‘Check it out’ is message from Hayley after chemo
● Hayley Rock undersoing chemotherapy with a cold cap; right, with family on holiday ing a cold cap – which means that cancer sufferers usually keep their hair.
The treatment means the chemo takes longer – but Hayley said it was vital for her.
She said: “I wanted to keep things as normal as possible for the girls, Ava was starting secondary school and I didn’t want her to have anything that made her stick out.
“I wanted to be a role model for my children and for other young women going through treatment to show them that yes it was bad, but that it wasn’t terrible.
“My husband of 12 years – Francis – was also amazing, he came with me to every chemo session and appointment. Having your family around you is so important.”
Following her chemotherapy, Hayley underwent three weeks of radiotherapy and at the end of September this year had a riskreducing hysterectomy.
She said: “I’m recovering from my hysterectomy and hoping that 2019 is a much more positive year for me and my family.
“I’d love to start volunteering soon and still very active on social media sharing my story with other sufferers and survivors.
“I’d encourage anyone who has been recently diagnosed to ask as many questions as they want, to use the breast cancer forums that are out there and to just keep talking and sharing how you feel with your loved ones – most of all you should never lose hope.”
Hayley’s story comes at the same time breast cancer research shows that only 44% of women over 25 regularly check their breasts for signs of cancer.
More than 300 women in Liverpool are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and more than 60 women in the region die from the disease each year.
As well as the telltale lump there are many other signs that could indicate cancer. ●