January 3rd 2017. Mr V looked at Mart and I and said 'You've probably guessed you have cancer'. Yes I had but it was two weeks after my 30th birthday and I have no family history of breast cancer so I really wasn't expecting it.
My treatment plan was brutal. An intensive surgery that took me two months to recover from (I still have issues with flexibility 2 years on) followed by 6 sessions of chemo. Chemo decimated me. I was seriously unwell after each chemo and it was such a dark, sad and lonely time.
I am now on daily hormone therapy to keep the cancer from returning.
I was incredibly lucky. Knowing what treatment I needed has come from years and years of research. My tumour was cut up and sent to America to determine whether I would benefit from chemo or if surgery was sufficient- again a consequence of research. I am now taking Tamoxifen, a hormone therapy drug, which was funded by CRUK.
Since my diagnosis, my approach to life is to live to the fullest, so I signed up for the ballot for a 100 mile bike ride. I didn't really think I was going to get in. But I did, so I figured why not. I decided to fundraise for Cancer Research because no one should have to go through cancer and we need to understand why develop cancer (I still don't know what caused my cancer) and how to prevent it. We also need to find gentler treatment options so please give what you can so together we can beat cancer.
