|
Cancer survivor Anne ‘feels very lucky’
 By Sarah Johnson
WHEN THE National Breast Screening Programme invited Anne Cramb, from Dunfermline, to attend one of their units three years ago she very nearly didn’t go.
“I was so busy”, admits Anne (56). “I felt healthy and the mammograms I’d had in the past were clear so I wasn’t worried.”
Anne was 19 when her mum died of breast cancer and, at 40, started having yearly mammograms.
She explains, “Mum was only 48 when she died so I’d asked my GP if I could be screened regularly.
“And when I was 50 I became eligible for the NHS Breast Screening Programme.”
The programme provides screening every three years for women in the UK aged 50 and over — 1.5 million women go every year.
“They advise women to go every three years so, because my results from my last mammogram were fine, I was happy to wait until I was 53 for the next one.”
Specialised
In February 2007 she was invited to attend one of the specialised screening units in her area.
Five weeks later Anne was called back. Further tests showed she had cancer in her left breast. She adds, “I was shocked and frightened, but was told the prognosis was good.
“The cancer, although invasive, was caught quickly. The lump was less than 2 cm so it was unlikely I’d have felt it.”
Within three weeks she’d undergone further tests and a lumpectomy at the Western General in Edinburgh. Doctors removed five lymph nodes, which were clear, meaning the cancer hadn’t spread.
Anne then underwent radiotherapy for five weeks followed by the drug
Tamoxifen.
By October 2007 she felt well enough to return to work as Deputy Headmistress at Inverkeithing High School, where she received “great support” from colleagues.
But tiredness, and the effects of the medication, began to take its toll. In April 2008 Anne was diagnosed with lymphoedema, which causes swelling in the limbs, and is common in patients who’ve had lymph nodes removed.
Later that year, Anne, who’s married to Quentin, took early retirement — she says it was the “right thing for my family and me”.
Having learned to manage her lymphoedema, Anne is healthy and enjoys spending time with her seven grandchildren. She feels very lucky.
Invaluable
Throughout diagnosis and treatment, the help she had from Breast Cancer Care was invaluable.
She says, “When you’re meeting medics you don’t take everything on board which is where BCC forums and publications are wonderful.
“After diagnosis you’re overawed and scared. BCC introduce you to people who understand what you’re going through and can talk you through your concerns.”
With Anne back on her feet, she put them to good use last year to take part in Scotland’s first Pink Ribbonwalk and raised £500.
She explained, “I read about the Ribbonwalk last February. My friend Gill Gilmour volunteered to walk with me so I signed up.
“We started off walking small distances — and I mean small!” she laughs. “Every second day we’d go out, gradually building up to five miles, then seven once a week.”
Anne advises buying a good pair of shoes and varying the places you go walking. “It keeps you interested so you won’t get bored. We walked round Loch Leven and on the Fife Coastal Path.”
After three months of training, Anne and Gill felt ready to tackle the 10-mile route at Scone
Palace.
“It took us four and a half hours to walk 10 miles at our own pace and,” she says proudly, “we weren’t last!
“The finishing line is made up of pink ribbons and before you set off everyone is given a ribbon to write a message on.
“I dedicated mine to Mum. I was walking for her more than me,” says Anne, who is looking forward to the future and being five years’ all clear.
“I enjoyed the day. There are all shapes, sizes and ages, so no need to feel self-conscious. There’s lots of laughter along the way.
“If I can do it, you can.”
|
Next >>
