‘There’s always hope’

Debbie Still, 52, was first diagnosed with breast cancer 18 years ago

I found out I had breast cancer on my son Oliver’s first birthday in May 2000. All these years later, I’m a different person to the one I was then. I used to be terrified that I wouldn’t see my children grow up, and I would lie awake fearing for the future. But now I’ve accepted that cancer is a part of my life. It took a long time for that mindset to prevail.

My treatment ended that Christmas, but relief turned to shock when my mother died of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve. When I found a second lump three months later, I hit rock bottom. I was grieving for my mum and felt without hope. Following a second lumpectomy, the plan was to check my status with regular scans. A retired doctor friend told me to get a second opinion. That was the turning point – I had to take control of my own health. Before, I’d turned up to appointments and gone along with everything, but then I realised that I had a say. I had a mastectomy and reconstruction; a small price to pay for my health.

Three years later, my cancer was back and had spread to my bones. I started having acupuncture and counselling alongside my treatment. Gradually, I realised that having cancer didn’t have to be a battle. It was exhausting thinking of it like that – as though if I didn’t fight hard enough I’d fail. Deciding to live with my cancer and manage it as best I could set me free. It was a sort of reconciliation. I wasn’t frightened any more.

Now I’m in my 50s I realise I’m very lucky to have come this far. I’m so grateful to charities such as Walk the Walk.

I’ve not achieved anything major – I’ve lived an ordinary life, working and being with my family. To anyone going through the fear of a breast cancer diagnosis, I advise them to trust that new advancements are happening and don’t ever think there’s no hope. We always have hope.