Breast Cancer Patients

Remembering Rose

When Jane Davies (aged 52) was called to the Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in June 2011 for a routine mammogram, one person was on her mind – her younger sister Rose Pearman. Nine months earlier, Rose had passed away at the age of just 42, almost a decade after she was first diagnosed with breast cancer.

Returning to Addenbrooke’s, where her sister was treated, was always going to be difficult for Jane. Throughout her sister’s illness she had accompanied her to hospital on many occasions. But Jane knew she had to have her mammogram – an essential screening procedure for women over fifty, particularly those with a family history of breast cancer. Over 80% of cases occur in women over the age of fifty.

Sitting in the waiting room on the day of her appointment, Jane spotted a poster about the Pink Rose Appeal, encouraging people to fundraise to help beat breast cancer. Struck to see the word ‘Rose’ in print – when she had been sat thinking about her sister – Jane picked up a leaflet and began reading about the Pink Rose Parties held every year in aid of breast cancer research at Addenbrooke’s. Jane takes up the story:

“My sister Rose: kind, caring, bubbly, vivacious, loving and simply stunning. Her beautiful smile and sense of fun will stay with me forever.

“Visiting the Cambridge Breast Unit so soon after losing my sister brought memories flooding back. So when I saw information about the Pink Rose Appeal it felt really poignant. As I read about the campaign, I discovered that Pink Rose Parties normally take place during October, breast cancer awareness month – which was also when we lost Rose. I immediately wanted to get involved.

“Rose was very fond of tea and cake. She would often walk through my backdoor calling out: “It’s me – and I’ve got cake!” Her friends had already decided to host an afternoon tea party in her joyful memory for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. But when I showed everyone the leaflet we agreed to fundraise for both charities. Having spent so much time at Addenbrooke’s we knew Rose would approve.

“Rose was nearly nine years younger than me but we shared so much and her loss leaves a huge hole in our lives. She was only 34 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. News of her cancer came just six months after the birth of her daughter Elizabeth. What should have been a happy few months for a brand new family had already proved stressful. At just five months old, Elizabeth was diagnosed with West’s Syndrome – a rare infantile epilepsy condition that few children recover from without permanent mental and physical disabilities. Then came news of Rose’s cancer.

“It was such a difficult time but Elizabeth was always Rose’s reason to fight and her determination was infectious. Just two weeks after diagnosis, Rose went into hospital for a mastectomy. It was her second wedding anniversary. After an intensive course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy she received the all clear.

“Slowly but surely we all started to relax and enjoy life again. Rose and her husband, Theron, even moved to Haddenham to be closer to us. In the seven years that followed, Rose and I saw each other every day. The crucial five-year milestone that all cancer patients aim for came and went without incident. Elizabeth emerged from West’s Syndrome unaffected and life took on a blissful normality.  

“But unfortunately it wasn’t to last. In April 2009, at the age of 41 (seven years after her initial diagnosis), Rose was told she had secondary breast cancer. I’ll always remember her optimism: “I have beaten it once, I can do it again”. That was Rose all over. That summer was spent in and out of hospital. Rose had to have weekly chemo and quickly lost her energy. Initially she was unable to walk her daughter to school but by autumn she started to regain her strength.

“At Easter 2010, our two families went on holiday together. While we were away Rose said how well she was feeling. Upon our return, she visited Addenbrooke’s for a routine scan. When the results came back they were devastating. The cancer had spread to her liver. Again Rose maintained her outward optimism. She was not going to let cancer get the better of her. 

“Another summer of chemotherapy followed. We spent every day together, talking, crying and laughing. Life was for living and Rose seemed to be winning but by September I could see she was struggling. Elizabeth celebrated her 9th birthday with a party and lots of fun. Four weeks later Rose and I were out for lunch with our parents. The following day she felt tired so stayed in bed. The next day she gave Theron his orders for the weekly shop. Less than 24 hours later she had passed away, peacefully at home - just a week before her 43rd birthday.  Rose’s battle with cancer was over. 

“Despite our age gap (or maybe because of it), Rose and I were really close.  We did so much together. Today, I am reminded of our relationship whenever I look at her daughter Elizabeth and my own daughter Genevieve. The age gap between them is much the same as between Rose and I. And just as we did, they love spending time together. 

“Genevieve is now a student nurse at Addenbrooke’s but makes sure she spends time with Elizabeth. She and her twin brother, Sam, are like siblings to Elizabeth, something Rose encouraged. Rose would be very proud of them and I know she’d have been delighted that we are hosting a Pink Rose Party in her memory. Although there wasn’t a cure for our Rose, it is imperative that we keep up the battle against breast cancer to help other women and safeguard the future for generations of girls like our daughters. I’d urge anyone that can to support the Pink Rose Appeal.”

 

Louise Stevens

Days before her 35th birthday, legal secretary Louise Stevens went to the Addenbrooke's Breast Cancer Unit after reporting a pain in her left breast to her GP, as she explains.

