My name is Jane and I am 42 years old. I live in Dublin with my husband, Kieran, and my son Cian (22) and my cockapoo, Lucas 🐶.
I am so lucky too to have such an amazing close-knit family. I also have a wonderful group of friends who are so supportive. So life is pretty good ❤️💕
One of my sisters, Linda, was diagnosed with breast cancer a year before me in Nov 2017. She has travelled her own cancer journey with such positivity, courage and strength. She’s a true inspiration ❤️ 💕
Pre-diagnosis, I was working away, enjoying my job, loved keeping fit and running, I went back to college at night and studied for my Masters, moved house too, enjoying family life, my sister was finishing her cancer treatment and life was wonderful again and ticking along nicely.
On the 25th October 2018 I found a lump in my right breast. It was quite big so thought perhaps I had injured or bumped myself. I showed my husband and he was shocked and said get it checked out straight away. It was like it literally appeared overnight as I often checked myself.
I went to GP who referred me as an urgent case to Beaumont hospital. She even asked me to hand deliver the letter- so she was probably quite concerned too. My apt was on the 9th Nov 2018 – where i got a mammo, ultrasound and biopsies. I went to the apt on my own as I didn’t think anything was wrong, had even planned to go back to work after the appointment!
Afterwards they brought me into a room and told me to come back with my husband the following week. I now know that they knew for sure I had cancer at that time from the mammogram and ultrasound, but just needed the biopsy results to confirm the diagnosis and type etc. and they didn’t want to tell me as I was on my own. One of the doctors even kindly held my hand and told me to be prepared for news and to bring my husband along to the next results appointment – so all the signs were there that they already knew it wasn’t good news. I asked him was it cancer and he just said to ‘be prepared’ when I came back for the results. It was a long week!
The following Friday I went in for my results with my husband and sister for support – I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Grade 3 cancer. I have triple negative breast cancer. My tumour was quite big at 4cms. I also had an MRI which showed up 4 other smaller lumps- 3 of which were on other breast- so, after further biopsies and tests, the recommendation was a double mastectomy – which I had on the 4th Dec 2018. I also completed 16 rounds of chemo (4 AC and 12 Taxol), and in addition 25 radiation sessions.
Lots of positive things have happened since my diagnosis- I have met some amazing people along the way and have joined a fantastic group of women in the Sea of Change choir. I first heard about Look Good Feel Better workshops from my sister, Linda, who had previously attended one and highly recommended it.
I attended the workshop in Beaumont Hospital in March. The class was absolutely amazing- and the ladies teaching us were so helpful and informative. I got so much from the class and it made me feel so much more confident and happy in myself. The goodie bag was amazing too- I really couldn’t believe it. The class really helped me feel so much better about myself. I was never any good at putting on makeup before and never really knew what went where 🙂 – therefore having minimal brows and eyelashes and no hair was getting me down. However, using my new-found knowledge after the class, along with all the products from the goodie bag and all the advice and tips from the beauty advisers, I now feel so much better about myself. They were all so lovely too xxxx
Thank you for reading my story. I am doing really well and still smiling and keeping a positive mental attitude I refuse to let cancer take my smile, hope, positivity and happiness away as it can take so much else so it’s not getting all that too 😊💪🏼💥
