My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of January 2019 and had his prostatectomy on 22nd February. I was diagnosed two weeks later with Epithelial Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma and had major surgery at the beginning of March. Recovery has been very challenging, as both of us have been incapacitated! However we wouldn’t have managed as well as we have done without the support and physical help of wonderful family, neighbours and friends. I am due to start chemotherapy very soon and will be attending my first oncology appointment on Monday.
My husband is a BRCA1 gene mutant(!) and passed the gene mutation to both of our daughters. Both had breast cancer in their late twenties and endured a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sadly our elder daughter was diagnosed with metastasised stage 4 breast cancer seven years later and died in 2016, twenty months after diagnosis. I walked with her every step of the way so know a lot about chemotherapy including drug trials - all second hand. Now it’s my turn to endure chemotherapy but I have the same wonderful Oncologist that she had. Whoop, whoop! I have a brilliant Clinical Nurse Specialist too so feel hugely supported and very optimistic.
I am happily married for 47 years, retired for nine years now, am a grandmother to two grandsons (7 and 8) as well as a one year old granddaughter.