Laura: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

 

Good morning Today is Secondary Breast Cancer Awareness Day and I can assure you, I’m very aware.

My first surgery to remove a primary breast cancer tumour was September 2001, my second surgery to remove a primary breast cancer tumour was September 2004 and the third time I was told, “I’m sorry, it’s not good news” was December 2007, aged 40 when I was given the devastating news that I had secondary breast cancer, also described as advanced, incurable, metastatic and Stage 4 where the cancer has spread to other organs and/or the bones and is no longer curable.

In the whole of October, there’s only one day dedicated to secondary breast cancer - October 13th; one day to acknowledge the only form of the disease that will kill you.

There’s a coloured version of this photograph but I’ve chosen to use the black and white version to emphasise the fact that not everything about October is pink.

In amongst all of the awareness raising during Pinktober, which is how many of us in the breast cancer community refer to it, take a moment to remember the 11,500 women and 85 men who die every year from secondary breast cancer. I’m smiling because I’m still here but I cry inside for the many, many friends I’ve lost to this disease; the people who didn’t get to see their children grow into adults as I’ve done, the people who were somebody’s daughter or son, the people whose cancer drugs stopped working.

31 people in the UK die every day from secondary breast cancer. It’s the biggest killer in the UK of women aged between 35 and 50. (Based on figures from 2017).

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much. I’ve got so many people to thank and so many things that I’m grateful for. Thank you to everybody in the breast cancer community space who campaigns for change whilst living with this disease daily. You are not forgotten. You are all amazing. You are unsung heroes. What you do now, others will benefit from in the future. This post today was inspired by

13/10/2020

Caroline: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

 

The last few months have been challenging to say the least. I have secondary breast cancer so have been shielding. In one sense, I have been fortunate that my chemotherapy treatment and scans have continued as normal but our support group is suspended and I feel total adrift. I feel guilty that my illness has meant the children weren’t able to see their friends to keep me safe. Now we can go out, I find I don’t want to. I feel angry when I see people flouting rules. And utterly sad that this might be as good as it gets for me with my diagnosis. All those plans to go away, visit new places while I am well enough - probably have all gone.

- Caroline

12/10/2020

Pauline's story: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

 On World Mental Health Day

I have felt very irritable and teary for the last few days. The whole world seems to have gone to hell on a handcart. My depression and anxiety have gone through the roof at the latest covid news and I am actually feeling totally exasperated and physically sick to be totally honest! Sorry, but that's the truth.

- Pauline

10/10/2020

Jennifer's story: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

 As much I have enjoyed working from home I’m fed up of Teams meeting, dodgy wifi. Weight gain and low self esteem. Sometimes I don’t leave the house all week and apart from my hubby and son who I see once a week I miss the human contact.

- Jennifer

09/10/2020

Lis's story: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

When lockdown hit I was halfway through chemo. Every time the phone rang I was terrified it would be the hospital phoning to cancel my treatment. Fortunately my chemo went ahead as planned but it was hard having to attend alone. I then had a long delay before radiotherapy started and this left me feeling very low and vulnerable. The delay was due to reducing the number of patients in the dept. to keep it Covid safe. The moving forward course and other therapies I had planned were all cancelled. It has been hard and I’ve felt very low and isolated at times. Telephone appointments didn’t suit me and I often forgot what I needed to ask.

-Lis

07/10/2020

Story of a front line #nurse: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

I finished treatment 6 years ago but the annual mammogram/check up is a date that never leaves my mind. My check up was cancelled 1 week before it was due - got myself into a right old tizz about it and the fact I was terrified of catching covid as a front line nurse. When I did have my review it was very weird attending on my own - the feeling of aloneness was indescribable. I was lucky - my treatment wasn’t cancelled but I feel that my mental health struggled during the 12 week delay for my review/ check up. Think I would have gone into meltdown had it been delayed further.

- Debs

06/10/2020

Joanne's story: BRiC for Breast Cancer Awareness

 Joanne

I was diagnosed last October with stage 3 breast cancer, I was in the hospital every couple of weeks for scans then put on ribociclib to help shrink the lump down. It had gone from 3 to 9 cms in a couple months and in my lymph nodes. Then covid happened and my BCN vanished and it was months of empty waiting rooms sitting alone. Finally the surgery happened 7 weeks ago a bilateral mastectomy, first time I went in for it my temperature was a bit high so they sent me home, second time the surgeon was on annual leave as I had no idea who I was seeing, literally.. I couldn’t tell you who operated on me. I haven’t see a full face of the people treating me since the start of the year. I’m now waiting on an infection to clear so I can start chemo and have had to chase up the results on a extra tumour that was found after surgery. 5 weeks makes me wonder how far behind they are and overworked they must be. Im in fear now, that Covid is going to put us back to more hold ups in treatments. Cancer alone is hard enough!

-Joanne

05/10/2020