MP’S test plea to women after breast cancer shock
AN MP wants to encourage women to attend cancer screening appointments, like she did, so that the devastating illness is caught as early as possible.
City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy was among women with breast cancer at a Gateshead event held by charity Future Dreams, with the support of the region’s NHS. Held at the BALTIC on the Quayside, the event saw women who live with or who have had breast cancer offered support, advice and the chance to chat to others who have lived with the illness.
There were also practical sessions about how best to exercise and eat well to boost cancer recovery, followed by yoga and meditation sessions.
Speaking at the event, the Labour MP spoke about how, while her own cancer diagnosis and surgery had been impressively swift – she went under the knife within three weeks of diagnosis this winter – she was concerned about the “postcode lottery” people face when it comes to care.
She said she had been lucky to be cared for at Gateshead’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital thus far – “they’ve been brilliant”, she said – and also felt that charity events like the one held by Future Dreams were important.
She said this was especially the case as often the vital services that can help people through a difficult diagnosis might not be available in the North East.
The MP said: “I had the diagnosis and then I’ve already had the surgery – so in a way I’ve had the cancer and then, hopefully, I’ve not had cancer, across in just a few weeks. That’s where we are and now it’s just about waiting for a couple more tests to find out more about what comes next.
“My breast cancer nurse told me about this event and it’s been great, you just want to find all the information you can.
“It’s also the guidance, advice and support that you can get – it’s been useful already.
“Although I don’t yet know what my treatment journey will be going forward, there’s still a lot that will be useful for me going forward and that will benefit me.”
She said added: “It’s even things like exercise and healthy eating – everyone sort of knows that you should be doing those things but to see the numbers...
“And the support side of things is useful – we’re all on our cancer journeys, at different stages some of us, but we’re all here to tell the tale.
“For me, part of it is I am going to be doing whatever I can to get people to go to their mammograms. That’s why my cancer was found at the early stages, while treatment has also come on such a long way. The survival rate has increased brilliantly and there’s so much we can do – if we can find it [cancer] and get it diagnosed quickly.”
The former Gateshead councillor said that she had been surprised to learn how many women don’t attend screening – and urged anyone thinking about that to put aside fears that it might be embarrassing or uncomfortable and to make sure they attend.
“It’s incredible to have this event here in Gateshead and in the North East. We know in the North East we suffer from health inequalities and things like the difference in life expectancy here compared to other areas are horrendous. So whatever we can do to improve health and women’s health we should be doing.”
The event was hosted by the Gateshead Health NHS Trust at the Baltic, with the trust having set out its ambition to become a centre of excellence for women’s health.
The charity helps people to feel less alone during their cancer journeys with a range of online sessions covering topics from exercise to wig-fitting or the menopause.