It was Summer 2004, and life was slowly starting to return to normal. I had been through a very traumatic time after my husband John passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in December 2001 at only 55 years old. On top of that, we ran an insurance business together, which I was now running on my own. I was five months late having my mammogram due to holidays. When I finally went along in September, I was surprised to receive a letter shortly afterwards asking me to go back for a further check-up. I had to go to Seacroft in Leeds this time, and as I was unsure how to get there, I asked my daughter Helen to take me. As I felt so healthy at the time, I wasn’t concerned at all. I just thought that they wanted to X-ray me again as I must have moved on my original one.
I waited in the waiting room and was called in last. I went in on my own. There was a doctor and two nurses n the room and they had my X-ray up on the screen. The doctor showed me my right breast which looked “cloudy” and explained that I had breast cancer. My left breast was ok.
No-one was more shocked than me. I felt well and had a healthy lifestyle. I had never smoked, didn’t drink a lot and I was only in my early fifties.
What followed was meetings with the consultant, Mr Ali who carried out various tests including biopsies of my right breast. I remember this was very painful and left me battered and bruised. It was probably the most painful part of my whole treatment. I also met plastic surgeon Mr Fourie, to discuss my reconstruction surgery. We decided that he would fit an expander in my right breast to stretch the skin ready for an implant which would be fitted later. He would also take skin from the back of one of my toes to create a nipple (this was unsuccessful and later fell off!). My left breast would be reduced to match my new right breast.
My operation took place at 7am on 5th November – bonfire night! Larrie Fourie was due to take a holiday, so he organised a bed for me in the burns unit and arranged for an anaesthetist to assist at the operation with Mr Ali. He did all this to avoid delay so that I wouldn’t have to wait for his return from holiday. Although I had private medical insurance, there were no free beds at Methley Park, and I would have had to go to Leeds where neither Mr Ali or Larrie Fourie could do my operation.
During my operation, lymph glands were removed to check if the cancer had spread.
When I came round, I wasn’t in a lot of pain as I had expected to be, but I had morphine to help with that. I was encouraged to get up and I remember my family visiting me and putting me in a wheelchair and taking me (tubes and all) to the café for a coffee!!
The funny thing was that before my operation I had booked myself into a beauty salon for a bit of TLC, including a facial, manicure and body massage. Everyone thought I looked really well, and as a result I was discharged from hospital after only a few days.
I was having renovation work done at home at the time, so I went to my sons house to recover. My daughter spent the first week helping me, but then had to return to work and my son took over. He had me making him cups of tea while he worked from home, and when we went to the supermarket he had me pushing the trolley! I’m not sure who was looking after whom!?
I soon had to go back to the hospital for the results of my operation, and I remember feeling a bit nervous that day. The finding from the lymph glands was that my cancer had been “micro invasive”. They seemed happy that all the cancer had been removed, and I didn’t need any further treatment (no chemo, etc) which was a huge relief. I went on to make a full recovery, which was monitored by weekly then monthly checks. Eventually I was discharged altogether, and just go for routine mammograms on my left breast nowadays.
Looking back, I remember before my diagnosis that the skin on my right breast wasn’t the same as on the left side. It wasn’t smooth and had an orange peel texture. I didn’t realise it at the time, but this can be a warning sign of breast cancer. I’m so grateful that I went along to that mammogram and didn’t put it off any longer than I did.
Everyone I dealt with, the doctors and nurses, were wonderful and I received the best care and attention. I, myself dealt with it in a very positive way and I never once thought that I was going to die. My family were very positive and supportive too. I really think this approach helped me a lot. All of this happened 21 years ago and fortunately for me I have had no further problems.
Thank you NHS