"I had a mammogram, ultrasound scan and biopsy, but even when the oncologist said that there was a lump that might be breast cancer I wasn’t particularly worried. I'd never been badly ill, broken any bones or spent a night in hospital. I thought that any lump would be small and involve minor surgery. Although my mum had died in 1997 from bowel cancer, I wasn't aware that anyone in my family had suffered from breast cancer.

A week later, on 28 May, I went back for the results. But when the oncologist Charles Wilson introduced himself, it hit me that this was deadly serious and suddenly I felt scared. He told me that I had breast cancer and would need a mastectomy. It was very surreal and didn’t feel like it was happening to me. Fortunately, the team at the Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's was so professional. They gave me all the facts and talked me through the options, making it easy to make the right choices.

My marathon operation
Rather than face multiple operations, I opted for a combined mastectomy and breast reconstruction. On 15 July I went for my operation and was in surgery for over 10 hours. Mr Wilson performed the mastectomy and Charles Malata carried out reconstructive surgery. The tumour was removed along with lymph nodes from my left underarm, the bulk of the operation was the reconstruction using tissue and blood vessels removed from my tummy.

I’d had my hair cut short in case I needed chemotherapy but luckily the cancer had all been removed and I didn't need chemo or radiotherapy. After nine days in hospital I went home and my sister Bernie came to stay for the first two weeks to help when even the simplest things like sleeping and getting dressed were really difficult.

Putting mind and body back together
Physically, emotionally and financially, breast cancer was the biggest challenge I'd ever faced after losing my mum. I'm a pretty feisty, no-nonsense person but two months after the op I hit a wall. One day I got on a bus to Addenbrooke's, walked into the Wallace Cancer Care drop-in centre and cried my eyes out. They made me a cup of tea and just listened.

After that I had counselling at Addenbrooke's for eight months and step-by-step came to terms with my ordeal. I was put in touch with the Lavender Trust, a charity for younger women with breast cancer. They invited me to a Young Women Forum, where I could meet other ladies and take part in organised workshops about hair loss, body image and nutrition. It was good to talk to other women in the same position as me, because it was hard sometimes to tell family and friends how I was feeling.

The Breast Cancer Unit helped in so many ways to make sure that I got the best advice and long-term treatment including countless drug therapies, regular check ups and screening. In 2009 my ovaries were removed to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer – it bought on further menopausal symptoms, which I had started to suffer due to my prescribed medication. I've also taken part in various research studies, finding out for example that my genetic history revealed a strong pattern of cancer on my maternal side. Hopefully this research will lead to better diagnosis and treatments for other sufferers.

My employers at Ameer Meredith were so supportive. I went back five months after the op and slowly built back up to full-time hours. They've also become supporters of the Pink Rose Appeal, which I'm really grateful about.

My friends did so much to get me through. Suzy Green has been a close friend since we were 16: we're like sisters and are always there for each other. In the early weeks, she'd pop in to help with the housework, shopping and take me for hospital appointments. That's where I read about the Pink Rose Appeal and we decided to get involved.

Our Pink Rose Parties
We held our first Pink Rose Party in October 2007 at Suzy's house in Ely for family and friends. It was so popular that everyone wanted to know when the next one was happening. We're big bingo fans, so that's always a star attraction, along with a raffle, card games, food and children's games. Suzy and I wear pink plus there are pink prizes, a Pink Rose cake and pink themes. We sell tickets for the games and raffle. People can donate if they can't get to the event.

The event has since become a joint fundraiser – Suzy's little boy, Mitchell, has Barth Syndrome so we split the proceeds 50/50. To date we've raised around £2000 for the Pink Rose Appeal so it's been really worthwhile. And if we can do this from Suzy's front room, anyone can do it.

To conclude, dealing with breast cancer has been really tough. But with the fantastic support of the Cambridge Breast Cancer Unit, brilliant friends like Suzy, an understanding employer and my fiancé Richard, I am now into my seventh year as a survivor. That's why it's so rewarding to support the Pink Rose Appeal and help more women beat breast cancer and deal with life on the other side."

 

Barbara Urquhart

Barbara Urquhart's 10 year old grandson, Calum, wrote the following story about her for a school project. He was asked to write about something or someone who inspires him and he has respect for.

“My grannie has always been a happy, positive person but when she got cancer, that all could have changed. For two or three years she had been doing walks for cancer. Little did she know she would be diagnosed. When she got cancer we were all shocked. We didn't expect it at all but in the end she did pull through and I will tell you how.

It started off well when she was put in Cambridge University Hospitals with a good, experienced doctor. When she had an operation we were still all positive. The operation was called a mastectomy and she also had to have lymph glands removed under her arm. She was very happy that the operation was successful and she was okay.

I have a special respect for my grannie. I think she was very positive throughout the whole experience. Every four or so days we would visit her to keep her spirits up and all of her family and friends were there at some time or another. She never gave up and that is a big reason of why she pulled through.

