In April 2023, 45-year-old Sandra Kavanagh from Banagher, Offaly was having a bath at home when she felt a lump at the top of her right breast.
“I felt a jolt of fear go through my body. I showed my husband and sister-in-law and they pushed me to go to my GP. Once I was examined, I then was referred on for a triple assessment. Not long after, I was brought in to speak with a surgeon, two nurses were also in the room when I walked in.”
“Despite being brought in to see the oncologist and nurses, I still had no idea what I was about to hear. My mum had a cyst in her breast at 50, so I thought I would have the same problem. I had never been very unwell before and I wasn’t even aged 50 yet.”
“I was diagnosed with hormone positive Invasive ductal carcinoma. The biopsy results showed I had a 3cm tumour. I was booked in for a lumpectomy at the end of May, during this surgery some of my lymph nodes were also checked. The cancer had spread to some of my lymph nodes so I would need further treatment. On the CT scan it also showed the lymph nodes in my lung were enlarged, so the hospital team worried the cancer had spread even further.”
“It ended up I had something called sarcoidosis, it’s an inflammatory disease in which the immune system overreacts, causing groups of cells to form clusters of inflamed tissue. It’s rare but meant my cancer hadn’t spread as much as originally thought.”
Sandra is currently receiving chemotherapy at Ballinasloe hospital.
“Before I got sick, I worked as a carer. One gentleman I cared for, was living with his own cancer diagnosis. When I went to the hospital one day to get my chemotherapy, I met that same gentleman, who I not long before, had been caring for. It’s incredible how quickly everything can change.” Says the mum-of-three.
“One thing I wasn’t aware of, is that cancer is an emotional hit, it’s a physical hit, but it’s also a huge financial hit."
“One thing I wasn’t aware of, is that cancer is an emotional hit, it’s a physical hit, but it’s also a huge financial hit. I worked through an agency, so I was not entitled to any sick pay, despite the fact I had worked there for eight years. I also wasn’t entitled to any illness benefit. So our family went from a two income family, to a one income family. From petrol to parking costs, it all adds up.”
On advice she would give to others, Sandra says “Pick a day once a month, and check your breasts, get to know them. I had noticed a smaller lump and some dimpling a few months before I first went to my GP, but put it down to stretch marks from having my kids and dismissed the lump as nothing serious. I was also incredibly tired each evening, but put it down to post-covid fatigue. If I had got checked out then, things could have been much easier for me. However I cannot be hard on myself, I now truly know the importance of early detection. Also, you don’t have to be over 50 to get cancer, it can happen to anyone, at anytime.”
Sandra is supporting the Irish Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and encouraging the public to host a Big Pink Breakfast to help fund of vital cancer support services and life-changing research projects. 💗To get involved, visit: www.cancer.ie/pinkbreakfast
