International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 56 | Page 41

I

don’t know what made me do it. To this day, I still don’t know why. I like to think it was my
beautiful mum guiding me. She passed away 3 years ago from cancer. Something made me
do a breast examination that night. Lying in bed, alone, watching television, it suddenly
occured to me, that I hadn’t done an examination for a few months and so I did one.

Everything felt normal, apart from
a small hard lump close to my
nipple, which I realised I hadn’t felt
before. By coincidence, I had an
appointment with the doctor for a
couple of days time and unnerved
to find anything, I kept feeling it to
see if I was imagining it!
The doctor confirmed the
presence of a lump and said “Your
age puts you in a grey area, if you
were older, I would assume it was
breast cancer” I was 43. I was to
be referred to the Fast Track breast
clinic at the local hospital.
BAM! As if I had been hit by a
train, there it was, the C word. I
don’t remember driving home,
but I do remember crying, I was so
shocked.
I received an appointment for 8th
May 2013, 10 days time. Waiting
for the appointment was very
difficult. The worry and the fear of
the unknown was excrutiating.
Finally, the day arrived for me to
attend the clinic. Fast Track clinics
are fantastic in that you find out
there and then what you are
dealing with. You may have to
wait a few hours, but it is so much
better than waiting weeks for
results.
I saw a doctor first of all, who
examined me and said I needed
a Mammogram, the results of
which, would determine which
further tests, if any, I would need.
I then had to have an Ultrasound
scan.
My Consultant came into the room
and said the Ultrasound had shown

evidence of “Microcalcification”
which was a sign of early breast
cancer and that I would need a
needle biopsy. He performed the
test by using a needle to collect
cells from the lump and I was then
given a bleep and told to go and
get a coffee for half an hour and
that they would bleep me when
the results were back.

they can do something, I didn’t
really consider the impact of losing
a breast until later.

I had the Mastectomy on 26th
June 2013. The only time I cried,
was when I came round from the
anaesthetic and felt the right side
of my chest. It was totally flat!
They had really done it!
I stayed in hospital for a couple of
30 minutes later, I was called days and then I went home. An
back.........I had breast cancer! I appointment on 10th July 2013
was stunned. It was a very surreal confirmed that the cancer had
moment. My two greatest fears, not spread to the Lymph and I was
were losing my Mum and being given the all clear!
diagnosed with cancer and now An incredible feeling.
both had happened to me in 2
The breast nurses fitted me
years!
for a prosthesis, which I wear
I was told that I would need comfortably and I haven’t
surgery and was booked in for considered reconstruction yet,
a lumpectomy on 29th May although it is available to me,
2013. Going home and telling should I decide to have it.
my loved ones that I had cancer
was extremely hard. As much as My body image hasn’t been
I wi shed that my mum and dad affected. I seem to have accepted
were there to support me, I am so the loss pretty well, in fact, I saw
glad I didn’t have to tell them that a photograph of myself the other
day, that I took the night before my
I had cancer.
mastectomy and my first thought
I had the surgery on 29th May as was “It doesn’t look like me”.
a day patient and it went well. I
saw the Consultant for the results For now, I am concentrating on
a couple of weeks later and was getting well, staying well and
given some more shocking news. living. It is a privilege to be able
I had mainly non-invasive cancer, to face your greatest fears and
known as Ductal Carcinoma in come out the other side. I never
Situ or DCIS, but I also had a 3mm believed that I would be able to
invasive tumour, which could do that. That has been a very
spread. He hadn’t been able positive thing for me. I have been
to get all the cancer during the so incredibly lucky and cannot
lumpectomy and meetings with praise the medical staff and our
the Oncologists had confirmed that wonderful NHS highly enough.
I should be offered a Mastectomy.
Whoever or whatever made me do
I was going to lose my breast!
an examination in bed that night,
My first thought was that at least thank you.....you saved my life.

The International Lifestyle Magazine is about positivity and this beautiful story from Rebecca Sharp captures
how we can turn every situation into a positive. If you would like to contact Rebecca you can do so via our
website and we will pass on your details.
www.internationallifestylemagazine.com