Alythea's Story
“When I went back for a scan 17 years after I was diagnosed, the first thing I thought of when I was told I was told I still had the all-clear was how grateful I was and how much I wanted to donate to the Irish Cancer Society, because they helped me so much.”
Alythea Synnott, 51, from Dublin was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 at age 34 and was initially given a poor prognosis.
Her cancer was discovered after one of Alythea’s aunts passed away from the disease, which motivated Alythea to go for a private health check where a lump was found.
“Because a few of my aunties had breast cancer before, I felt like I was prepared,” says Alythea. “I don’t remember feeling shocked when I got my diagnosis, I just felt that the room I was in went still and everything became very slow.
“I had a lumpectomy, and an auxiliary lymph node clearance under my right arm. I had 27 nodes removed, and 24 of them had cancer. The consultant wasn’t happy with the margins, so I had a full mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, then seven months of chemo and 38 sessions of radiotherapy.
“My cancer was very advanced, it was stage 3C. But lo and behold, 17 years later, I’m still here.”
Throughout her treatment, Alythea focused on having a positive mindset. She was put on one of the strongest forms of chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer but approached the treatment as a positive experience.
“I imagined the chemotherapy going into me as a liquid of love, loving and getting rid of any hateful cancer cells in my body,” she says. “I was put through the toughest treatment I could possibly take. It was so harsh, but without it, I wouldn’t be here today.”
As Alythea grappled with her diagnosis and going through treatment, she found the Irish Cancer Society’s counselling service and Support Line to be important sources of support.
“I got six free counselling sessions from the Irish Cancer Society, and I found them incredibly beneficial,” she says. “What I found so helpful about it, was that the counsellor wasn’t a part of my personal life or one of my loved ones, so it gave me the opportunity to share the darker thoughts that had been running through my head.
"No matter how positive you are, it hits everyone after they’re diagnosed with cancer, the thought of, ‘Is it all over for me now?’. And the fear that you’ll leave people behind and the sadness that you’ll bestow on your loved ones if you don’t survive."
“Your loved ones are already going through enough, and you don’t necessarily want to share those fears with them. Going to counselling helped me to confront and compartmentalise those thoughts.
“Alongside counselling, I also used the Irish Cancer Society Support Line for advice. The Irish Cancer Society knew every facet of my cancer journey and I felt very understood and comfortable talking to the counsellor and the cancer nurses on the Support Line.”
Last June marked 17 years since Alythea received her diagnosis. She was nervous about going back for a scan, as one of her other aunties passed away from a breast cancer recurrence 17 years after she was first diagnosed. When Alythea went for her scan and got the all-clear, she decided to celebrate by donating to the Irish Cancer Society to show her appreciation for the support she received.
“The Irish Cancer Society were instrumental in helping me to alleviate my worries,” she says. “It's OK to be vulnerable and to ask for help, and the Irish Cancer Society helped me in ways they will never know.
“Using their counselling service helped to take away the feeling that I was a burden on my loved ones. Being positive, surrendering and letting go of fear with self-compassion also really helped me to get through treatment and the years that followed.
“My prognosis wasn’t good when I was diagnosed, but I’m still here 17 years later – it’s so important to always have hope.”
