Daffodil Diaries - Amy Carswell

“When we check ourselves, we’re not just checking for a lump”

In August 2021, Amy Carswell, then 43, noticed a difference in her tissue on her left breast above the nipple. 

“The texture of the tissue had changed. I monitored it for a few weeks, but it persisted, so I decided to go to my GP. That was a Monday and by the Friday, I was in for my triple assessment. I remember during the mammogram, there was a discharge from my nipple. The radiographer said it might be from a cyst. Nothing showed up from the tiple assessment, so they sent me on my way.”

By January 2022, Amy was still concerned about her symptoms. “I still felt that change of texture in my tissue and I pushed for another referral. By mid-February I was seen to and again, the consultant was pretty certain the changes in my breast were just hormonal. I was referred for an ultrasound and thankfully got a cancellation appointment for the 1^st of March. I went in for the ultrasound and they told me they were also going to do a mammogram – not the most thrilled because I wasn’t prepared for that. But they spotted something. They did a further ultrasound and performed an ultrasound guided biopsy, but said that it wasn’t detailed enough. They then told me they wanted me to come back Monday for a mammogram guided biopsy. 

“My fear of breaking the news to my children was slightly lessened because of working in the health system, but it was still very hard."

"Right on cue, my whole family came down with Covid for the first time after I went in that Monday and so I delayed going back to the hospital to get my results." When I did go in, that was 16 March 2022, I went alone, and my sister stayed outside in the car. It was then that I received my diagnosis for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). I felt relief to know what was wrong. I think it is really important to say that while my cancer was present in that August visit to the hospital, due to the nature of this type of breast cancer, it wouldn’t have been detectable back then. Because it is DCIS, there were calcified nodules – tiny bits of calcium – throughout my breast tissue and this was very difficult to capture through the triple assessment scans. I work in cardiovascular research myself, I have worked in the public health service and I feel that gave me the confidence to persist and to go back again in January and ask for that re-referral. I think it is so important for all women, medical background or not, to persist if changes in your body don’t feel right. Thankfully I did.”

 “My fear of breaking the news to my children was slightly lessened because of working in the health system, but it was still very hard. My two children then were 10 and 12. I told them I had cancer right from the get-go. My parents were very open and honest with me and my siblings when my mother was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma way back in 1985. I was 7 then and although the cancer reoccurred another three times since then, she is still with us today. Their grandfather, my father, was diagnosed with osepheheal cancer in 2020 and he survived for a further 3 and a half years with a stage IV diagnosis. They were familiar with cancer and I wanted them to know what was going on.”

For her treatment, Amy was told she would require a mastectomy and possibly no further treatment. “But then further scans revealed cancer had spread to my lymph nodes and my breast cancer was also HER2+ positive which means it was hormonal and fast-growing. After finding out the cancer was more aggressive than initially thought, I required chemotherapy first, which began in mid-April 2022 over six cycles. I became sick very quickly and experienced quite  a number of side effects. I lost two stone, I couldn’t eat and suffered from symptoms like morning sickness and my senses were affected, my hearing, sensitivity to light and my sense of smell. After three rounds of chemo, they reduced my dosage because of the side effects. Thankfully, I got through this with medical support to try curb some of the side effects and with the amazing support of my husband, family and friends.”

“Looking back, about two weeks after my chemo ended, menopause hit me like a train. The symptoms were really overwhelming to deal with."

“My chemo ended in August and my surgery was due for September. I opted for the mastectomy and reconstruction surgery together but there was a slight delay because I got COVID a second time. Because my surgery was pushed out by a few weeks, that meant I was able to go to Garth Brooks in Croke Park! My daughter, sister and her husband all got to go the gig and it was a great distraction from everything that was going on. For my surgery, I would have gone for the DIEP reconstruction where they take fat from your stomach but because I had lost so much weight, I ended up going for the silicone implant. This all went fine but for my next bit of treatment, my radiotherapy, this caused an issue as tissue around the implant got damaged from the radiation.”

Amy completed her treatment by April 2023. “Looking back, about two weeks after my chemo ended, menopause hit me like a train. The symptoms were really overwhelming to deal with. I was on a cocktail of medicine to fight the different issues, the hot flushes, the anxiety, the joint pain. When menopause is induced like that earlier on because of treatment, the symptoms are more severe. Within a year of my radiotherapy ending, I felt the reconstruction of the breast didn’t feel right. I met the breast surgeon in August 2024 and the silicone was fine, but the tissue around the implant had contracted. Thankfully, after a bit of a delay, I was able to have this surgery in February 2025 and I’m doing well now.”

"We have to be our own advocates and take action when we spot something.”

A further issue Amy would like to highlight is the longer-term financial impact of a cancer diagnosis. “I was incredibly fortunate with the support of my workplace. I had income protection for the duration of my treatment, which was brilliant. I don’t know how people would cope with life and bills going on without any salary coming in, so I am thankful for that. But something that has hit me harder is the return to work on a phased basis. I was in my early 40s getting cancer, I have a lot more years ahead of me of work and right now, I don’t feel like I’ll ever have the energy to get back up to full-time work again. While I don’t expect to be paid full-time for working four days a week, the corresponding reduction in salary seems to be just a financial impact of cancer that I never even thought about, and it is going to be with me for many years to come.”

Finally, Amy wants to highlight the importance of checking your breasts and knowing what is normal for you. “Looking back at my diagnosis, spotting that change in my tissue and knowing it wasn’t right and seeking the referrals is what meant my breast cancer was caught relatively early before it had a chance to spread beyond my lymph nodes. I think it is really important that women familiarise themselves with the range of changes in your breast that could potentially be breast cancer symptoms – when we check ourselves, we’re not just checking for a lump. In my case it was a change in tissue texture. We have to be our own advocates and take action when we spot something.”