“I don’t really think about it too much now. After I finished chemo, I would sometimes have bleeding when I went to the toilet and I’d panic, something’s wrong.

“Luckily, though, my checks were always fine and as time’s gone on it’s all went back to normal. Thank God for the smears.”