Couple married for 40 years, diagnosed with cancer just five months apart –

Married couples promise to endure all of life’s tests together, and Diane and Paul Boothby, in their 40 years of marriage, were no exception.

But after successfully raising two children and four grandchildren, the couple overcame their biggest challenge: they both beat cancer.

Ms. Boothby, 63, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer five months after her 69-year-old husband was told he had colon cancer.

“I went from caring for someone with cancer to someone with cancer — and Paul went from looking after someone with cancer to looking after someone with cancer,” she said.

“You have to push through how you feel to get the diagnosis – who knows what might have happened if you had dumped him and dumped him.”

The couple, who got married in November 1978, were determined to fight the disease and celebrate their 43rd anniversary together.

“We’ve been married for forty-three years and haven’t celebrated our last wedding anniversary – we still have a lot to celebrate,” she added.

Boothby was diagnosed in August 2021 after a routine examination revealed he had stage three colon cancer, which is the last stage before it has spread throughout the body.

Despite fighting his own battles, he urged his wife to take the test privately, fearing that she might face something similar.

The couple was on their wedding day on November 11, 1978.

Mr. Boothby underwent surgery to remove part of his bowel in September 2021 and started chemotherapy to remove any remaining tumors.

Ms. Boothby followed her husband’s advice while caring for her husband and was eventually diagnosed with ovarian cancer. He had a complete hysterectomy in March (picture right, scars)

Mr. Boothby was feeling more tired than usual, but he didn’t think he was suffering from stage 3 cancer.

The surprise of his diagnosis was that he convinced his wife, who had been struggling with health problems for a while, to also get tested.

Boothby had surgery to remove part of her intestines in September 2021 and began chemotherapy to remove any remaining tumors.

While caring for her husband, Mrs. Boothby followed her husband’s advice and began to consult counselors.

Mr. Boothby was feeling more tired than usual, but he didn’t think he was suffering from stage 3 cancer. The surprise of his diagnosis was that he convinced his wife, who had been struggling with health problems for a while, to also get tested.

The couple from Downham Market, Norfolk, are now in remission

In January, she was finally diagnosed with cancerous ovarian cysts after battling a misdiagnosed severe swelling.

The couple from Downham Market, Norfolk are now in remission.

Boothby said, “We’re traumatized right now – we’re both feeling more emotional and traumatic about it. [now] more than we did when we passed it.

Ms. Boothby had surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes in December 2021.

Her husband, who was still undergoing chemotherapy at the time, forced her to spend £190 on a private screening when her symptoms persisted.

They were shocked to learn that Ms. Boothby had early-stage ovarian cancer.

As a precaution, the grandmother had a complete hysterectomy in March to prevent the cancer from growing elsewhere in her reproductive system.

Boothby added: “I was extremely lucky: My first surgery was to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, the second was a total hysterectomy and mass reduction surgery, and I am now cancer free.

“Paul says he feels numb from the experience, I talk about it a lot, but we both understand how he feels, which is fine – if no one else can understand I can too,” he says.

“We haven’t yet returned to normal life as Paul had to self-isolate in December, which meant we couldn’t celebrate Christmas with family, but at least we’re here this year.

“We want to thank the charities and cancer hospitals that supported us: The Big C, Macmillan and Overcan.