‘We Need To Be Vigilant’: 3 Irish Women Share Their Breast Cancer Stories

Rachel’s Story

It’s been just over two years since Rachel McKenna, 41, first found out about her cancer diagnosis. Shortly after giving birth to her son Elijah, Rachel noticed that something was off. But through raising awareness and supporting greater research, Rachel hopes that metastatic cancer can move away from being a terminal illness, to a long-term illness that is lived with.

“I had quite a difficult pregnancy. I ended up having an appendectomy at 17 weeks. I had covid, I had gestational diabetes and I had pelvic girdle pain from week seven of my pregnancy. After I gave birth my pelvic girdle pain actually got much worse. I was also really, really tired. I mentioned this to my midwife at the six-week check, thinking it may have been long covid and she referred me to my doctor for blood tests, which revealed nothing.

“A couple of weeks later, I got these aches and pains all over my body and I mentioned it to my doctor, but I was told that it was all more than likely pregnancy-related. In May 2021, I found a lump in my right breast. My doctor recommended a breast check appointment and also a physical therapist to help with the pain. She also thought that I should get an MRI for the body aches. I had my MRI in August.

“Two days later I got a call from my doctor with the results who told me that my spine was covered in lesions. She explained it was cancer and while I was in shock, I thought if it was breast cancer, I’ll be okay, not realising it was stage 4 and inoperable. The following day I was admitted to the hospital for tests, some of which showed I had five vertebrae fractures. I actually didn’t realise just how bad I was but I am very, very fortunate with the staff in the Hermitage who really looked after me.

“Soon after I got fifteen rounds of radiotherapy on my cervical thoracic and lumbar spine and did some biopsies. It was then I was told I had stage four metastatic breast cancer and that it had travelled to my bones. This first admission saw me staying in hospital for a month. However, after being released for just three days I was readmitted due to an infection. This meant that I was unable to begin IV chemotherapy, so I was put on oral chemo and hormone tablets instead and continued on this until my review at Christmas.

“Unfortunately, over the holidays I began to feel unwell and I was readmitted once again in early January. They did an MRI scan and found that the cancer had spread to my femurs and into my pelvis, to the point where it was causing the tops of the femurs to crumble so I underwent surgery in both legs. That was the darkest period I had experienced so far.

“Covid was rampant, I was in a shared room which meant that I couldn’t see my baby and I rarely got to see my partner. The recovery process was tough. You know, cancer has so many drawbacks and so many difficult aspects to deal with, but what I struggled with was the loss of independence. I also felt so guilty when it came to my child.

“You have an expectation as to what you’re going to be like as a mother and cancer stole that away from me. After months and months of recovery, in August of last year, I got well enough that I decided I was going back to work part-time as a teacher. I was so fortunate to have the support of my boss and my colleagues, and it was just so nice to get back and have a sense of routine and independence again, which I had lost so much of during my cancer journey.

Then, in July of this year, I was told the cancer had spread to the skull. So I’m on a new cancer treatment where I get a hormone injection every three months and another injection every month as well as a chemo tablet. Thankfully, it hasn’t spread to the brain and we did radiotherapy and I’m feeling much better now.

“I’m not going to say that it has been easy, it’s been far from it. But I think what has made it easier has been the love and support from people. And the likes of Breast Cancer Ireland, who have allowed me to use my voice. During pregnancy or in the twelve months after pregnancy it’s considered to be pregnancy-related cancer, and that’s not something that anyone is really made aware of.

“So, we need to be vigilant and constantly check our breasts before, during and after pregnancy. I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. That might seem bizarre to some people but I remember saying to my partner Aidan that I felt like I got this for a reason. If I can go through this and learn how to cope, it might be a way to help other people. If you’re going through something similar, remember that you are not the diagnosis. Going forward, I just want to continue to make memories and spend time with my baby, friends, family and my partner, who I’ll be getting married to next July.”

Lisa’s Story

Shortly after noticing an abnormality on her right nipple, mother of two, Lisa McGrath,39,  was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer. Now, over two years since her diagnosis Lisa shares that she’s determined to not let cancer dictate her life.

“In July 2020, I noticed a disfigurement in my right nipple. After about a week or two, I made an appointment with my GP and after explaining my symptoms, they took me in straightaway and found a lump. I was referred to the Symptomatic Breast Clinic in Galway and about a week or two later I arrived for my appointment where they did a triple assessment, including a mammogram, biopsy and ultrasound.

“Two weeks later, I received my results which confirmed that it was cancer. They told me they were going to organise a lumpectomy, and the date that they had scheduled was the day my little boy was due to start school. So I started to cry. I don’t know whether it was because of the cancer or the fact that I was going to be missing his first day of school. The surgery went well and within two weeks I was back in again with the results; the margins were clear and two out of six nodes had cancer cells in them.

