Defiant True-Life
When I received a shocking diagnosis, I was determined to beat all odds...
Annabel Mulcahy, 39, from Oxfordshire
Stirring from my slumber, I felt my long hair tickling my chest.
It was 3am, and still half-asleep, I went to push it away with the palm of my hand. But then I felt something strange.
What’s that? I thought, suddenly very awake.
It felt like a lump on my left breast. And grabbing it with my fingers, I realised it was the size of a Kinder Egg.
Jumping out of bed, I ran to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.
As I stared at my reflection, everything around me went blurry.
What the hell is that? I panicked.
But then my fight or flight kicked in.
There’s nothing I can do now, I told myself, getting into bed. I’ll phone the doctor first thing.
Somehow, I managed to drift off back to sleep.
But waking up the next morning, as I got breakfast ready for my girls – Emily, then three, and Olivia,11 months – I couldn’t concentrate.
It’s nothing to worry about, it’ll be a cyst, I told myself.
But still, I knew that it was worth getting it checked out.
So with my husband Chris, now 50, away on a work trip, I took myself and the kids along to the GP that afternoon.
I was young, only 30, so the question of whether it could be serious didn’t cross my mind.
‘OK, there’s definitely a lump,’ she said. ‘And your lymph nodes are swollen, too.’
‘It’s not going to be cancer, is it?’ I replied half-jokingly, as Olivia crawled on the floor and Emily banged toys happily.
‘I’m far too young for that,’ I added.
My fight or flight kicked in
‘It’s very rare,’ she said. ‘But we’re going refer you to Swindon Hospital for an ultrasound.’
The doctor sounded so serious, it made me worried – I was scared, but also relieved that it was being taken seriously.
Coming home, I distracted myself by playing with my girls and in the evening, Chris phoned for our usual catch-up.
‘How was your day?’ he said. I didn’t mention the appointment, not wanting to worry him. Only, when he asked me if I was OK before we said goodnight, I knew it was time to be honest.
‘I found a lump last night,’ I admitted.
‘Oh my God,’ he said in shock. ‘I’ll get an early flight home.’
Then he went into practical mode. He normally had a tendency to over panic, but this time he didn’t – and him taking some of the responsibility off of my shoulders was a big help.
My mum Angela, 75, came to look after the girls while Chris came with me for my scans.
‘It’s not a cyst,’ the doc
