Breast Cancer Story: Robyn G.
Full Cancer Story Below
I saw the Know Your Lemons image a few years ago. Honestly, I don’t remember where, but it left a big impression on me. Like many, I really only thought that lumps were a sign of breast cancer.
The lemons gave a clear visual and stuck with me over the years.
While living in the US I started getting annual and sometimes biannual mammograms and ultrasounds around the time I turned 40. I have dense breasts so my doctors were cautious, plus yearly mammograms are standard for women in their 40s in the US.
My family moved to England in October 2020, in the middle of the pandemic for my husband's job. We spent most of our first year here in and out of lockdowns, in Covid quarantine, trying to adjust to living in a new country, and exploring our beautiful city without all of the tourists. By summer 2021, things were starting to feel back to a new normal and we could travel, meet new friends, and really start our UK adventure. Little did we know, cancer would change this.
A big part of moving to a new country meant adapting to a new and different healthcare system and, in my case, one that generally does not start mammograms until age 50. As I was setting up all my health appointments over the summer, I saved my mammogram to be discussed when I could get in with my GP, which was backlogged due to Covid. In September I started to notice a slight indentation/dent on my left nipple.
I did not feel a lump but remembered the Know Your Lemons graphic and knew nipple changes could be a sign of breast cancer.
I made an appointment with my GP and within three weeks was referred to the local breast clinic where I had a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy. They told me they were pretty sure it was cancer which was located behind my left nipple and not easily felt. The biopsy confirmed that I have ER+ Invasive Lobular Cancer. Three weeks later I had a unilateral mastectomy and node biopsy. Unfortunately, two of the three nodes contained cancer so I needed chemo which I started before Christmas. After six sessions in total, and the longest four months of my life, I am finally finished! I will have a full node clearance in a month, find out new scan results and start radiotherapy a few weeks after. I will then need to take hormone blocking medication for 5-10 years. At least that is the plan for now.
I truly think that the Know Your Lemons image made a difference in my cancer diagnosis and story.
With moving abroad, Covid, medical backlogs, taking care of my other health issues, simply being a mom and wife, I could have easily overlooked the change in my nipple. Knowing the signs of cancer pushed me to make the appointment with my GP and request to be seen even though I am younger than the standard screening age in the UK.
I am sure that my experience is one of many that shows the impact your image has had on breast cancer awareness and diagnosis. Thank you for being a part of my cancer story. I am so very grateful.
Best,
Robyn G.
(April 6, 2022)
We want to thank Robyn and all those who have shared their breast cancer journeys with us. We would love to hear about your journey, what early detection and having open breast health conversations means to you. Go to this link to Share Your Story.