An Interview with Ingrid Marshall
- November, 2025
SHE Stories
Launceston mum of four, survivor of a very close call.
SHE: Ingrid, thank you so much for sharing your story. You mentioned at first that you weren’t sure it was “serious enough” to talk about — can you tell us why?
Ingrid: Yes, I honestly didn’t think my story would matter. I wasn’t living through cancer — I’d just had a lucky escape. It felt a bit strange to talk about it when so many others are dealing with so much more. But as I’ve since realised, my experience is an important reminder to always trust your instincts and not be dismissive about subtle changes that you may notice.
SHE: Let’s go back to the beginning. What was happening that led you to see a doctor?
Ingrid: I was getting hot flushes and had been on HRT for a couple of years, so I booked in at The Bubble in Launceston, a lovely women’s health clinic which specialises in sexual and reproductive health. During the appointment I just happened to mention that I’d had a couple of painful periods which is very unusual for me.
SHE: And your doctor decided to investigate further?
Ingrid: She did. Even she wondered if she might be overthinking it, but she decided to send me for a scan — just to be safe. I’m so grateful she did, because the scan showed something that wasn’t right: a large endometrial polyp. After I underwent day surgery to remove it, the pathology was inconclusive and it was unable to be determined if it were cancerous or not.
SHE: That must have been very confronting. What happened next?
Ingrid: Everything moved really fast. I was told my case was quite rare — apparently only one similar diagnosis happens in Tasmania each year — and I was referred to a Gynaecological Oncologist. They recommended a full hysterectomy, and I was lucky enough to be able to have the surgery the following week.
SHE: You’ve mentioned a pivotal moment just before surgery — can you tell us about that?
Ingrid: Yes! As I was about to be wheeled in, my surgeon said he’d leave my ovaries in place, since removing them would mean I’d need to go onto HRT. I quickly said, “I’m already on HRT!” He paused and said, “Oh — we’ll take them then!” That one quick exchange ended up being life-saving.
SHE: What did you learn from the surgery results?
Ingrid: The polyp turned out to be benign, which was such a relief. But when they tested my fallopian tubes, they found a STIC lesion which is basically pre-cancerous cells for ovarian cancer. My oncologist told me that if I hadn’t had the procedure, within six months I would have had Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. I was in complete shock.
SHE: That’s an incredible close call. What steps did you take afterwards?
Ingrid: I had to have further investigative surgery to see if the cells had spread and also genetic testing to check for the BRCA gene, because of my family. They tested 13 different genes and everything came back clear. I have no family history of cancer at all, which made the whole experience even more surprising.
SHE: How has this experience changed the way you think about your health?
Ingrid: It’s made me much more aware — and grateful. I pay attention to my body now. If something feels off, I won’t ignore it. I know how lucky I am that my doctor listened and that we caught things in time.
SHE: What message would you share with other women reading this?
Ingrid: Don’t doubt yourself and don’t dismiss changes as ‘just’ peri-menopause or menopause, because it may be more than that! If something doesn’t feel right, speak up — and keep speaking up until someone listens. You know your body better than anyone else. I’m proof that trusting your instincts can save your life.