My Story
What are we doing and why? Earlier this year I was diagnosed with stage 4 secondary breast cancer so Dave (my fiance) and I want to raise awareness in the early detection of both primary and secondary cancer, and we’d also like to raise funds in aid of our chosen charity, Cancer Research. On August 3rd, we'll be driving a Morgan Super 3 on the challenging journey from our home in the West Midlands to the island of Berneray in the Outer Hebrides. We’ll cover over a thousand miles by road and travel on 3 ferries to complete our 6 day challenge. Why drive a Morgan Super 3 to the Outer Hebrides? In 2022, Dave and I holidayed on the island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Whilst there we visited the Lewes Castle museum in Stornoway where we came across a 1923 Morgan Runabout, a three wheeled car which was the first car on the Hebridean island of Berneray, having been taken there in 1933. At around the same time, Morgan Motor Company were launching their latest 3 wheeled Morgan, the Super 3. Dave is a design engineer at Morgan and had played a big part in its design and I remember we looked at each other and shared the same thought – wouldn’t it be amazing if we could take the new Super 3 first to Berneray, and then onto the Lewes Castle museum, where old could meet new. That thought never left us, but it always seemed too much of a challenge and too difficult to arrange, nor did we own a Super 3. But 2 years later, on a day in February this year when I was diagnosed with Stage 4 secondary breast cancer we decided, with the help of Morgan Motor Company (who are providing the car), we’d make it happen. My story and diagnosis Firstly, a bit of background about me. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, at the age of 35. I received excellent care and I made a full recovery. The thought of a cancer returning never goes away completely, but after 16 years I was pretty certain I was going to be OK. So, in February of this year, it was quite a shock to be told I had Stage 4 secondary breast cancer in my lungs. This is where I want to raise awareness of early detection. I have no symptoms of being ill. If I had not been diagnosed in February, I still wouldn’t know I had cancer. And nor would anyone else if they met me. It was detected through my own persistence with my GP about an unrelated illness. In December 2023 I had a bad cough, which wasn’t getting any better. At this time the 100 day cough was going around so I didn’t think much of it. In January I was still coughing, but I’d got Covid at this point, so a cough wasn’t unusual. However, I could feel fluid on my lungs so once clear of Covid I visited the GP who confirmed a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics and steroids. A week later, I was still feeling ill so booked another appointment with my GP. She did all the usual checks, blood pressure, temperature, etc., and listened to my chest. She told me it was clear and that there were a lot of coughs going around so I should go home and take honey water. I wasn’t convinced but she insisted there was nothing there and I should go home. But I didn’t get up and go home. I know myself quite well, and I still didn’t feel too good so I asked her to review my medical history. I did feel I’d over-reacted slightly at this point, but I felt I needed an X-ray to rule out something like pneumonia and this was a way of making her listen. She went away for a discussion with a more senior GP who agreed I should have a chest x-ray. By the time my x-ray was arranged a few days later, I’d stopped coughing and was feeling much better. It probably had been a chest infection and in fact, I felt a bit of a fraud going for the x-ray as there was nothing wrong and I was back to my old self. But only a few hours after my x-ray I was phoned by the hospital who called me back for a CT scan for my chest. They’d seen something that needed further investigation and over the next few weeks I had further scans and a biopsy, it was confirmed it was secondary breast cancer. The important point I want to make here is that my cough and chest infection were not related to the cancer diagnosis. If I had gone home and taken honey water, to this day I still wouldn’t know I had cancer. I have no symptoms. Because I persisted with my GP and asked for further investigation I have been diagnosed, which has allowed me to start treatment much sooner than waiting months or even years before it’s too late. It’s given me a chance of a longer life and everyone deserves that. I want people to know that it’s ok to challenge your GP and ask for tests. Please don’t be afraid to ask them questions, or ask them to review your medical history or suggest they investigate things further. They’re busy people and they don’t know you as well as you know yourself. If you don’t feel well and your instincts are telling you something, follow them.
