Care For Your Pair - Claire's story

'It is so important to have hope. Hope that you are going to get through it and you are going to be okay.'

Claire had the triple assessment check at the clinic - a mammogram, ultrasound and a biopsy. On the 26 March 2019, Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer.

On being told the news of her cancer, Claire recalls, “Initially, I wanted to believe it was a cyst and nothing more serious. I didn’t meet any of the criteria for breast cancer – I was fit and it didn’t run in my family. No one in my family had been treated for any type of cancer. However, when they actually told me, I wasn’t surprised. I was almost certain after the tests in the clinic."

Claire’s treatment included a mastectomy, five months of chemotherapy and one month of radiation. Claire is currently undergoing hormone therapy and taking tamoxifen. She notes that she is also experiencing symptoms of medical menopause.

Claire acknowledges that she was nervous to first begin treatment but this quickly changed:

“I’m not sure what exactly I thought a chemotherapy ward would look like or be, but it wasn’t a frightening experience. I found it quite comforting and reassuring. I found a positive mental attitude made it easier, because your physical body is not what it used to be. Being around people who understood what you were going through. The nurses, they could advise on every ache, pain or side effect you might have. They checked my bloods, gave me updates on how I was doing and I could knock off the chemo treatments on my list. They also gave me lots of leaflets from the Irish Cancer Society, which were very informative.

"The Daffodil Centre referred me on to the Look Good Feel Better workshop that was a really great experience. I always encourage anyone else who is going through treatment to sign up. It is a lovely way to meet other women who are going through the same thing as you."
 

Claire is back to her work exactly one year later and is absolutely thrilled: “It was another step down this journey of recovery. Work was just normal life to me, it was a really big deal. When you are used to working full time, to be off work for a whole year is very, very strange.

"I had my last appointment with my oncologist about six weeks ago. I am signed off now. I get an annual mammogram and a check with the breast clinic. I also go to a menopause clinic to manage the symptoms.

“In terms of any advice I would give from my own journey, I would say to people to just keep an eye on your body. Looking back, there were signs I wasn’t well before I got diagnosed. I wasn’t feeling quite right, I had lost weight but I wasn’t eating any differently. If you are unsure of something, just get it checked and be persistent.

"Finally of course, it is so important to have hope. Hope that you are going to get through it and you are going to be okay.”