How mum with breast cancer lost confidence but now helps others
MUM TELLS OF LEGACY OF IN THE PINK PROGRAMME
KATY Meldrum was a “perfectly healthy” 43-year-old and had no reason to be worried about her health.
But news that someone she knew had developed breast cancer prompted Katy to check her own breasts and she found a lump the size of a small pea.
The discovery didn’t cause her much concern at the time, but the mum from Market Harborough sought advice from a doctor and was referred to Glenfield hospital for a mammogram, an ultrasound and a biopsy.
“I was quite surprised because they didn’t let on quite how concerned they were,” Katy said.
“I was going along with it all, thinking, should I be more worried?”
The hardest part was waiting for the result, which eventually delivered the news that she had a cancerous growth in her breast.
“It really knocks the stuffing out of you,” Katy said. “People always say they didn’t think it would happen to them and I found myself thinking the same.”
Two weeks after her diagnosis, Katy had surgery to remove the lump, which was taken to be analysed.
And Katy said she was really “thrown a curveball” when the results came back.
They revealed the cancer was unlikely to spread, but the tumour had grade three cells, which meant they were rapidly growing.
Katy endured a further agonising wait as further tests were carried out to determine how likely the cancer was to return and whether she would need chemotherapy.
Doctors said the tests left her in a “grey area”, which meant she was left to decide whether to go through chemotherapy.
After seeking advice from oncologists, Katy decided to go through six rounds of gruelling treatment.
She said: “It was exhausting and it left me totally drained.
“Initially, I wore a cap on my head which reduces the temperature so your hair is not as affected by it, but it means I had to spend longer in the hospital.”
Eventually, Katy stopped wearing the cap and lost her hair, something she would now tell others not to worry about. The treatment left Katy vulnerable to infections and she became scared to go out in fear that she would “pick something up”. She also lost her confidence.
She said that while she had the support of her husband, neighbours and friends, as well her naturally positive outlook, to keep her going, she still wanted someone to talk to who had been through the same thing.
She found an advert for a breast cancer rehabilitation programme based in Harborough on Facebook called In the Pink, run by the charity Supporting Confidence Through Exercise, and joined it as soon as possible after her treatment.
“There is a common bond when speaking to someone else who has been through the same thing that is quite powerful,” she said.
The programme offered different activities each week and time to talk with each other.
“When I started it, I wasn’t confident enough to leave the house by myself – I didn’t even want to take my daughter to school which is just a short walk,” she said.
Each week, a local person would run the session which would include a different activity. Classes were also held locally outside of the rehabilitation programme, offering women in the group the option to continue with them.
“It gave me the confidence to start swimming again and get back into yoga, but the most positive thing was meeting all the other ladies,” said Katy. “At the time, there were no support groups in Harborough like it – it was brilliant.
She has even started her own support group. “This is the legacy that they left us with.”
Now, Katy has a mammogram each year as a check-up and remains in good health with no evidence of disease. “I look at my daughters today and just pray I will live to see them grow up,” she said.
“I have learned that things like big cancer appeals on TV can be triggering and you keep a constant watch on yourself - you’re more aware.
“But what is quite special, and something shared among the group, is that you fully immerse yourself in appreciating everything. You notice a lot more about the natural world – you appreciate a flower or a bird.”
Now, the charity that runs In the Pink has been awarded a grant of £5,985 to continue its support which has helped more than 100 women.
Michelle Scott-Worthington has taught exercise for the past 30 years and developed the In the Pink programme to pick up from where the NHS leaves off.
She said: “The eight-week programme helps to rehabilitate women on so many levels, mentally and physically, to restore confidence and provide them with the tools to move forward.
“It’s also about providing a support network for those who have experienced the stresses of breast cancer and this is where we have become big advocates of ‘care and share time’ which includes tea and cake. A slice of cake has become integral to the healing process, as it signifies a time to chat, build friendships and be listened to.”