Day 30 #pathways2resilience ~ Tamsin

Special Feature Edition: Pathways to Resilience: Embracing our Vulnerability, Celebrating our Resilience

Daring to Disturb the Universe…

In today's post for our month long feature #pathways2resilience, Tamsin shares how meeting Naz, Vicky and the support of women in the group led her to find the courage to submit a blog to HuffPost UK.

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When Naz asked me to help with administration tasks associated with the Centre for Building Psychological Resilience in Breast Cancer in November last year, I might have said no, because, like anyone, I find there aren’t many spaces in my life, filled as it is with work, being a mum and keeping my post-cancer-body in line. But as it turns out, I’m still not very good at saying no, and maybe that isn’t a bad thing.

I’ve always been a quiet kind of girl, a stage-hand rather than an actor, so I’m still not quite sure what happened at about 3.30 p.m. on Thursday 31st March 2016 when I dared myself to try and write a blog worthy of being featured by the Huffpost UK. Earlier that month, while recovering from surgery, I had spotted a blog by the wonderful Laura Dodsworth hosted by Huffpost UK as part of a month-long project entitled ‘All Women Everywhere.’ Having thoroughly researched a number of on-line blogging guides for Naz so that she could submit a blog highlighting her work, I knew I had to come up with 700 or-so words in an opinion-led style on a topical subject.

In a mere hour, seemingly from nowhere, I wrote ‘The Gift of Fear - Or How Fear Saved My Life.’ This was followed by an agonising 30 minutes of procrastination about whether or not to send it off - Do I really want to do this, I wondered? Is it even good enough? Why would anyone be interested in anything I’ve got to say? How would I feel if the Huffpost UK were to say NO? Ironically, it was this fear which prompted me to hit the send button at around 4.55 p.m., with five minutes left before the project ended. After all, I decided, it would be too great an irony to allow fear to prevent me from daring to submit a blog about fear.

I’ve tried hard to get to a point where I see my experience of cancer as one of many chapters in the book of my life. But the truth is that when I found out I had a BRCA1 mutation, I felt like cancer was not only in the pages of the book of my life, it was in the ink and the spine. You see, every cell in my body is unable to make a protein that inhibits tumour growth of certain cancers and I’ve had a rare, aggressive breast cancer, not once, but twice. Between 2009 and 2012, I was on chemotherapy for over 9 months, had radiotherapy for 6 ½ weeks, and underwent 7 major operations, 3 of which led to me being in HDU, one during chemotherapy. At one point I was so traumatised by my experiences of surgery and post-surgery that I became afraid of sleep, suffering from terrifying lucid dreams, half conscious and unable to move. Outwardly I was positive, and many aspects of my life carried on as normal, but I just didn’t dare to feel my grief, my loss, my pain.

Looking back, I think I became mute as a result the shock of these experiences. So maybe you can understand then what it means, not only to be able to write about aspects of my experience of cancer, but to have my meagre offerings published - I feel as though I have learned to speak again.

I could never have imagined how much the course of my life would be altered by my friendships with Naz, Vicky and the women in our group. I could thank Naz and Vicky for so many things, but what I thank them, and Anita, for most, is for helping me to find the courage to be daring, to be bold and to dare to disturb the universe - just a little.

#panningforgold #pathways2resilience

#bcresiliencecentre #breastcancerawareness

A Deadly Inheritance - Leaning To Live With Hereditary Breast Cancer ~ Tamsin ~ HuffPost Blog

"It’s March 2011. “I’m sorry, you have a BRCA1 mutation,” says the Genetics Consultant. I’m not expecting this news."

We're so proud to share Tamsin's recently published post for HuffPost UK where she talks about how she's learned to live with her hereditary breast cancer.

We're especially thrilled because up until April 2016, Tamsin had only ever written a piece for the YWBC blog. With encouragement and support, she's developed her technical expertise to blog and the confidence to find her voice. We hope that Tamsin's experience will inspire anyone who might be reading this post wondering whether they could write.

Please do contact Vicky, Tamsin or Naz if you would like to submit a post. We'd love to hear from you! xxxxx

Submissions can be emailed to: bcresilience15@gmail.com
The blog address is: http://www.bcresiliencecentre.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tamsin-sargeant/a-deadly-inheritance-lear_b_11603742.html

The Gift of Fear – Or How Fear Saved My Life ~ Tamsin ~ HuffPost Blog

We are delighted to be able to share this post with you. Tamsin Sargeant, our Centre's Deputy, writes a blog for HuffPost UK on how using fear in a positive way can become a most powerful and constructive force in her life.

'The Gift of Fear' presents a new ideology based on recent research in psychological science and well-being on the benefits of fear when used constructively. Tamsin talks about her fearful experiences prior to and post her BRCA1 mutation discovery, and describes the ways in which fear has helped her endure her breast cancer journey with triumphs and courage. We are very proud of Tamsin and hope you enjoy reading her story. Naz and Vicky



http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tamsin-sargeant/how-fear-saved-my-life_b_9592014.html

Who do you think you are? ~ Tamsin

When I was growing up, the word ‘cancer’ was always said in hushed tones. Although I knew that my aunt had developed breast cancer in her fifties and that my nana died of breast cancer, the C-word was not something that we talked about openly in my family. My sister and I were referred to a genetics specialist in our twenties and we both remember the doctor’s parting words - “You have nothing to worry about. Go, live your life!” So we did.

