My name is Barbara and I’m 54 years old. In July 2022 I was told I had invasive lobular carcinoma.
When you hear the word cancer all sorts of emotions surface. I’m a family carer so my first thought was what would happen to my son if anything happened to me.
In September 2021 I noticed an intense prolonged itching in my right breast. When I woke up in the morning I had an urge to vomit but I never did. My energy levels were worse than usual. I have fibromyalgia and diabetes type 2. I examined my breasts regularly and felt nothing. I knew something was wrong. I was due for a mammogram but because of covid it was delayed. I kept insisting and eventually I received an appointment. I had the mammogram and shortly afterwards I was sent for further investigations. I knew it was cancer.
In September 2022 I had a lumpectomy and had three lymph nodes removed. Thank goodness the cancer had not spread to my lymph nodes. My tumour was 12 mm long. They have sent part of my tumour for an oncotype test in America. This tests the genetics of the tumour. It will depend on the results of this test whether I will need chemotherapy. I was told I will need radiotherapy and hormone therapy.
I would like to thank Siobhan and Lobular Ireland for the very warm welcome, the support and all the information.
I was told that if I had the mammogram a year later, I would have felt the tumour and it may have spread to my lymph nodes. A very sobering thought indeed.
My advice to you is trust your gut feeling. If you feel something is wrong, insist on further investigations. It is also very important to know your breast density. It is your right to know.
Lobular Ireland 