To think something is off here?

Listen to the podcast "Scamanda," which essentially about a woman who faked cancer, and did it very publicly.

I knew/know a guy who faked cancer, and then miraculously "recovered." But he also faked having a job on an F1 team, faked his father dying, and managed to have two families hidden from each other. And people would believe each one of his lies. Baffling.

Same path as my lovely dad , it was horrific, he lost his sight and then his speech became unintelligible, then lost mobility. He had fish and chips for lunch and went to bed that night, we couldn't wake him in the morning. My sister and I sat with him, listening to the awful breathing for days and then he just stopped.

Brain cancer isn't really like having cancer anywhere else in your body, simply because of where it is. It's affecting your central control system in effect, and it's very unlikely that it could be covered up. My Dad had a glioblastoma which presented with stroke like symptoms for a day or two, progressed to making him appear as if he was in the throes of advanced dementia and for the final 3 weeks he was in a coma. From diagnosis to his death was just under 9 weeks. He was, apparently, fairly text book.

I mentioned a relative through marriage above.

My husband went round to her house to drop off Christmas presents for the kids. Heard her running down the stairs to answer the door.

As soon as she opened the door and saw DH, she twisted her mouth, dropped her arm etc in imitation of stroke symptoms. DH refused ever to see her again.

One of my mum's carers was the sister of a former pupil of mine.

I was heartbroken to be told that the fp had terminal cancer. Then I became uneasy at the way the conversation was going.

Said carer - we later realised - had been stealing from Mum and had conned an elderly gentleman out of £700 for "a family funeral". (Carer was struck off.)

Two years later, I bumped into my terminally ill fp in hospital. She was visiting her father.

She must have registered the shock on my face - she told me she'd been cured via "Angel Therapy". (The fact that she told me this confirms for me that she was in on the scam.)

Many years ago I worked with a colleague who faked having a brain tumour. When he returned to work after what he claimed was brain surgery, it was immediately obvious he was lying. Nobody knew what to say to him. Management dealt with it promptly and he was never seen at work again.

I knew a young woman who lied about having a brain tumour. She seemed quite a troubled person in hindsight.

My beloved mum and aunt both died of this unspeakably horrible condition.

My aunt lasted for eighteen months. My mother, five weeks.

One of my former uni housemates faked that she was getting dialysis and said that she was going to get a kidney transplant.

She also lied about having a twin that died.

I was going to ask if her name was Belle Gibson but I can see that's already been mentioned!

There's a small chance she is telling the truth but I would be feeling wary.

@MuddlingThroughLife

I’m so sorry for your loss. It must have been torture watching and caring through this. 🕊

MIL had a glioblastoma ('luckily' she had a massive stroke and died before the cancer had fully got her) but not only had her surgery scar but then was on whacking high doses of steroids to reduce the swelling in the brain - which I believe is standard. She was v obviously on steroids - had the classic face shape and devoured anything in sight - including a v large box of lindt truffles - and was still hunting for more food.

We could tell personality changes due to the tumour but the steroid impact was v evident.

I also worked with someone who faked having stomach cancer - that was awful when he was found out.

The ironic thing is, it’s better if she is making it up, better a fantasist than dead.

I would just carry on as normal as, unless you knew one way or the other for a fact, there’s nothing you can, or should, do.

Young, white and female is the highest demographic for faking cancer. It's also possible it wasn't a total lie but exaggerated for attention. Maybe it was another brain condition that required surgery or the same cancer at a lower stage. Many also use symptoms and/or treatment for an autoimmune disease to trick people into thinking they have cancer.

Not really a thing here
However, when a woman in my community did something similar the few people who did expressed doubts (not me thankfully I was pretty sure she was lying but kept out of it) were not exactly celebrated when in did all come out.

@Dotjones exactly . There are many types of cancer, in this instance it's a shocker , glioblastoma is incurable and fast growing .
Many people are able to carry on showing no outward signs with many cancers but having first hand experience of glioblastoma I would be very surprised if someone wasn't receiving any treatment or showing neurological symptoms.

A quick google shows my cancer you would be very poorly to. And I was / am.

but I look normal.

your point proves nothing and is really fucking offensive.

This is difficult.
I was diagnosed with an incurable, terminal cancer at 23. I am now 30, have had a baby since and look normal. I went through vigorous chemos and never lost my hair. I had a surgery that left me in a coma. 2 months later I went to my Christmas party feeling like a million dollars.

there are some people out there who lie and cheat the system.

there are some of us, genuinely poorly, who just want to look and feel amazing while we can.
please don't judge us and make us feel like we have to look a certain way. Because we absolutely don't.

Agree re steriods. My son now has too much cortisol in his body because of the steriods which causes the moon face and weight gain. It has also affected his joints/muscles.

Ps, I’m of course, not suggesting you go to the ends of the earth to help her like you would with a best friend or family member, at the cost of your own health and family. Just be kind, supportive and respectful until or unless you find out for a fact that she’s lying, and I do mean fact. Confirmation bias can be a factor in situations like this. If you’re looking for evidence that she’s lying, you can end up finding it when it’s not really there.

For example (this is not quite the same but an example of confirmation bias in action), an old neighbour of mine was convinced that I don’t actually have Parkinson’s and that I’m lying (apparently because I’m not old and I’m not always in my wheelchair!). One day, she saw me coming out of the local David Lloyd gym and decided that was proof enough and reported me to PIP! I got a phone call from Compliance and had to explain to them that the gym is where my DD’s nursery was! This was accepted and no action taken but it shows that when you’re looking for reasons to disbelieve someone, you can find it where it doesn’t exist, so be careful! Yes it def sounds fishy, I agree but until you have facts, don’t change your attitude towards her.

I have painful second hand experience of this type of brain tumour and it is the worst. It's incurable and even with surgery it grows back. Your colleague will most definitely need to be on a range of meds including steroids which impact a person's physical appearance as well as other side effects. I would imagine based on what you have described it is highly unlikely they have this type of tumour.

However OP....I would still be supportive as we really don't know how diseases can affect individuals

My husband died of glioblastoma multiforme

It's a horrible devastating disease. He lost his hair in one strip on his head and was badly affected by the disease. Lived for 4 years after his diagnosis at age 36

It's a brutal awful disease and fair play to your colleague if her life is as normal as it appears to be! 🤔

I know three other guys who had it too. They were equally badly affected but in diff ways

I think you should be careful about litigation for slander

Belle Gibson anyone? People can and do lie about awful things like this.

Very sorry to everyone who has had a loss through cancer. Just awful.