A SOMERSET mum, who had nine organs removed, is urging people to Stand Up To Cancer this month.

Lucy Payne, 37, was diagnosed with a rare cancer of the appendix, and had a 10-hour operation which doctors call 'The Mother of All Surgeries'.

The Wells mum had been experiencing pains in her stomach and chest for a while, but it was until 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Eadie, that she was diagnosed.

"Six months after having Eadie my GP sent me for an ultrasound, they found kidney stones and a cyst on my ovary and a polyp in my uterus," she said.

“All of these symptoms I had never experienced with my first pregnancy and I just knew something wasn’t right.

“It wasn’t until I had a second CT scan and removal of my kidney stones, two months after my first scan that doctors found the true extent of the problem.

“I was told I had cancer of the appendix. The doctor said it had advanced and had spread throughout my abdomen and into my chest.

“I had the most horrendous panic attack and I just felt the ground fall from underneath me and I was sick.”

Six months ago Lucy underwent an operation to remove nine of her organs, including her spleen, appendix, some of her diaphragm, gallbladder and peritoneum, ovaries, uterus as well most of her stomach lining and spent four days in intensive care and two weeks in hospital.

Somerset County Gazette: SURGERY: Lucy Payne

And so Lucy, who runs a theatre school in Bath, lives with her husband Stephen, 40, and daughters Jessica, five, and Eadie, 22 months, is backing Stand Up To Cancer, the joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.

“I now try to live every day the best I can, to get strong and recover from my operation and hopefully one day I will be cancer free," Lucy added.

“I want to share my story to show others that you can live with cancer. I live my life day to day and try and look on the positive side."

The Stand Up To Cancer campaign will run through October. For more visit standuptocancer.org.uk.

Somerset County Gazette: STAND UP TO CANCER: Lucy Payne and her husband Stephen