With a little help from my friends
Being diagnosed with breast cancer on 06.06.06 could make even the most positive person nervous about their chances of survival. Wendy Tanton - wife, mother, friend, professional gardener and charity fundraiser - tells us how she turned the tables on cancer just one year later.
Wendy admits that cancer was the last thing on her mind when she found a lump under her right arm. She was simply too busy juggling work and motherhood to worry about serious illness. "It was only when I mentioned the lump to my colleague that she thought I should get it checked out," says Wendy.
Only a matter of days later, Wendy was referred to a consultant surgeon at a Bupa recognised breast cancer unit at London's Blackheath Hospital. Wendy was told that the lump under her arm was, in fact, an enlarged lymph node and that inside her right breast was something called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
"It turned out that I had more cancer at the back of my right breast, too. I was told that I'd need to have a lumpectomy, followed by a course of chemotherapy." Following an assessment of the risk of cancer returning Wendy was also advised to have a double mastectomy to reduce the likelihood of this happening.
As Wendy discovered, breast cancer isn't just a physical illness. It's a condition that can take its toll mentally, too. "It felt like something had invaded me without permission. I felt angry. I don't drink much,I don't smoke and I have an active outdoor lifestyle. There's no history of breast cancer in my family so I just couldn't understand it. I was 39 and it felt so unfair."
To help cope with the shock of being diagnosed with breast cancer and to keep some perspective of the challenges still to come, Wendy banned crying and hugging, especially in front of her two young sons. "I treated it as if it was happening to someone else. I didn't tell the children what was happening until we returned from a two week holiday in Turkey. They were upset but I made it clear that I was going to get better."
Wendy's pragmatic attitude came to the fore when she was told that the treatment would cause her hair to fall out - a side-effect of chemotherapy, which can leave patients feeling vulnerable and out of control. "I told cancer that I would decide when I would lose my hair. My mum took the children for a day out so that my friend's husband could come round and shave my hair off. It felt good to be in charge."
Having Bupa cover meant that Wendy could receive prompt access to eligible treatment quickly in clean, safe and private surroundings. She was also able to have reconstructive surgery straight after her double mastectomy, meaning she would come out of surgery with breasts. However, Wendy found the reality of major breast surgery difficult to cope with. "After surgery I thought I looked like a Barbie doll. My breasts had no colouration and were uniform shaped mounds without nipples. I had further reconstructive surgery and tattoo work to produce the nipples. I'm glad to say that I no longer hide behind a towel when I'm getting changed. Even close up you'd struggle to know I'd had anything done."
Wendy's treatment was successful but she feels that she's a different version of herself now. "If I don't want to do something I say no. Life's too precious to waste it on stuff that's not important. My family and friends come first and I really feel it's made me a better person."
Wendy decided to do a horse trek across the Spanish Sierra De Contraviesa coastal range in October 2007 to raise money for Cancer Research UK, where she raised an impressive £20,000. The trek was one of the reasons Wendy won the Most Outstanding Achievement award at Cancer Research UK's annual Candle of Hope ceremony. Oddly enough, the event was held on 6th June 2008 this was exactly two years from Wendy's diagnosis - a coincidence which happily brought her full circle.
Wendy has since joined the Dartford committee of Cancer Research UK and has helped organise a number of fund raising events including a concert, which was attended by 260 guests and in June a number of members are going to take part in Relay; a 24-hour event which aims to celebrate and empower people who are going through treatment. For more information about Cancer Research UK, go to www.cancerresearchuk.org
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK; it's reassuring to know that Bupa is the only insurer to provide access to a network of over 300 specialist cancer units.
Publication date: May 2009