My SBC Journey: Kayley

15th November 2020 SBC & Me

My SBC Journey

When I was diagnosed with SBC in 2018 I was told my cancer never went away and I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2011then secondary 2018.

Weird thing is I never felt right, I always felt ill eg fatigue, body pain/aches from primary and I was always back and forth to the GP. It got very embarrassing cos I was always back and forth for around 6+ years and around the 4th year think the GP had enough of me and she put it down to fibromyalgia but I wasn’t having any of it so I changed my GP beginning of 2017. I still wasn’t feeling well and I did my back in for the 3rd time so I had MRI, lots of tests found out I had a slipped disc then I fell super ill in December 2017, had to stay in hospital for a few days, I lost a lot of weight they couldn’t find what was wrong my bloods were up and down my back was still playing up had loads of scans, test etc had a colonoscopy that just showed I had very very mild symptoms of Crohn's disease, still my back was playing up and then I had another scan on my back in march showing a slipped disc nothing else, still feeling unwell, went on holiday in summer 2018, before this I went out for a run and my hip went and ended up walking home in pain, pain eased went on holiday and one day I was in super pain in my leg, cant really describe the pain but it was scary and I couldn’t walk that day so stayed in and rested was ok the next day, home from holidays and went for another un, hip/leg went again and back still wasn’t feeling right so went back to GP who told me to go to physio that didn’t really do anything the pain was getting really really bad, went to GP in tears she gave me morphine went home I couldn’t do anything due to pain and couldn’t walk, i GP myself to see my back consultant in November 2018, she examined me and she said it wasn’t my back it was my pelvis and hip, had an x-ray and in the mean time i ended up in a wheelchair. The x-ray showed cancer.

So from then on, I had to wait for space in my local cancer centre had biopsy that was really painful due to my body being in so much pain, had more MRI’s etc.

Then finally went into Velindre and had radiotherapy; the first few times I went it was awful, my anxiety hit the roof I was scared, shaking so bad I had to be given medicine to calm me down, by the last couple of sessions if radiotherapy I was better dealing with it.

I stayed in Velindre for a week to control my pain it was such a scary experience and all mixtures of feeling were going through my head eg. was I going to die, my sons, my mum, my extended family, it was a very scary time and the funny thing is while I was in Velindre one of the doctors was checking me over my heart etc and he looked a bit concerned and he was asking me a a few questions and he came out telling me I had a heart murmur, I thought OMG anything else you want to tell me I have.

Anyway I was sent home just before Christmas which was nice and my parents looked after me I stayed with them had my own little bed downstairs and my mum was may rock and is my rock, my hubby was brilliant looking after my son (his stepson) at home.

One day I woke up and said to myself I have had enough of sleeping downstairs I need to try and get upstairs, I was still weak and my pelvis etc was still healing so I though right I’m going to get upstairs so i said to my mum, mum I’m going to go for it and give it a go.

So with all my strength and holding on to the bannister I did it and I was so pleased with myself. I started to go for tiny walk with crutches and I was finally getting stronger and eventually stopped using the wheelchair was using crutches for a while 2 of them but went down to 1 then nothing but sometimes use 1 of them when I’m out for a long time.

At the beginning of my diagnosis my anxiety was awful, I couldn't go anywhere without my mum, couldn’t go to restaurants/shops full of people and I use to cry a lot so my GP put me on sertraline & eventually found the right dose and I was a new woman, I could cope better and started to live my life again. Some days are amazing and the odd day I worry and get sad but I can cope it I sometimes have to cry on the odd day but I tell myself it's ok to not feel ok and don’t be so hard on myself

I have found a new treatment called cryotherapy and I can’t bang on how amazing it is and how I feel after having it it’s just brilliant and I have reflexology now and then which is lovely.

My advice is go to your GP and tell how your feeling take the meds that will help you.

Treat yourselves with well being treatments buy them shoes, don't be hard on yourself, it’s ok to not feel ok.

Have that cry, talk, talk, talk.

Recently I had more radio therapy, and changed my treatment I’m now on capecitabine, have 2 injections each month. Take care all, treat yourselves like you're a princess

I would like to add a massive loving positive thank you to Make 2nds Count.