‘It could save your life’

Breast Cancer survivor explains the importance of self-checks

After finding a lump on her breast in April 2019, Cavan woman Collette Quinn wasn’t worried but decided to get it examined anyway.

“It was very large and I thought to myself that nothing sinister could appear that large and obvious so suddenly. I had been seen for similar issues before and was fine. My GP wasn’t concerned and thought it felt hormonal, but referred me to a consultant,” recalled Collette, who is originally from Ballyconnell but now lives in Cavan.

She shared her story with us last week ahead of a fundraiser later this month - the Very Pink Run, which aims to raise funds for Breast Cancer.

As her appointment edged closer, Collette became increasingly concerned as the lump began to change in nature.

“On the morning of my referral appointment, I was standing in front of the mirror tying up my hair. I could clearly see a large dimple in my breast, just under where I knew the lump was. I knew then that this was going to be something.”

Collette went to the consultant’s office with her partner and the consultant shared her concerns.

“I went for a biopsy, which was a very invasive process. Afterward, I asked the woman who did the procedure what she honestly thought about it. She was very direct with me, which I appreciated, and said ‘I’d be shocked if it was benign’. It was a lot to take in for one day.”

Collette said she knew deep down that she had cancer.

“I was all business on the day I got the results. I wanted a clear plan of action once I got the diagnosis. I was told I had stage 3 cancer, which was hard to take because catching these things early can be so important. The plan then was surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. My surgery was scheduled for the 29th May; a mastectomy and auxiliary node clearance. They removed all of the lymph nodes under my arm and above the breast, and cancer was present in five of them.”

Collette found the emotional recovery post surgery proved just as difficult as the physical side of things.

“It was a shock to wake up and to see that my breast was gone. It was part of me and of my identity. It was a tough one to take.”

Surgery went well. Collette started chemo during the week of her 44th birthday, which she tolerated, but began to experience cardiac issues.

“My heart was going at 260 beats per minute. I saw a consultant, and it turned out that I had always had an electrical imbalance in my heart. Chemotherapy had triggered a reaction, but it resolved itself after I finished chemo.”

On December 30, 2019, Collette started radiotherapy, which ended just as Covid started to become an issue.

“I got my port out on 12th March and, when I came back to the ward after the procedure, my partner Alan told me that the schools were closing on that Thursday. I felt, and still feel, very lucky that I was diagnosed and had all of my treatment before Covid became an issue.”

Between them Collette and Alan have two sons - Dara and Senan - aged eight and three years at the time of their mum’s diagnosis. She said they were to the forefront of her mind throughout her ordeal.

“I was terrified.... If I had no kids I thought it wouldn’t be as hard to go through but it’s still hard to look at the two boys and think I may not be there for them. I kept thinking that I’d love to be there to see them grow up.”

Collette would go on to have further surgery, which she said was very tough.

“I had breast reconstruction surgery in June 2022, where my breast was reformed from material from my stomach. It was a very difficult, 12-hour surgery and over a year after the procedure I still haven’t fully recovered my full mobility and agility.”

Collette says that she wants to increase awareness about cancer and encourages others to perform checks regularly.

“The earlier you catch this the better. I was at a hair appointment last week and I asked a woman if she did regular checks, but she said ‘no, not all the time’, and I told her that she really should. There is a lot more coverage about cancer but some people still aren’t checking themselves. It’s up to everyone to do their own checks, it could save your life,” she urged.