First cancer then love... MY DIARY
I’d been through chemo, surely I could survive online dating! Jo Turner, 31, Doncaster
December2014
I
’m smiling in this picture, giving the camera a thumbs up. But inside, I’m feeling drained. Chemo will do that to you. Being diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 26, wasn’t something that I’d ever expected. I’d found the lump on my left breast back in October. Feeling it as I showered, I never thought for a second it would be cancer. I’m too young, I thought. Even my doctors doubted it at first. But
Inside, I’m shattered...
eventually I was referred to a breast clinic. I’d had a mammogram, biopsy and a full body scan. Knew it wasn’t looking good, though. ‘It’s cancer, isn’t it?’ I asked my nurse outright. ‘Yes,’ she replied. ‘We’re going to do all that we can for you.’ I was diagnosed with aggressive grade-3 breast cancer. I’d needed chemo before having surgery. So here I am, a few weeks into treatment, having lost my hair. I’d been warned it’d happen, cut my long blonde hair into a bob in preparation. But when I started waking up to find my pillowcase coated in hair each morning, I knew it was time to go the whole hog. So, I got a friend to shave the lot off. Taking control felt good, but the chemo is making me feel really sick. I’m exhausted but I know I need to keep on fighting. If not for me, then for my daughter, who’s 18 months. I’ve just got to keep going.
July 2015
W
ell, I finally got my way! After five operations in 12 weeks, doctors finally relented and gave me a mastectomy. It’s been a long time coming and it feels good to know I was right. But is it weird having only one breast? Of course it is! At first, doctors wanted to save as much of my boob as possible. ‘If the rest is still healthy, we’ll just take out what we need to,’ they explained. That’s why I was initially scheduled for a lumpectomy. But when the first op didn’t work, I’d needed to have another. Then they found I still had cancer. ‘We’re going to have to do a mastectomy,’
the doctors told me. Result! Believe me, I know that probably sounds strange. Who would think having a mastectomy is a good thing? They decided to attempt a reconstruction at the same time, too, but then that went awry. Caused a blood clot that began to travel up towards my neck. An emergency op to remove the clot and another surgery later, here I am. Now I’ve only got the one boob and I’m hoping this is the end of it. Maybe I’ll have another attempt at reconstruction in the future? But I haven’t decided yet.
August 2016
F I’m going to live life to the full
eeling incredible! Not only have I been cancer free for six months, I’m standing in the middle of Iceland. This picture was taken on day two of our three-day trek across the Golden Circle. I’m here with other cancer survivors on the trip arranged by CoppaFeel!, a breast-cancer awareness
