IT took two years of being misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome before Alex Coppock-Bunce finally found out she had a rare type of ovarian cancer.

The 64-year-old was given the upsetting news that she had low-grade serous carcinoma ovarian cancer in October 2018.

She said: “It’s quite unbelievable. It’s living with this uncertainty which is very hard and it’s bound to come back in the next five years.”

“My symptoms were put down to IBS. They were 'quiet' symptoms – they don’t stick out when you have them.”

Alex, of Avenue Road in Old Town, suffered migraines, stomach pains, needing to go toilet frequently and feeling full after eating small amounts.

She had thought she might have ovarian cancer and asked for blood tests but she was refused them.

It wasn’t until she went to another doctor that she finally got an answer.

She said: “She felt my tummy when I went for a check-up that I got diagnosed. She said to me that I was growing a football and that’s when I got a scan and blood test which showed I had cancer.”

After she was diagnosed she had surgery to have the tumour taken out.

From now on, Alex will have check-ups every three months to make sure it doesn’t come back.

Now she’s working towards raising awareness of the rare condition and funds for research.

She’s joined forces with the University of Edinburgh’s professor Charlie Gourley who is now leading the research team for the disease. Alex is helping fund the research with her paintings.

For most of her life she has painted, mostly scenery like Cornwall’s beaches, and she draws pictures.

She said: “Last year I raffled a painting to help raise awareness and funds. This year I’m doing it again so we can try and find new ways to treat it and to understand it.

“We have already been raising the profile of it as much as we can which has been a relief.”

So far 57 per cent of the £1,500 target has been raised on Just Giving. Last year she raised £1,000.

Out of all the people who donate to the cause a winner will be picked to receive the painting.

The draw will happen on March 31. To donate to her fundraiser visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Alex-Coppock3