Testimonial

Like many people today, I have personal experience of family loss due to cancer, both my parents had died as a result of Cancer.
But Breast Cancer was something other people got!
So when I went for an investigation for another breast lump (Had a history of cysts), it was a devastating shock to be told I had Breast Cancer, that I was totally unprepared for. I was “lucky” I was diagnosed about 1/2 hour after seeing the specialist, so was spared the agony of waiting for results. I was in The Jane Ashley Breast Care Unit, at the Churchill, in Oxford, having a Lumpectomy within 10days. Unfortunately the biopsy showed that the tumors were Multi-Focal, ( I remember them saying,) and further surgery was needed.
So 6 weeks later I was back having a bi-lateral mastectomy. This was followed by Radio Therapy. I was lucky that someone I knew well, had been through the same procedure, and she was my “rock” throughout the cancer journey. Someone to ask those niggling questions that you don’t like to ask the professionals in case you seem self absorbed or wasting their time. She introduced me to a group of ladies called Bosom Friends, who were all in the same boat, that is, affected by Breast Cancer either currently or previously.
I’d never seen myself as a “Support group” sort of person, but these people were all just like me, NORMAL (debatable, some might say!), but happy to share their experiences to ease someone’s fears, when the occasion warranted.
A couple of years later the 2 ladies who had been co-ordinating the group for around 13years, decided to step down, and invited me to “step up”. I was amazed that they thought I was up to such a task, and declined, but it was obvious that the group must go on, so together with another collegue we did agree to carry on where they left off.
We meet