Why I am dedicating a flower in this year’s Garden of Light to my family and Clatterbridge.
My name is Katy and I want to tell you why I am dedicating a flower in the Clatterbridge Garden of Light to my family and the staff who cared for me.
in November 2021, I found a lump in my breast – and I want to tell you how Clatterbridge and my family helped me get through this tricky time within my life.
When I went to see the GP, I was referred for a mammogram.
We were just coming out of that covid period, and I was allowed to take my sister with me, and I was so glad I did.
I was checked by the consultant, then had a mammogram and an ultrasound. It was then I knew something wasn’t quite right.
After the ultrasound, I had some biopsies done and my sister and I were taken to a small room, and the consultant came in with two nurses and I was told it was breast cancer.
I sobbed. It was coming up to Christmas, and I have three children, and my initial thought was: “will I make it to then”.
At this point, they couldn’t tell me what stage the cancer was.
I was so grateful to have my sister there, but I knew I needed to tell my husband.
At first, we only told our eldest son, who was 14 as he knew I had been for an appointment. I remember that night neither of us could sleep, so we stayed up and watched films together.
Following that appointment things happened quite quickly.
A week before my 40th birthday, I was told that I would need to have a lumpectomy on the 27th December and I would need to isolate from the 22nd December.
The hardest part was telling my family. Telling my mum was the worst as all she wanted to do was protect me.
I tried to enjoy Christmas as much as I could, but it was difficult knowing the operation was coming.
Following my lumpectomy, it was confirmed that I had early-stage breast cancer and there was cancer in one of my lymph nodes. Due to this, I would need to have 15 rounds of chemotherapy and 15 rounds of radiotherapy.
I knew I was going to fight this not only for me but my kids, who were five, 11 and 14 at the time. They were great with everything. Being able to do the school drop off and pick-ups felt like such a blessing. To keep a bit of normality for my children when everything else felt a bit uncertain meant so much to me.
I was treated at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Wirral.
A friend who had previously had breast cancer, advised me on getting a PICC line, a long plastic tube that goes into a vein in your arm for chemotherapy treatment, which I did over at the centre in Liverpool and the nurse there was amazing. I remember I didn’t feel a thing.
Before I started chemotherapy in Wirral, a nurse took me around the ward, and it was not like I imagined it would be.
There were people chatting, eating sandwiches and I felt a whole lot calmer knowing this was where I was going to be having treatment.
My first set of chemotherapy was the hardest, I would have it one week followed by a three-week break. I remember telling the nurse how nauseous I was felling assuming this was part of it, and they said they could provide anti-sickness medication, and I didn’t have to suffer saying: “We want you to try and live as normal as you can.”
All this that made me feel so cared for by Clatterbridge.
After these sessions, I had another round of chemotherapy which meant I had to go in once a week for 12 weeks.
It might sound a little odd, but I enjoyed going to Clatterbridge, as I knew the other patients, I made friends there and I would also have a good chat to the nurses.
Plus, my eldest son, George would ring me when I would be having treatment and just ask me what was for tea. This normality really helped. It was only afterwards he said how hard it was, but keeping things normal was what helped both him and me.
So, when the end of treatment came, I sobbed ringing the bell, as I had been a part of this bubble for 12 weeks.
I then had radiotherapy for three weeks, every day at the same time.
All I can say is that Clatterbridge were so good. Everyone was so nice from the receptionists to the nurses to the oncologist.
And since then, I don’t take anything for granted and I definitely don’t sweat the small stuff.
Due to my cancer being hormonal, I will be on tablets for ten years, as well as having my routine yearly mammogram.
And although I was diagnosed before Christmas, I asked if I could change my appointments to January, so that I can enjoy the festive period.
And this is why this Christmas I am supporting Clatterbridge Cancer Charity’s Garden of Light by dedicating my flower to my family and Clatterbridge, as my kids, husband and staff at Clatterbridge kept me going throughout treatment.
