This Morning: Breast cancer examination
“In 2009, I was enjoying being pregnant with my second child when I discovered a lump while in the shower,” Jo shared.
“I assumed it was a blocked milk duct, as did my midwife and GP, but they referred me to the Breast Institute in Nottingham.”
On April 30, 2009, Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer while she was 32 weeks pregnant.
“I was supposed to be enjoying life and feeling excited about the upcoming arrival,” said Jo.
“But instead I was left unsure, heartbroken, and facing an uphill battle I never thought I’d have to face.”
Jo underwent a lumpectomy and had the lymph nodes under her left arm removed.
She said: “Soon after the operation my baby was induced, and I had just three weeks after he was born on June 5 before my chemo began.”
Looking after a newborn and a toddler was going to be hard enough but, now, Jo also had to deal with the side effects of chemotherapy.
“I was tired, felt quite sick and lost my hair,” Jo remembered. “My partner had to keep working, as we could not afford for him to stop.”
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Jo thanks her “amazing support network of family and very special friends” who helped her manage such a difficult time.
“The boys were little and gave me the reason to get up every day,” Jo confessed.
“To them, I was just Mummy, not a cancer patient. They didn’t flinch when their mummy was bald, or cry when I lay sleeping or feeling sick.”
Jo’s cancer was HER2-positive, meaning that she had the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein that promotes the growth of cancer cells.
After 25 rounds of radiotherapy, Jo was given the all-clear; all she needed was to take Tamoxifen for the next decade and to attend annual mammograms.
In June 2021, a routine mammogram revealed that Jo’s breast cancer had returned.
“I had another lumpectomy in September 2021 and a breast reduction,” said Jo.
“This time I decided to try the cold cap as the boys found it hard… this time round, they were 13 and 15.
“They struggled to get their heads round the news and were frightened that they would lose their mum; they understood cancer and what it can lead to.”
Jo added: “Luckily I pushed for a single mastectomy in March this year as, when I went for my results, I was informed they had located a 15mm cancerous tumour. Thankfully that has now gone and I continue my with my regular medication.
“Please check regularly and attend mammograms. If you notice a change consult a professional. They really can be a life saver!”
Jo is now planning on taking part in Cancer Research UK’s Pretty Mudder, Nottingham, in July.
Jo is supporting Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life 2023, in partnership with Standard Life. It’s the 30th year of Race for Life. Who will you race for? Sign up to your local event at raceforlife.org
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