How it started…
I was setting up a treadmill (don’t ask) and it turns out they are bloody heavy. As much as I’d have loved to realise my childhood dream of becoming a WWF wrestler (Shawn Michaels and Brett the Hitman Hart I still see you), I’m no WWE Diva so taking on a two-man job on my own…well, soon went to pot. I quickly overdid, genuinely thought I might have pulled a pec muscle with the effort, sat down and started rubbing my left chest area…which led me to come across an unmistakable lump in my boob.
The lump was more than sizeable, it was big, and so I was pretty taken aback that I hadn’t noticed it before. But looking back I don’t know why I was surprised- I had NEVER checked myself. Not once. I didn’t think I needed to with no significant family history of breast cancer…but, of course, I was mistaken.
A few weeks later I was diagnosed with grade 3, stage 2A breast cancer. I underwent a mastectomy (I’d later have the other removed too), a lymph node clearance, and six cycles of chemotherapy, followed by long-term hormone therapy (tamoxifen). I was 26.
How it’s going?
Well, what the bejesus hasn’t gone on?
Since my first diagnosis back in 2013, the cancer has returned three times.
2013- Initial diagnosis at age 26.
2017– A local recurrence in my chest wall.
2020– A loco regional recurrence in my underarm
2022– A stage 4 cancer diagnosis following confirmation of spread to my liver
Stay tuned for blog posts where I’ll go into things in a little more detail. Otherwise will feel like reading/writing War and Peace in one sitting.
If you are, are cancer thriver please, please read the Hope section.
