At the end of May this year, 44-year-old Sharon Felton from Greystones was sleeping in bed and awoke suddenly.
“I woke up and felt like I was going to get sick. The feeling passed and when I laid back down, whatever way I did, one hand went above my head and the other fell to my breast. It was then that I felt the lump. It was bizarre how it all happened really. I believe deep down, something was telling me to wake up that night and find the lump.”
“I had been feeling tired for a while but otherwise nothing else too unusual. My mum had breast cancer so I did check myself regularly enough, usually in the shower.”
“The next day I had already an appointment with the doctor for my son. Afterwards, I asked the doctor to have a look at the lump. He did and then I was referred on for a triple assessment.”
“A few weeks passed. I was so nervous. I think I knew it was cancer. After the triple assessment, I was called back in for my results, and told to bring someone along with me.” Says Sharon, who works as a Special Needs Assistant.
Sharon was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer.
“I am currently on my fifth round of my Carboplatin-Taxol chemotherapy, I have been booked in for twelve rounds. Despite the fact my cancer is Triple Negative, there is small traces of oestrogen present, and so I also need to have four rounds of AC chemotherapy. After that, I will have a lumpectomy and radiation.”
“I had long hair, way down my back. It was part of my identity almost, so losing it was very difficult. My hair started to fall out quickly, so I decided to cut most of my hair for charity. It was my way of doing something positive, despite the situation. After that, my husband and I just shaved off the rest of my hair. In some ways, this was also a way for me to take some control of the situation.”
“I found watching your hair gradually fall out in your hands, much worse than shaving it all off.” Adds the mum-of-two.
"I am a massive fan of the band ‘Take That’. They are touring in Ireland next year, and I am telling myself, I will be there at the front, cheering them on. Book the trip or the ticket, give yourself something to look forward to.”
Something Sharon says that she would love others to know “When I first heard the words ‘you have cancer’. I initially thought ‘I won’t be able to handle this.’ But it’s incredible, I have learnt I am so much stronger than I thought, and I can handle way more than I thought. It’s like an inner-power.”
“I take each day as it comes. Of course there will be good days and bad days, but I try to remind myself that I can get through it. I am a massive fan of the band ‘Take That’. They are touring in Ireland next year, and I am telling myself, I will be there at the front, cheering them on. Book the trip or the ticket, give yourself something to look forward to.”
Sharon also adds that the community she has met through her diagnosis has given her great solace “I am lucky to have met so many wonderful people throughout this time, they are a great support when you need it.”
Sharon 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
