Krista’s Story
Hello, I’m a 37 year old mum of two and when I was 36, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
“Our children were 7 and 1 at the time. We had a book to explain it to our eldest, although we did tell our youngest she didn’t really understand. Our 7 year old was very brave and open about it, and we answered all questions she had as honestly as possible.”
How did you discover something unusual?
It was while I was checking my boobs in the shower. I have always made sure I check myself monthly.
We’re you checking yourself regularly before being diagnosed?
I am not sure when I started to check or why really, but just use to check monthly.
Can you tell us more about what was found?
The way I describe it is it felt like a small frozen pea.
Can you describe your treatment plan?
I had 6 rounds of chemo and then following my tumor being examined after having a lumpectomy, they found I was also negative and it was stage 3, so I then went onto have another 12 rounds of chemo along with 2 weeks of radiotherapy.
Did you have any other symptoms?
No. None what so ever.
How soon after finding something did you get diagnosed?
I went straight to the doctors, but as I had all symptoms of a cyst, I was advised to go back a month later if it hadn’t gone. So a month later I went back and requested a mammogram, which is when I was referred for my scan around 2 weeks later. I then had to wait 9 days for the results so all in all it was probably around 10 weeks.
What type and stage of breast cancer did you have?
Triple positive stage 2/3.
Were there any standout challenges that you faced?
I was unfortunately very unwell with the chemo and experienced my first ambulance ride. I had to stay in hospital for a week due to an infection, they also took away one of the chemo drugs I was on after my first two rounds. My last 3 original chemo doses were lowered as I also lost 2 stone in weight.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Do not be afraid to call the ward if you are concerned. Also do not be afraid to ask questions and try to drink as much water as possible before and after chemo.