Hello I’m 50 years old; 49 when I was diagnosed with ER+ HER2- stage 2 grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma with 3 positive lymph nodes. I had a cyst which I found over Christmas 2019 when I was travelling with my family in India. We came back early from India as I managed to book in with a breast surgeon/endocrinologist on 2/1/20. Lurking behind the cyst, and found by a number of precautionary mammograms and scans, were 2 shadows which turned out to be cancer. I felt no abnormalities in my lymph nodes, but a sentinel node biopsy discovered small deposits of cancer cells. I had a right mastectomy, chemotherapy (after genetic testing) and radiotherapy. All done and completed between 2/1/20 and 8/9/20. I was very lucky things happened so quickly given Covid - I had a mix of a very good healthcare policy and radiotherapy at the Sussex County Hospital. I have an excellent team looking after me, including a lovely Macmillan nurse I can speak to if I need to. I’ll be taking tamoxifen for as long as recommended and whilst the side effects are a bit rubbish, I’m alive and feeling very well, so I just get on with it.
My mother has had 3 bouts of early stage breast cancer over the last 20 years. She is now over 80. Mine is not BRCA, but there may be linkage with an abnormality in the CHK2 gene. I am waiting to hear. My Mother has never been tested.
I managed to work all the way through treatment (I’m a partner in a London law firm) and was lucky to be able to work at home - we all did due to Covid. Working and staying very busy with various projects outside of work has kept me in control, positive and focused on the future.
I feel very optimistic about the future and am very aware of the possibility of a relapse or a spread. It’s just one of those things. I have a loving family and 3 children - I’m keen to make the most of every day. I am a happy person with a positive attitude. I think that’s helped me a lot.
I’d be happy to help anyone who needs me. Breast cancer is very scary. However, not letting yourself be defined by something which is not your fault is important. It’s just a matter of getting your head round things and having coping mechanisms. Everyone is different. I got angry, there were a few tears, but then I decided I wouldn't be defeated by my own body. It has felt at times like being trapped in a Monty Python Movie as some of the things that have happened have been gruesome and unpleasant. Laughing has helped (even during surgery on my 50th birthday to remove a porta cath). I will celebrate 50 in a different fashion next year.