The operation took twelve hours and she spent much longer in hospital. After she did get out of hospital she had quite a long time recovering at home. Unfortunately her arm was damaged by the lymph glands been taken out - it affected her nerves and she can not lift heavy things with that arm and will permanently have no feeling at all in one part of her arm.

Her goal was to get over the operation and get back to walking and within eleven months she did the half marathon moon walk at midnight. Because of this she was in the newspapers and on the radio. GOAL ACHIEVED!!!”

Peggy Rose

Peggy was 60 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. She attended the Cambridge Breast Unit for a routine mammogram and two weeks later she received a call asking for her to return for another mammogram and ultrasound; Peggy needed to have a mastectomy on her left breast and a lump removed from her right breast.

Things moved very quickly after that and the time from diagnosis to treatment was just three weeks.

Peggy considers herself very lucky that the cancer was caught at this stage despite initial worries about what to tell her family. She said: “The Breast Unit has been absolutely brilliant to me. The staff are so supportive. Even though they are very busy they act like they have all the time in the world to help you, even the doctors. It makes you feel special.”

Three months after Peggy’s operation she started radiotherapy treatment, which took place everyday for three weeks, although she describes each treatment as being “very, very quick”. Since the treatment was completed Peggy has taken medication every day and re-visits the Cambridge Breast Unit annually for a mammogram on her right side. However, this doesn’t worry Peggy as she likes to pop in and have a chat with the staff there who continue to support her.

Peggy has a close family and with the support of her husband, son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren and friends and neighbours, Peggy quickly got back into her usual routine.
Despite having some side-effects from the medication and feeling tired went straight back to the job she enjoyed working as a part-time accounts manager for a garage. Now retired, Peggy loves being out in the garden and finds that doing cross-stitch is great therapy.
 
Peggy is very grateful to the Cambridge Breast Unit for the care and support she continues to receive. Peggy says that she is feeling good in herself. “It’s a case of not letting anything get you down. I’m very, very lucky. Routine mammograms are the best thing since sliced bread. Even after they told me what they had found it was so small I couldn’t feel anything unusual, so it would have been a long time before I would have noticed.  I would encourage every woman to go to their routine mammogram,” she said.

Christine Davies

Christine Davies was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1976, aged just 35.  On hearing the news Christine said: “The first thing I thought of was ‘cancer, death; I shall never see my children grow up’.” Christine’s husband was very supportive and her fighting nature came to the forefront as she said she decided she could not wallow. “I just got on with it,” she said.
Following a mastectomy and subsequent radiotherapy treatment at a London hospital near where she lived at the time, Christine went back to her teaching job and had a little boy with her army officer husband who eventually took a posting in Cyprus. She was able to lead a normal life for the next thirty years. Christine did have check-ups every month at first, then every six months, then once a year for five years. However, despite her bravery, the fortnight before she was due for a check-up Christine would become apprehensive and feel aches and pains in anticipation of what the results would be.

Christine says that reconstruction surgery did not cross her mind. Instead she wore a prosthetic breast and describes herself as feeling like a pantomime dame at the time. But despite this her fighting spirit prevailed as she insisted on wearing a bikini on the beach by her home in Cyprus.

Then, three years ago after she had returned to the UK to live in Cambridge, she found little lumps at the base of her remaining breast. To be on the safe side she had her breast examined at the Cambridge Breast Unit (CBU) and found it would have to be removed. Christine did not require radiotherapy treatment this time following her mastectomy, but was put straight onto medication. Now once a year she attends the CBU for a check-up. She describes her treatment as being fantastic saying: “Everybody was wonderful.”

Two weeks after her operation Christine went back to work as a company manager of The Young Actors Company in Cambridge. Christine’s job is full time, night and day, but she wholly enjoys it. “Being with kids keeps you feeling young and healthy,” she said.

Christine says “I feel lucky. I feel like I’m an ambassador for people diagnosed with cancer. It is dreaded by so many people and I want to show others that if this happens to you, you’ll cope with it as well. So I am more than happy to support the Pink Rose Valentine’s Appeal to raise funds for breast cancer research.”

Janette Martin

At age 47 Janette Martin, of Royston, found lumps under her arms. She was referred to the Cambridge Breast Unit a week later and found that her cancer was difficult to diagnose. After a day of tests – a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsies, she was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes, which had initially come from the breast.

Janette was very shocked to hear her diagnosis but says the support she and her family received at the unit was outstanding: “The whole experience at the Breast Unit was first class. From nurses to surgeons, there was a massive support network there. My support nurse was amazing. She has been my lifeline and become my friend. Without her I don’t know how I would have got through. She is a very special part of my life.”

Janette had surgery to remove the tumours, seven months of chemotherapy treatment and three weeks of radiotherapy and is now back doing the things she enjoys such as looking after her dogs and helping run a local cub pack.

She said: “You have two choices in life: either get on with it or allow it to take over. Try to embrace life and get on with it. No one knows what tomorrow is going to bring. I am pleased to support the Pink Rose Valentine’s Appeal and help raise money for the fantastic service that is still supporting me today.”