In 2016 41-year-old Natalie Cambridge from Cork discovered a lump in her breast “Two years previously my husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He had an appendicitis and when they were removing this, they found a tumour. It was found early so luckily he didn’t need any chemotherapy or radiation, and he recovered well.

“After everything we went through with my husband, he encouraged me to get the lump in my breast checked out. I booked in to see the GP who felt it was regular breast tissue. So I put it to the back of my mind, but months later I felt the lump getting bigger. As time passed it become so big, I knew I had to get further checks.

“I went to my parents’ house with my husband to tell them the news. I will never forget the look on my dad’s face, he was heartbroken. I then went to my own home, to my three boys. My husband called them all into the kitchen, he said ‘we have something to tell you.’ I’m sure they thought we had won the lotto or something. 

“Telling them that mum has breast cancer was so tough, but I tried to be strong for them. There was lots of sobbing and hugs, I tried to reassure them that I would be fine. My little one was so afraid, he wouldn’t even go to sleepovers with friends anymore, and he was worried what would happen if he left.”

Following further tests, Natalie’s doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to all the lymph nodes under her arm.

“It was decided therefore that I would begin with AC chemotherapy. I would get chemo in the morning and by 4pm the same day, I would be so unwell. This would continue until half way into the next week. I would just start to recover when I would begin my next chemo session. It was like that for six months.

“As sick as I was, I tried not to stay in bed. Instead I would even just lay on the couch, it made me feel a little bit better.”

“I met with a wig specialist, she told me that in her experience, from the first day of chemo, I would have 18 days until my hair would fall out. It was incredible, on the 18th day, that’s when it happened. She was right.

“I ended up booking in with her to have my hair shaved. Now thankfully I can say my hair has grown back, but at the time it’s just another blow. Another trauma.”

“Once I finished my AC chemo, I began my Taxol chemo. Following my third session of Taxol I ended up having an allergic reaction so instead they booked me in for 13 sessions of Abraxane. After this I was booked in for my surgery. Unfortunately I had another allergic reaction, they think it was connected to something in the anaesthetic.” 

“A few weeks later after I recovered, the hospital rang to say my margins weren’t clear, so I had to come back in for more surgery.”

“I wasn’t sure how I was going to do more surgery, This time around though, they tweaked the anaesthetic, thankfully this worked and I wasn’t sick following this surgery.”

“Next up was my radiation, which went relatively smoothly. As my radiation was coming to an end, I was asked if I would take part in a trial drug for 12 months. I thought this was a good way to give back and if it might help someone else down the road, it was worth it.

“I didn’t know if I was getting the placebo drug or not, but I definitely was experiencing a lot of nausea from it. In many respects I was happy to still be monitored by the doctors, so I knew nothing else was wrong, it was reassuring.”

“I have to say, through the whole experience, my husband was incredible. For a guy who couldn’t initially boil an egg, he really rallied around me and the kids. I don’t know what I would have done without all the support.

“I say all the time that my husband and I are so lucky. Some people question this, and remark about our cancer diagnoses. However, I know that we are still here, so in that way, we are lucky.”