Battling Breast Cancer: Jean's Story

Publish Date: 12/09/2013

Jean's brave story of battling breast cancer;

One pleasant spring morning I went along to the walk in centre to have my three yearly mammogram. As the machine came down on my left breast I was struck by it being unusually tight but didn’t think much about it until a letter arrived from the Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital a week later telling me that further investigations were needed.

This proved to be the most scary time, and in my own head I only had sixth months to live.

The consultant examined me, did more mammograms and ultrasound and told me it was ‘worrying’. So by the time I returned two weeks later for the results I was well prepared to be told that I had breast cancer.

Things moved pretty rapidly from there and surgery was set for IDAHO Day (17th May) so I took my rainbow flag - courtesy of The LGF. Not having been in hospital since the Sixties I was very apprehensive. All went smoothly and the cancer and some lymph nodes were removed.

It was then, what seemed a long wait to go back to be told that they had got all the cancer out and the lymph nodes were clear. Phew, how fantastic, but wait the surgeon then said I might want to consider chemotherapy as the cancer was grade 3 and was fast growing. I needed to make a decision.

This was the first time that chemotherapy had been mentioned and I was quite thrown by it, but I did make the decision and as I write this I have just gone through the third cycle.

It’s not been easy going, but not as bad as I thought it would be, mainly because of the care I have received at the Christie Hospital, as well as the fantastic support from friends and at home. I have three more cycles to go and then a course of radiotherapy. Luckily the tumour was oestrogen receptive so I will be given an oestrogen suppressant to help prevent it returning.

Of course I am not glad that I have had breast cancer but it has given me a different view of life, myself and the people in my life - all for the better.

To read Jen’s blog visit www.lankielass.blogspot.co.uk

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