A 29-year-old mum who found she had breast cancer while breast feeding her newborn child has urged others to regularly check themselves.
Melissa Dye’s son Jack was just a few weeks old when the Long Sutton mental health nurse noticed the lump.
She and healthcare officials initially thought it was something to do with breast feeding before the diagnosis last October, ten weeks after Jack’s birth.
But after having the cancer removed last week she finished her last bout of chemotherapy and has been given the all clear.
Melissa said: “When I found out I had cancer I was really upset and scared for the future.
“I was most scared I wouldn’t see Jack grow up.
“I found a small lump when breast feeding in August and mentioned it at my six-week post natal check up.
“Everyone thought it was just related to breast feeding but luckily my GP referred me to the Breast Clinic where they decided to do a biopsy as by the time I was seen it was quite a large mass.
“When I was told the cancer hadn’t gone into my lymph nodes I’ve felt mostly positive, though there are obviously times when it’s still scary.”
Last week Melissa rang the bell at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, to mark the end of the precautionary chemo treatment.
She’s now looking forward to getting back to more normal life with the now eight-month-old Jack and her husband Ben.
“The support I have received has been amazing.
“From friends and family helping me look after my son and myself after surgery and during chemotherapy and just generally being there for me.
“I’ve also had a lot of support from the team at the Breast Unit and Macmillan Centre at QEH.
“They have gone above and beyond and every turn to look after me and help me come to terms with everything
“The charity The Big C in King’s Lynn have also offered support as have a charity called Mummy’s Star which is specifically for people who experience cancer during or shortly after pregnancy.
“This has inspired me to worry less about trivial things and reminded me how important family is.
“Next for me is to recover and enjoy life.
“I want to celebrate turning 30 this year and really want to go to the Glastonbury Festival at some point.
“I just really want people to be aware that this can happen even to younger people.
“They should check themselves regularly and always get advice on anything they find, even if they think it is something else.
“I was really convinced that this wasn’t anything to worry about.”
Melissa’s plea comes in the same week that health leaders at NHS England and NHS Improvement have urged people who suspect they may have cancer symptoms to seek medical advice despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Latest figures have revealed that there has been a sharp drop in cancer referrals as patients are not contacting their GP for health advice. Referrals from GPs were down by 66 per cent in the week ending 19 April 2020 compared with the week ending 1 March 2020.
Research has also found around a third of people would be worried about seeking out medical opinion on their symptoms. Getting coronavirus or giving it to their family were among the top reasons that people would not come forward when they have cancer symptoms along with fears that they could be a burden to the health service.
‘Help us Help You’, a major public information campaign, has now been launched to encourage people to contact their GP if they are experiencing the signs of cancer.
Nigel Sturrock, Medical Director at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, said: “From online consultations to the roll-out of cancer treatment hubs, we are doing all we can to make sure patients receive the life-saving care that they need.”
For more information about the signs and symptoms of cancer visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/symptoms/
