Daffodil Diaries - Ruth Maxwell

“At first, I thought it was an issue with my bra, an issue with the underwire. However, even after changing this, the pain didn’t go away. So, I decided to visit my GP in December and get myself checked out.”

At the start of 2024, Ruth Maxwell from Boyle, Sligo began experiencing ongoing and persistent breast pain.

‘To be honest, I had put off any type of health check for quite some time. In 2016, I was a victim of a random knife attack that was incredibly traumatic. For so long, I didn’t want anyone near me or people touching me at all. Injuries from the attack also meant I was unable to perform a self-check.'

My GP was unhappy with what she was feeling and sent me to the symptomatic breast clinic for further tests. In March I had my appointment, I had a mammogram and an ultrasound, they then said they were going to take a couple of cells for further testing. Even at this point, it didn’t quite sink in that I might be about to get bad news.

When I went back into the office, the consultant and nurse were waiting for me. They told me that it had been caught early and asked if I could come back next week for the final results. I was in total disbelief; I asked the nurse if this meant I had breast cancer and she nodded.

I had a two-and-a-half-hour drive home ahead of me, I called my partner to tell them the news, I worried about how I was going to tell my kids about the cancer. The knife attack had upset them so much, I didn’t want to put them through that again.

Waiting for the results from the biopsy was extremely challenging but when I came back to see the consultant, I was told that my breast cancer was treatable. I visited the Irish Cancer Society Daffodil Centre and spoke with the nurse; she gave me a booklet on my cancer and what to expect.

"That night sitting by the fire, the nurse had circled all the sections that I would need to understand. That booklet honestly became my bible, guiding me through everything."

I was booked in for a lumpectomy and also had a biopsy of my lymph nodes, which thankfully came back clear. After my surgery I was scheduled for radiation treatment. I look back at that time and just feel utter exhaustion, with every session of treatment I had 5 hours of travel there and back.  

After I finished all my radiation sessions, my scans thankfully came back clear. My doctor recommended I go on medication for the next 5 to 10 years but I made the decision not to do this due to the side effects.

I began to have negative thoughts and worries about my cancer returning, I was brought back to the aftermath of my knife attack. I had always been worried if I was going to be attacked again, now it was the cancer that kept me up at night. Both were such massive traumas in my life.

"The earlier cancer is caught, the easier your journey."

I decided I wanted to reach out and avail of all the support services that were available. I spent hours on the phone the Irish Cancer Society and they let me know about my local affiliated cancer support centre. I was overwhelmed by all the support available and the level of care offered.

Reflecting on her experience, Ruth says, “I encourage anyone reading this to get any symptom that feels unusual and persistent checked out, even if it makes you uncomfortable for any reason. The earlier cancer is caught, the easier your journey."