By Matt Davies

Copyright irishmirror

A mother who brushed off her nosebleeds as ‘hay fever’ was horrified to learn she had cancer and required her nose to be completely removed. Ellen McCleary initially experienced nosebleeds in July 2023 after returning from a holiday, attributing them to hay fever – a condition she regularly suffers from.

However, as the nosebleeds occurred as frequently as three times daily, the 46-year-old contacted her GP and received antibiotics for what was assumed to be hay fever. It wasn’t until Ellen began coughing up blood clots that she secured an ENT consultation at Royal Victoria Infirmary in October 2023.

The mother-of-six underwent a biopsy and CT scan, which revealed a malignant tumour lurking behind her nasal bone that was “creeping” towards her brain.

Ellen underwent surgery later that month, expecting only the tumour to be excised, but emerged from the six-hour procedure without a nose.

The school dinner supervisor explained that she must cleanse the cavity where her nose once was on a daily basis, and that it occasionally seeps mucus since she’s unable to blow her nose.

Ellen has changed prosthetic noses seven times as her face continues to heal and is currently awaiting a magnetic nose. Whilst Ellen maintains she can carry on with daily activities, she finds herself becoming breathless during tasks such as hoovering.

Ellen, from Carlisle, Cumbria, explained: “I had a very dry nose but didn’t think anything of it. We went on holiday, came back and the nosebleeds started.

“I thought it was my hay fever, I called the doctor and they didn’t see me but prescribed antibiotics for my nose because they thought it was my hay fever.

“I get hay fever quite bad. It was every day, it didn’t matter what time of day, sometimes it was three times a day.

“The nosebleeds started happening more regularly and I started coughing up blood clots so I made an appointment with the doctors. The doctor had a look up my nose and said there is nothing there so he referred us to ENT.”

She continued: “In August I was coughing blood clots, my nose wouldn’t stop bleeding. They did a biopsy and a CT scan and that’s when they found it was behind the bone of my nose.

“When they told me I burst into tears, that’s when I let it all out. I stopped smoking and drinking. All sorts were going through my head.

“By the end of October when I was getting the operation, I thought I was just getting my nose cut open, removing the cancer and closing it back up.

“But it grew in two weeks after being seen going towards my brain, and that’s why I had to get it removed.

“I’m getting a magnetic nose. It does get sore and I don’t wear it in the house. I do get out of breath now, I never used to. I hoover and I’m out of breath.

“I did not have any other symptoms. Day-to-day life is the same to be honest, the only thing that’s different is that I’ve got no nose.

“You do need to clean it every day because I’ve got no hair inside it and I do have problems when it leaks mucus.

“I can’t blow my nose so I have to twist it out with a toilet roll. I’m on the seventh prosthetic nose because it shrinks when it’s healing.”

Ellen revealed that it took her 18 months to face her reflection and she defiantly sticks two fingers up at those who gawk at her in public. Following her surgery, Ellen underwent six weeks of radiotherapy and is now celebrating being cancer-free whilst maintaining a positive outlook.

She is now committed to raising awareness about the signs of nose cancer, encouraging others to seek medical advice if they experience frequent nosebleeds.

Ellen shared: “It took me a year and a half just to look at it. I’ve got a really good friend who said ‘if anyone stares at you, just ignore them, you don’t need to lock yourself away.'”

“I stick two fingers up at them. Sometimes I have the prosthetic on, sometimes I’ll wear my dressing.

“I had radiotherapy for six weeks until the end of January, I lost a bit of hair and a bit of my eyebrows.

“I’m cancer free but keeping an eye on it very well. I’m positive, you’ve got to keep positive. I’ve made friends online which is helping me through.

“Push at the doctor’s, doesn’t matter if it’s a small or heavy nosebleed, go to the doctor’s and if they fob you off, push.

“They said they caught it in time but don’t know what stage it was.”