Category: Breast Cancer

September 3, 2019

The Next Stage of Treatment – Spaying

At the first appointment with the oncologist back in 2013, I was so focused on the prospect of starting chemo that it feels like I barely acknowledged the conversation we had about the future. I vaguely recall a discussion about the drugs having about a 20% chance of causing infertility (or was it 50…?). Share This:

Breast Cancer/Recurrence 2018

December 11, 2018

Surviving the Change

I’ll not lie, this time around, recovering from cancer treatment has been a very different experience in a number of ways; in other ways not so much. So what’s actually changed since surgery and how has it been to cope with? Share This:

Breast Cancer/Recurrence 2018

July 16, 2018

Mastectomy & Immediate Reconstructive Surgery [x] nailed it

“Nae bother hen.”- to quote the great Kevin Campbell (one of our Directors) in my get well soon card from work. And he’s right….it is nae bother. At least, it has been since the operation’s been done. Share This:

Breast Cancer/Recurrence 2018

July 1, 2018

Surgery Options and Donations

I talked previously about the mixed emotions that we’ve been having since this all kicked off again; this time I want to talk about determination. If you’ve seen Salesforce’s Trailblazer video, you know it opens with the line “I’m a very determined person.”. The truth is, it’s because I am pretty sure that if I wasn’t, I’d still be sat here...

Breast Cancer/Recurrence 2018

June 15, 2018

The emotional rollercoaster of preparing for treatment

I think anyone who’s going through a cancer diagnosis can accept that we’ll go through an entire spectrum of emotions as we prepare for the long road ahead. Treatment or death…ultimately this is what you’re faced with…then the worry that you’ll be faced with both of these things. In an attempt to organise the mess inside my head, perhaps I...

Breast Cancer/Recurrence 2018

May 21, 2018

Breast Cancer AGAIN? Really?!

I was cocky as hell when I went for the latest annual mammogram; laughing and joking with the receptionist that I couldn’t wait to squish my boobs in a fridge door again. I was even a little blase and lighthearted – “oh, here we go again, another mammogram. Tut. I can’t wait to be off the Tamoxifen.” Share This:

Recurrence 2018

March 4, 2018

Breast Cancer at 29 – REALLY?! Chapter 12

Keep Calm and Carry On As I became accustomed to the fact I’d be dealing with this thing for a long time, I also resolved to beat it. I was still really scared, but the hopelessness was ebbing away. Share This:

Breast Cancer/Breast Cancer at 29 - REALLY?!

January 21, 2018

Breast Cancer at 29 – REALLY?! Chapter 11

Side Effects, Wigs and Losing my Hair Having swallowed a good load of pills and had a reasonably good night’s sleep, (despite crying myself off to sleep, still thinking “WHY?!”), I was feeling a little better the next day. Besides, I had to get up for Mollie. I just kept taking domperidone pretty much all day. I remember just feeling...

Breast Cancer/Breast Cancer at 29 - REALLY?!

September 10, 2017

Breast Cancer at 29 – REALLY?! Chapter 10

Chemotherapy The first chemotherapy session was booked in to start at lunchtime on Friday 8th November 2013. The day before, after I’d had my hair cut short, Harriet came to the flat to take a blood test and to give me some tablets to take before the first session. It was called Emend, an industrial-strength anti-emetic, and it came in a...

Breast Cancer/Breast Cancer at 29 - REALLY?!

August 20, 2017

Breast Cancer at 29 – REALLY?! Chapter 9

The Haircut After the appointment with Dr Shah, whereby he had told me I would lose my hair, I became determined to lose it on my own terms. The thought of losing my hair became hurtful, like a stab in the heart; since I had always had long hair and had been working so hard to grow it for the...

Breast Cancer/Breast Cancer at 29 - REALLY?!