About me
Hi, my name is Sarah-Jane. I’m a mother to 1 and a grandmother to 3.
In my spare time I love to be outdoors. I enjoy spending time in my garden, and it was certainly my “go to” place during my treatment. I’m a widow and live at home with my dog, cat and 2 tortoises.
In 2014, aged 46, I discovered what I can only describe as a “gristly bit” on my right breast. It didn’t feel like the lumps I’d had before that had turned out to be cysts.
After being referred to the hospital, I was told that it was cancer and that I would need a lumpectomy (wide local excision) and a sentinel node biopsy followed by radiotherapy.
After successful surgery with clear margins and clear nodes, I was told that I was HER-2 3+ and would need adjuvant chemotherapy and Herceptin as well as the radiotherapy.
I was incredibly lucky and tolerated the treatment well with only mild side-effects. I lost my hair, lost my taste and suffered some joint pain, mainly the hips, feet, and ankles.
I also had 5 years, in total, of adjuvant tamoxifen/letrozole. I switched from tamoxifen to letrozole after 2.5 years as I had a blood test which showed that I had gone through the menopause (my periods actually stopped after my third chemotherapy session).
I had a bone density scan to check for osteoporosis and then was moved onto letrozole.
It’s taken a while and been a bumpy ride, but I feel like me again.
I found out about the Someone Like Me Volunteer role through the Breast Cancer Now Facebook page. I am so happy to have the opportunity to help others and I really enjoy being a volunteer.
I'm so happy to have the opportunity to help others and I really enjoy being a volunteer.