Suzanne's story

My situation is complicated because I’m disabled from birth and I’m now living with a cancer diagnosis.  

I was diagnosed with Stage 1b, grade 2, ER+ breast cancer in March 2020 at the age of 49. After a 4-month delay because of the pandemic, I had a lumpectomy in my right breast and partial radiotherapy over 5 days. Now, I'm on daily letrozole and monthly Zoladex injections. In November 2023, I completed 6 sessions of Zometa bone infusions. It’s expected that I’ll have up to 10 years of treatment.  

Putting my life into perspective  

Having breast cancer has put my life into perspective. I don’t stress so much about life in general. If I’m not dying, then I can deal with everything else. I focus on exercising more and eating healthily, but it can be challenging when you’re a wheelchair user like me.   

The medication and effects of a medically induced menopause have hit hard. I've lost a lot of mobility. This isn’t something that I was expecting.  

I used the Breast Cancer Now support services. Someone Like Me was the most beneficial. By talking to volunteers who have been through the same experience as me, I was able to better prepare myself for the treatment ahead.  

Because they’ve helped me so much, I took part in The Show by Breast Cancer Now in 2023. I fulfilled my dream to become a model and I was the first ever wheelchair user to appear in it. Modelling gave me the opportunity to highlight that disabled people get breast cancer too, and that a more diverse representation of breast cancer should be shown. I hope that it encourages disabled people to come forward to seek help.  

Disabled people with breast cancer are missing from breast cancer stories  

I wanted to get involved in wear it pink for the same reason that I got involved in The Show. And that’s because the representation of disabled people who live with or beyond breast cancer is missing in the public domain.  

During treatment, I often had to advocate for myself to make sure that my access requirements as a wheelchair user were met. I didn’t see myself represented in any information about breast cancer. I struggled to find disabled people who were living with a breast cancer diagnosis, so I started a blog called ‘The Musings Of Spu’ to share my story. Through my writing, I reach out to disabled people in a similar situation as me. 

Even though my situation is complicated, I try to live my best life every day and I don’t beat myself up if I have a bad one. I encourage anyone living with or beyond breast cancer to try to do the same. 

Wear it pink gives the public an opportunity to come together 

I know that in reality, breast cancer isn’t remotely pink or fluffy. It’s brutal, painful and terrifying. But wear it pink gives the public an opportunity to come together under one unifying slogan and colour, to raise awareness of breast cancer, to highlight the symptoms and signs to look out for, and bring attention to the different treatments and to fundraise.  

It’s vital that people affected and their families continue to have access to the best treatments and support services. It’s also crucial that research continues to be funded, so that in the future, breast cancer won’t mean a terminal diagnosis for some people.