A mum-of-two says she is “so lucky to be alive” after missing a critical hospital date because she didn’t want to put pressure on the NHS.
Julie Humphrey from Sittingbourne found a lump in her breast but waited five months for a scan as she didn’t “want to disturb doctors” for a scan during the Covid pandemic.
The 55-year-old’s initial appointment was cancelled in March 2020 and when she was finally seen she was told she had an aggressive tumour which needed to be removed right away.
She is now encouraging other people to listen to their bodies after regretting not getting checked out by a doctor earlier.
She said: “I don’t think I’d have survived if it hadn’t been taken out when it was. I’m so lucky to be alive.
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“It was grade three and they told me if they’d left it any longer it would have spread into my breastbone and the rest of my body very quickly.
“But I really wish I’d gone to the hospital or the doctor sooner because it wouldn’t have got so big. I wouldn’t have had such a big operation and all the treatment afterwards.”
Julie had noticed the lump in her breast in February 2020 and had a mammogram booked for March when it was cancelled.
She went for her rescheduled scan in July and was called back to her local hospital in Maidstone days later after doctors diagnosed cancer before the biopsy results came back.
Julie explained that not only did she not want to add to the pressure on doctors but also could not face the possibility that she had breast cancer.
She said: “I convinced myself it would probably be okay but even in the first month I could feel it getting bigger every day.
“I was getting more and more tired and the lump was getting bigger. I knew something wasn’t right and became more and more worried it was cancer.
“I was trying to trick myself that everything was okay.
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“When they told me I couldn’t take it in. It was unreal like it was happening in a film.
“All I can say is if you see a lump get it checked as soon as possible. It might be nothing but it also might be something like this. Don’t wait.
“I never thought this would happen to me and I was so shocked.
“After the biopsy and loads of scans, they started putting in these titanium markers and talking about my op. I said ‘It’s cancer isn’t it?’ and they just said ‘Yes’.
“I was so upset and shocked and it was all such a rush I couldn’t even register it. All I felt was panic and fear. It was awful.”
Julie had to self-isolate for two weeks before the op and in that time the tumour grew three centimetres.
The tumour was removed in August 2020 and doctors were able to save her breast.
She went on to have two weeks of radiotherapy and was given chemo tablets for ten years.
She said: “Self-isolating was the worst time ever. I’ll never forget it.
“It was so lonely and scary. I knew this thing was growing inside me and threatening my life.”
Julie worked as a massage therapist and had to quit during treatment but she now volunteers at a friend’s laundry business.
She said that giving up work was one of the hardest parts as it left her “sitting at home worrying”.
Julie added every time she has pain now she’s “afraid it’s coming back”.
She said: “The tablets I take and the radiotherapy have given me arthritis so my joints ache.
“I took HRT for menopause, and I can’t say for sure it contributed, but the tumour I had was related to oestrogen levels.
“Go for routine mammograms as soon as you get that appointment, and ask the doctor straight away if you notice anything.
“Check weekly, and be aware that men can get breast cancer too.
“I was scared to face it, but it’s not worth waiting – think of your future and your family.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