I won’t ever forget the Spring day in 2009 when I realised I had breast cancer. It was not long after my fortieth birthday and I was in my step-dad’s garden in Wales. He had died a few weeks previously and I was thinking about how much he would have enjoyed having me and my sister at home. It was during his illness that I noticed a change above my left breast, a few centimetres below my collar bone. Lying back in the grass, I was alarmed to find that the crab-like shape had grown without me noticing. I made an instant decision to return home to see my GP and it came as no surprise when, two weeks later, I found out that I had breast cancer.

My Oncologist asked about my family history and suggested a referral to a Cancer Genetics Clinic when I finished chemotherapy - he thought it was too much to deal with during treatment. I completed a detailed questionnaire about my family history over Christmas, contacting my father - who I am not in touch with - to complete the forms. He told me that I had a half-sister. With a growing sense of fear, I discovered that there was a history of cancer in my father’s family. Although fewer women were affected, their cancers had been deadly. I was desperately sad to learn that my paternal grandmother had died of breast cancer a few days after my birth. We had both been diagnosed at the same age.

In March 2010, the Genetics Consultant explained that all cancers are genetic in that they arise from the action of damaged genes. However, only 5 - 10 per cent of these damaged genes - mutations - are inherited from our parents. In the other 90 per cent or so of cases, the damage in the gene occurs in body cells across our lifetime, a so-called ‘acquired mutation.’ She said that I appeared at a very low risk of having an inherited mutation and I was not eligible for genetic testing. I was offered the chance to take part in a research study looking for other mutations which involved being tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. I agreed readily, wanting to do my bit for science.  

In the year I waited for the results, I began to ‘move on’ as they say. My hair grew back and my body recovered. There were even days when I wondered whether I had actually had cancer at all. I tried not to worry but I think it’s only when you’ve had a cancer diagnosis that you really understand what it’s like to wait for test results; the sick fear that sits like a toad in the pit of your stomach, the bargaining that goes on in your head. My strategy ‘to prepare for the worst and hope for the best’ sounds glib but in reality I end up in a kind of madness, swinging between wild optimism and hopeless despair!

Finally, the day of the appointment came around. Apparently against all the odds, I had a BRCA1 mutation. The news came as a terrible shock. I felt physically sick. All I could think about was my daughter and my sisters. I felt like having the mutation was my fault. I felt cursed. It terrified me.  

In the following weeks, I thought about the positives - ‘At least that explains why I got breast cancer’ or, ‘No one else in my family will have to go through breast cancer.’ It took a long time before I appreciated that I too faced ongoing risk - overall, women with a BRCA1 mutation have anywhere between a 60 - 90 per cent chance of developing breast cancer and around a 60 per cent chance of developing ovarian cancer. Just because I had got one breast cancer didn’t mean I wouldn’t get cancer again, in fact I might be more likely to develop another cancer. I felt like a cancer-bomb ready to blow up.

If your views about what women do when they find out they have an inherited mutation are based on the brave account given by Angelina Jolie Pitt, you might reasonably expect that once I found out I was a cancer-bomb, risk-reducing surgery was a no-brainer. Not a chance! I found I did not want to have a bilateral mastectomy. I had developed a deep fear of hospitals after my first brush with cancer. And anyway I liked having breasts, even if they might kill me. But, I rationalised, I didn’t want cancer again either. I found myself trapped in a Mobius strip of indecision. 

I tracked down other women with inherited mutations to find out about their decisions. Counselling helped me explore what my breasts meant to me, as a woman, as a mother, as a lover. I realised that although I would never ‘want’ to have my breasts removed, I could go ahead with risk-reducing surgery because it was the ‘least worst option.’ Over time, I began to feel empowered by my knowledge; unlike my aunts and grandmothers, I had the opportunity to give myself a chance of living a long and healthy life.

I did go on to have a bilateral mastectomy about 6 months later, but unfortunately, not without complications. A second breast cancer was discovered in the tissue removed from my breast. It was a particularly sneaky cancer because it had not shown up on any scans. The discovery that I would need another course of chemotherapy was devastating and I felt more alone and more frightened second-time around. I focused on making sure I was as well as I could so that I could manage the challenges ahead. I realised how lucky I had been - my decision to have risk-reducing surgery may have saved my life.

I eventually found out that I had inherited the BRCA1 mutation from my father. I had never spoken to my half-sister but after my first diagnosis we got in touch. By the time I was due to get my test results, I had her email address and was very much aware of her waiting in the wings. It wouldn’t be right to share my sister and half-sister’s stories, but it’s been incredibly hard to watch them grapple with their own genetic heritage. Just before Christmas me, my sister and half-sister met for the first time. Our developing friendship has been one positive thing to come out of everything.    

It’s hard to believe that so many women in my family had breast cancer and yet I know nothing about their experiences. I wonder how they coped. I wish that I knew how they had felt and what they thought about their illness. It’s this silence that has motivated me to share my story. I can hardly bear to imagine my daughter dealing with our family history. My greatest hope is that if and when the time comes, I will still be here to support her. I dedicate this blog to her.