Breast Cancer Awareness Month

from Sussex Living October 2021

Face It, Beat It!

October is breast cancer awareness month. Helping to raise awareness and share the breast cancer story, Sara Whatley tells a first-hand account and speaks to a Macmillan nurse

You find a lump in your breast. It’s a scenario that none of us want to experience, but for many it happens. In the UK 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, but happily the survival rate is on the increase and has actually doubled during the past 40 years.

Awareness and quick treatment are key in catching breast cancer quickly. Every October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the time of year when Breast Cancer Now, the research and care charity, really get to shout about the important work they do.

Breast cancer can happen to anybody. One woman with first-hand experience of the disease is Carrianne Foord; in 2014 she found a lump in her breast while she was in the shower. Being a very pragmatic person Carrianne went straight to her GP who referred her to the Park Centre for Breast Care in Brighton.

“They were so thorough,” Carrianne told me. “They checked me over, did a mammogram, ultrasound scan and biopsy all in one day. When they called me back in for the results it was worse than they initially thought. I saw a Macmillan nurse who gave me so much information, support groups and leaflets – I’ve still got it all in my cancer box.”

Carrianne went to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath for her surgery, which was successful, but again what they found was worse than they expected. “I used to call my doctor, Dr Doom,” laughed Carrianne, “every time I saw him it was bad news!” Carrianne had her sister by her side, all the way through, offering the support and help she needed, absorbing all the information she could not. “It’s so overwhelming,” said Carrianne, “but I just took it one stage at a time and got on with it.” The oncologist saw Carrianne and told her she would need chemotherapy and radiotherapy. “That was the worst bit,” she recalled. “I didn’t want to lose my hair, but the nurses were amazing and gave me a cold cap which freezes your head to -5°C and helps prevent hair loss. They also gave me strengthening treatments for my eyebrows and lashes.”

The treatment was intense for Carrianne – “I lost my appetite and was so spaced out after treatments. I used to say I had my chemo head on!”

To help prevent breast cancer try to live a healthy lifestyle and attend breast screening appointments when invited

The support Carrianne received from her family, friends and work really helped her through the experience, but her stoic and positive attitude was the key in bringing her marching through to the other end. “I went a bit robotic with it all,” she said. “I just wanted to crack on and get it done. They were so amazing at the Park Centre and I still go back for regular checks and know I can call them if there are any issues.”

Part of the essential team at the Park Centre for Breast Care are the Macmillan nurses. I spoke to Debbie Elwell-Sutton, a Macmillan senior nurse specialist, about the essential work they do. “We are present for patients and family, from diagnosis to guiding them through treatment options, surgery and therapy. We support the emotional and social side of things too and take the patient through treatment to their exit interview and onto a follow up programme. We want to empower patients to look after their own health – they are the ones in charge after all.”

The Macmillan nurses also offer support groups, 1:1 counselling, and are the patient advocates – they speak the language of the patient back to the team. The nurses at the Park Centre work on site and also have a helpline, “which is well utilised,” said Debbie. “We also offer face to face support groups.”

Each patient will have a named nurse, or key worker to really build a rapport with, but, as Debbie told me, “We are really part of a team and we all liaise with each other; the surgeons and oncologists. We are the steppingstones between it all.”

After the extraordinary time we have all had recently Debbie wants to urge patients to come forward if needed as, their services are all up and running. “To help prevent breast cancer try to live a healthy lifestyle, be breast aware and attend breast screening appointments when invited. We want to detect cancer at the earliest stage possible.”

So, be breast aware, check yourself once a month and if you need to see a specialist, don’t delay. l

It’s so overwhelming but I just took one stage at a time and got on with it

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