The moment you hear the words you never thought you'd hear
“I don’t think any cancer sufferer will forget the date they were diagnosed.”
I don’t think any cancer sufferer will forget the date they were diagnosed, mine was 10th January 2018. Two weeks beforehand, during a 16 week pregnancy appointment with my midwife, I remembered to mention that I felt a swelling under my left armpit. I was referred to a GP who found nodularity in both breasts. She sent me via a fast track pathway to be examined in hospital. Doctors there conducted further examinations and couldn't be sure so they sent me then and there down the corridor for an ultrasound. The doctor spent a long time examining both breasts. She identified a very slight area of abnormal looking cells and asked if I'd be happy for them to do a biopsy to put my mind at rest. I agreed and thank god I did. 4 days later I was at work and received a call saying that a breast surgeon has asked for an appointment tomorrow. I knew at that point something serious had been found.
Our appointment was 45 minutes late. The breast surgeon, Miss Waheed examined me, then in a very straightforward, direct way, said I’m sorry but the biopsy results have shown you have breast cancer. The diagnosis was suspected DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), an early form of Breast Cancer. The MDT group of doctors that discuss cases like mine unanimously agreed that I should continue my pregnancy further up until 36 weeks because the chances of it spreading were minimal. It was explained that the only thing that changes between now and giving birth is knowing I have the cancer. I was assigned an obstetrician and had regular scans and check ups. I joined Mummy's Star, a charity dedicated to supporting family's through cancer in pregnancy and beyond. Being in touch with other ladies in my situation helped, it gave me perspective and made me realise that sadly this is more common than I realised.
I spent the remainder of my pregnancy worrying, who wouldn't?