Diagnosis & Treatment

I was diagnosed at 26-years old in 2021, with hormone positive HER2 negative grade 3 breast cancer. I had a wide local excision, six rounds of chemotherapy and five weeks of radiotherapy.

It was my first ever surgery and has left me with a large scar, following this, I had a partial breast reconstruction. I lost my hair two weeks after my first chemotherapy infusion which devastated me. I wasn't prepared for how poorly chemotherapy would make me – every cycle was traumatic. It was especially hard to adjust to not working, I was used to being active and healthy. It was strange to become the opposite of this while going through treatment.

I’ve been having ongoing hormone treatment which involves zoladex injections every four weeks and daily letrozole. This is to keep me in a forced menopause as my cancer was hormone sensitive.

Life After Cancer: Achievements and Mindset

I have now been cancer-free for three years and have done so many exciting things. Recently, I modelled for Breast Cancer Now in their 2024 Fashion Show, which was incredible.

I find joy in the otherwise mundane things in life, I hated my birthday before, but now I look forward to it. I've come to realise that aging is a privilege and to enjoy life more!

I remain positive by just knowing that no matter what happens, I have my friends and family around me. The advice I would give to ladies who have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer would be to stay away from Google and reassure them that you're not alone. There's so many women waiting to help you when you need it.

Early Menopause

Going through early menopause at such a young age was also extremely difficult to deal with. I’m unable to have hormone replacement therapy so I'm powering through menopause!

My dive into menopause was instant, nothing gradual. One day I was having a period, the next I was drowning in hot flushes and having joint and bone pain.

It's something I'm still struggling with; I have good and bad days, but that's okay. It's teaching me to listen to my body and rest more, which is something I struggled to do pre cancer!

Current Life

I was beyond lucky that going through treatment brought my partner and I closer - I couldn't have got through treatment without him. After being together for 10 years, we’re engaged and live together with our two cats. I remain positive by just knowing that no matter what happens, I have my friends and family around me.

Knowing what I've gone through and the fact I've come through the other side helps me feel confident and empowered. I’m extremely passionate about spending time with my loved ones, making every moment count and raising awareness of being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age.