‘I was so worrIed but support from the helplIne kept me sane’

A ANDREA RAYNER,

51, IS MARRIED WITH T TWO CHILDREN AND WAS D DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST C CANCER IN JUNE 2016. S SHE TELLS HOW CALLED THE BREAST CANCER CARE H HELPLINEL LI A NUMBERB OF TIMES THROUGHOUT HER DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT:

I MADE ABOUT EIGHT CALLS TO THE HELPLINE. THE FIRST WAS THE DAY AFTER I WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN I WAS IN SHOCK, JUST TO TALK TO SOMEONE AND GET SOME SUPPORT. THEN I CALLED AGAIN A WEEK AFTER WHEN I GOT MY PATHOLOGY REPORT, AS I DIDN’T FEEL A LOT OF IT WAS EXPLAINED AT THE HOSPITAL. THE VOICE AT THE OTHER END OF THE PHONE WAS SO INFORMATIVE AND LEVEL-HEADED.

THERE WAS A POINT WHERE THE DOCTORS THOUGHT I HAD CANCER IN MY LIVER AS WELL, AND I WAS GOING OUT OF MY MIND WITH WORRY. MY MUM PASSED AWAY FROM BREAST CANCER, WHICH HAD SPREAD INTO HER LIVER, SO I COULDN’T HELP BUT FEEL THE SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN TO ME. AGAIN, THE SUPPORT FROM THE HELPLINE KEPT ME SANE. THANKFULLY, THE CANCER HADN’T SPREAD, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH MY SURGERY AND RADIOTHERAPY.