Tracey's Story
“Because I didn’t have a lump, I was totally oblivious that I even had cancer. It’s so important to always check yourself and be conscious of your own body.”
Tracey Judge, 49, from Knocklyon, Dublin, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2020. The only symptom she experienced was bleeding from her right nipple, which she got checked as she thought it was connected to a recent injury.
“The previous December, I had been up in the attic, reached over for something and then had really sore ribs,” says Tracey. “I went to the doctor about it, and she did an exam and said I had a torn pectoral muscle.
“I went home after that, and the next morning I woke up and I realised there was blood in my pyjama top that was coming from my right nipple. I went back to my doctor because I was worried it was to do with the torn muscle, but she sent me for a mammogram.”
The following March, Tracey went for a triple assessment consisting of a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. She returned to hospital the following month for her results, and had to go on her own as the first pandemic lockdown was in place.
“I was diagnosed with a very early form of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ,” says Tracey. “I had to do everything on my own because I was diagnosed and then in treatment during the pandemic."
“Everybody in my family was taken aback when I told them I had breast cancer. Even when I was sitting in the room on my own when I got my diagnosis, the doctor was saying things to me, but it’s like you can’t believe that it’s you they’re talking to.”
Tracey’s treatment options included either a lumpectomy or mastectomy on her right breast. She spoke with one of her aunties who had been diagnosed with the same form of breast cancer multiple times and had undergone five lumpectomies.
Tracey decided to get a mastectomy, which was carried out in May 2020, followed by 18 rounds of radiotherapy.
“When the surgeon did the mastectomy, they found that a lump was forming behind the nipple,” says Tracey. “They removed a seven-centimetre tumour that hadn’t shown up on my scans."
“As soon as I had the mastectomy, they told me it was all done, and my cancer was caught so early that I didn’t need chemo. They said I could do radiotherapy just in case there were some cancer cells left that they didn’t get, so I decided to do that.”
Tracey’s son, Harry, now aged 10, was very young when she went for her mastectomy, so she explained what was happening in an easy-to-understand way.
“He was so young when I was diagnosed that, when I had to spend a few days in hospital for the surgery, I told him that I had a sore arm, and I had to stay in the hospital to make it better.”
When Tracey was going through treatment, she was supported by her family and a close circle of friends. During this time, she also rang the Irish Cancer Society Support Line several times and found it very helpful.
“The Cancer Nurses on the Support Line walked me through all of the things I needed help with. They made sure I was OK, and they let me know that they were there if I needed them. It was really reassuring to know that.”
Tracey’s cancer treatment was a success, and she praises the doctors and nurses in St James’s Hospital for their kindness throughout her treatment. However, she is currently in treatment for nerve damage that came about as a side effect of radiotherapy.
She now goes for yearly mammograms, which have all come back clear, and wants to share her story to encourage people to pay attention to any changes in their body.
“If I hadn’t torn my pectoral muscle and gone to the doctor about it, I don’t think I would’ve known anything was wrong until a lump surfaced,” says Tracey. “It’s so important to do regular checks and know what’s normal for you. If you notice any changes or any unusual bleeding, make sure you get it checked.”
