Personal experience, Season 4
We talk to BBC News journalist and presenter Jane Hill about her diagnosis, and the expectations she experienced around breast cancer.
Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer after months of going back and forth for tests. She reflects on which parts of treatment she expected - and the parts she didn't.
"You are not a lesser person if you've had a breast removed"
After waiting for so long to finally get the news she had breast cancer, BBC news presenter Jane Hill says that actually hearing the words felt surreal. In a way, she felt the time it took her to get a diagnosis allowed her to process and accept it.
What she did struggle with was deciding whether or not to have a reconstruction after mastectomy. In her experience, there was very little information or guidance on the options she had following her surgery. Eventually, after a lot of thought and some reassurance from her wife, she decided to “stay flat”.
Now, she finds herself frequently talking to other women about their breast cancer experiences - about the things they struggled with, and also the unexpected positive moments. She also touches on some of the things breast cancer patients still might be unaware of following treatment, like the difference between lobular and ductal, and the importance of knowing the specifics of your cancer.
There were lots of things about my treatment that were nowhere near as bad as I anticipated, or nowhere near as scary. There are lots of things that are nowhere near as daunting as you'd imagine.
- Jane
Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.