“Plans for chemotherapy were then put in place as a preventative to ensure it wouldn’t spread. But while waiting for chemo and after doing a number of scans my oncologist called me to say they noticed something unusual. That’s when they did a biopsy on my spine where they found that I had developed metastatic breast cancer, which meant it had moved from the breast into my bones. The first thing I asked was, ‘How long have I?’ But he said to me, ‘I don’t know Lisa, it all depends on how well your body reacts to the treatment.’

“Thanks be to God, three years later, I’m still on the same treatment, my scans are positive and I’m doing well. The treatment can definitely be tough. I travel from Clare to Galway once a month, for injections and bloods, and then I’m on an oral tablet at home for 21 days and then off for seven. However, I gathered information and spoke with my sister, who is a palliative care nurse and found out this treatment has very promising results and many patients survive for years, keeping the cancer stable.

“I definitely have my good and bad days. From the start, the way I looked at it was I could either lie down and sulk about it or get up and go. Also for the sake of my children and husband, I needed to fight and do as best as I could for them. Mentally, I think I was strong enough to get through the bad days. I have so much support from family and friends, and of course just my two smallies, Harry and Katie keeping the bright side out for the two of them, which really kept me going.

“Their support is just exceptional. Since my diagnosis, my sister was also diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s finished her treatment and is back to work now, but it just kind of shows the statistics because there’s no previous history in our family. I think the most important thing you can do if you know someone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer is to just be there for them, without smothering them.

“Everyone’s story is different and symptoms are different, so just to be there for them and let them know that. Now, going forward I just try to take every day as it comes. I suppose, before my diagnosis, you debated whether to go on holiday or to buy the shoes or whatever it is. But now my own personal opinion is to live in the moment and make memories.”

Shauna’s Story

Shauna Comiskey, 30, was just 28 when she discovered she had breast cancer. After a mastectomy and fertility-affecting treatment, she hopes to have children and focus on her beauty business.

“It was January 2021 when I first found a lump. I was in the shower checking as I always do and rang the doctors the following day to go in and get checked. When you’re my age, they think it’s nothing, but because my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years previous, they said they would refer me to get checked out. This was also at the height of covid, so it took a while to get an appointment.

“I think it was April by the time I actually got seen. I was referred for an ultrasound just in case and while I was waiting on the ultrasound, another lump came up that was actually quite painful. I rang again and they put it down as urgent. But my ultrasound didn’t come through until the end of June. After the ultrasound, they found three lumps in the breast and they did biopsies. Then on ​​July 7th, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“A week later they rang and said they wanted to do a full mastectomy which I was happy to do, so I got booked in for my left mastectomy and decided not to get reconstruction right away as I didn’t know what my treatment plan was yet. After testing the cancer they discovered that it was Stage One B, so I was literally right at the start, thank God. It was also hormonal as well, which meant I’d have to shut my ovaries down and get tablets to block my hormones because cancer is hormone-fed. Knowing this, I decided to do IVF.

“I’ve been with my partner for eight years now ​​but we were very happy that we were able to go through with it and even got four embryos from it, which is amazing. Because my cancer was hormonal, we decided to use Zoladex instead of chemotherapy, which is an injection that I get every four weeks for five years, and that’ll keep my ovaries shut down.

“I’m in menopause at the moment, and will be for the next three years. I also had to get radiation for three weeks on the left side where the breast was removed and in between that as well, I got diagnosed with the Brca2-positive gene. The Zoladex treatment has definitely been the hardest. I think the only positive part about it is not getting a period, but it’s weird as well because you’re young, you’re meant to get a period, you’re meant to be able to have kids. The one thing I’d love to do is have kids, but I’ll have to wait until I’m off all my treatment and hopefully, my ovaries will then go back to normal.

“Because it’s not a natural menopause, I get all the symptoms, but I’m used to it now. You learn how to deal with it. You have to get on with life and I have been very much positive the whole way through. Going to the gym has helped a lot. So has fundraising, helping to raise awareness and just talking about it and not going in on yourself. If you know someone who has been recently diagnosed, my biggest advice is to just be there for them. There would be days where I would look at people going on nights out which I couldn’t do, so have days where you just sit with them or do what they want to do. Listening to how they feel is so important.

“Now I’m just waiting for my next mastectomy and then I’ll get my double reconstruction, so I’m looking forward to having a little bit of a normal body again and definitely building my business, Shauna Comiskey Beauty – my little getaway, while I have the time.”

​Rachel, Shauna and Lisa are Breast Cancer Ireland Ambassadors for the Very Pink Run. Find out more at www.verypinkrun.ie.

This article first appeared in the October 2023 issue of STELLAR magazine. 

• breast cancer
• health