Sarah Ferguson feels “lucky to be alive” as details of her eight-hour cancer operation have emerged.
The 63-year-old mum-of-two was diagnosed with an early form breast cancer, it was confirmed last week. Sarah underwent a single mastectomy, and was in intensive care for four days while she recovered from the ordeal.
Thankfully, the duchess – who is Prince Andrew’s ex-wife – is back home, recovering.
Sarah Ferguson undergoes surgery for cancer
A friend alleged to The Mail on Sunday: “The surgery was very long – getting on for eight hours – and it was more involved than people think. Today, the message she wants to get out is that she is very grateful to those who saved her and she feels very lucky to be alive.
The surgery was very long – getting on for eight hours – and it was more involved than people think.
“Specifically, the duchess wants to thank the two incredible surgeons, Christina Choy and Stuart James, who carried out the operation and all the medical team who worked tirelessly to help her.”
Royals rally around her
The royal family have banded together to help her. Daughter Princess Eugenie has “all but moved in” to Royal Lodge, it’s claimed. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew is apparently on hand to bring her meals. Princess Beatrice is always on the phone to keep an eye on her mum.
ED! has contacted Sarah’s reps for comment.
Even the extended family has sent well-wishes, with King Charles writing to his former sister-in-law.
Sarah spoke about her diagnosis on an episode of her podcast, Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah. She revealed she almost didn’t go to the original appointment. She recalled: “It was after a bank holiday, and I live in this area — in the Windsor area — and it was a hot day, and I didn’t feel like going to London. It’s easy to put it off — I’ll do it next week.”
Her sister encouraged her to go, with Sarah vowing to get “super fit” while she recovers.
The episode was uploaded just after the official statement was released, which confirmed the surgery had already taken place.
Her spokesperson said: “Sarah, Duchess of York was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening.
“She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully. The duchess is receiving the best medical care, and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family.
“The duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days.”
Sarah’s diagnosis
The cancer was first diagnosed in early May, after a routine test revealed there was something wrong. Sarah went for a mammogram but wasn’t given the “all clear” diagnosis she hoped for. A source close to Sarah told how medics spotted a “shadow” on her breast, which needed to be investigated further.
They told The Sun’s Fabulous mag: “Most people usually associate breast cancer with a lump but that’s not always the case. A lump can be detected by the patient, but this was a ‘shadow’, which can go undetected because it’s a wider spread of cancerous cells that can be picked up through screening. In Sarah’s case, a biopsy was taken from the shadowy area of tissue and a few days later the results came back to confirm the diagnosis – breast cancer.”
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