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HEALTH

Touching wood

When Donna Crous rang the bell , knowing she was cancer-free , she did not imagine ending up with incurable , secondary breast cancer . Donna shares her story

My journey through the health industry began just over ten years ago when I went from being a full-time , stay-athome mum to qualifying as a Primal Health Coach and running an awardwinning health blog . I then went on to have a successful food photography business where I was appointed a Nikon Europe Ambassador for Food Photography . I had also signed a deal to write my own cookery book , " A Healthier Family for Life ", which is currently on bookshelves worldwide . I always used to consider myself to be in great health , so much so that I would proudly tell my friends that I ' d never met my GP in the seven years I ' d been living in the UK after having relocated from South Africa .

I ' m sure you ' re familiar with the famous saying " touch wood "? Well , I should have been practising what I preached as things took a turn for me in September 2019 . I started to feel the strangest tingling , itchy sensation in my left breast . After a few weeks of ignoring it , it was still there , and my gut instinct told me to book an appointment with my doctor . I had always at-tempted to do regular self-breast checks as the adverts tell you to do , but truth be told , I had no idea what I was checking for and if everything was the way it was supposed to be . The night before my appointment , I was lying in the bath and thought I should maybe have a feel . I instantly felt it . This tiny little bump that felt like a little stone . It was , without a doubt , something that was different and not in a good way . �
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