There’s a scene in iconic series Sex in the City where wild woman Samantha throws her wig in the air in frustration at her hot flushes as she drips sweat while talking at a posh cancer research benefit dinner.
A group of women who will know all too well how Samantha felt are showing a similar kind of bravery as they take to the catwalk for their modelling debut in Galway to raise funds for breast cancer research.
Dubbed the Pink Ladies, the six women all have their own unique breast cancer story. Their decision to strut their stuff before a room full of people must surely be a daunting one.
But as one of them – Sinéad Melia – is quick to point out, after getting through cancer, this is akin to a walk in the park.
Although Sinéad had never had any family history of cancer, when she lifted her arm to get dressed one morning and found a tiny lump she was struck with sheer panic. After visiting her GP, the 29-year-old from Cloonboo was sent to see a consultant who ordered an ultrasound, mammogram, x-ray and biopsy
“July 9, 1914 is a day I’ll never forget. I was told it’s not good news. I couldn’t remember what else they said. All I heard was breast cancer.”
The next few weeks were a blur of scans and tests to see where else it had spread. Hers was fuelled by hormones and within three weeks her treatment plan was set.
“It was the Wednesday of Race Week. Instead of being in Spain on a planned holiday I was in getting chemo.”
The first four rounds of chemotherapy were particularly punishing as she was hit with nausea and pain. The last four got easier. This was followed by 28 sessions of radiotherapy, five days a week, and then surgery to remove the lymph nodes and a mastectomy and a reconstruction.
“The surgery was the thing I was most apprehensive about. I’d never stayed in hospital before in my life. But it was good to get it done and feel it physically removed. Then you feel your mind is actually catching up with the body.”
She found it helpful to set little goals while taking things day by day. While she had good and bad days, she has learned a lot about herself throughout the process; she has made new friends and has had new opportunities that she would otherwise not have had.
“I was a worrier about every little thing. Whereas now I remind myself: you got cancer and survived. It changes your outlook. It makes you appreciate the real things.”
Sinéad worked in a call centre before her illness but now hopes to pursue a career in fashion and beauty. Fatigue is still a major problem for her. If she was to give advice to others who hear the ‘C’ word, it would be to stay as positive as they possibly can.
“Don’t google too much – it always highlights the worst outcome on things no matter what you search. I thought I would be constantly worrying about it coming back but no. The treatment I got was so good – the advances in the last 15 years alone mean the treatment is tailored to you.”
Tuam native Yvonne Dolan decided to get tested for the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 which show a high risk of developing cancer.
Both her mother and father died from cancer, her sister had recovered twice from breast cancer while her best friend and cousin had also been diagnosed with breast cancer.
It took nine months to get the results and they were positive.
As a result she had been seeing a breast cancer specialist once a year, checking her breasts regularly and doing sporadic MRIs. She had just decided she would follow the example of actress Angelina Jolie and have a double mastectomy as a preventative measure.
“It was July 2013 and my whole world came crashing down. I found a lump in the shower. I was running at the time and thought I’d built up a bit of muscle. I went in to get it checked out and they came back and said we’re sending you for a biopsy.
“That was unusual, they hadn’t done that before. Six days later I was told it was breast cancer. You’re crying, you’re upset, I didn’t know how to process it and handle it. My best friend and I sat around a table and drank bottles of wine.”
While it was caught early, it had already spread to her lymph nodes. She immediately began chemotherapy in the Galway Clinic, a round every fortnight.
“I would bring in my DVD and was watching Breaking Bad. Here he was cooking up meths and here I was hooked up to a load of chemicals.”
For Yvonne, losing her long blonde hair was the most traumatic aspect of the experience.
“Before that you don’t look sick but when you lose your hair you look sick. I knew from my mother and sister about lumps coming out so I made an appointment and shaved it off and got a fantastic highlighted wig in Donnybrook. I got more compliments about my hair – I actually looked better coming out than going in.”
Yvonne decided to get a double mastectomy and get her lymph nodes removed for utmost caution. But the surgery was extremely tough and she felt like a car had driven over her. It took a long time to lift her arms, something she still finds painful.
“The biggest motivation was storing the wine glasses on the second shelf at home and climbing the wall like a spider to practice lifting my arms,” she recalls smiling.
She needed a second surgery to remove the expanders in her chest and the temporary implants, replacing them with the permanent ones.
The office manager for the engineering company Wood Group Kenny in Parkmore returned to work after a year, is back running three times a week and recently moved to a rented apartment in Barna.
“Myself and my husband have cats, not children, and we were rattling around in this big house in the country. I wanted to be nearer the city, have a fresh start, near the sea,” she explains.
“We’re like two teenagers, out every night like two rascals. Before I was a bit hesitant about doing things but I think cancer has changed me for the better. When opportunities come up now I embrace them. I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to leave my homeplace before.”
The Spring Fashion Show hosted by Breast Cancer Research takes place on Thursday, April 21, at from 7pm at the g Hotel. MC for the event will be RTE’s Teresa Mannion with designs and collections from Áil Rúin, Anthony Ryans, Brown Thomas, Colette Lachford Galway, Don’t Call Me Dear, Ellie & Dal, Harper, Kilkenny Shop, Suzie Mahony Designs, Muse by Dee, Niamh O’Neill, Olivia Danielle, Optique Opticians, Treasure Chest and Willow.
Proceeds from the event will support Breast Cancer Research, a national charity which is funding the research team at the Lambe Institute for Translational Research to advance its work focused on personalised medicine, breast regeneration and innovative diagnostics and therapeutics.
Tickets are €35, which includes a pre-show reception, can be purchased through the website or by email email or call 091 863 917.
The post Former cancer patients take to the catwalk appeared first on Connacht Tribune - Galway City Tribune.