Laura is raising awareness and raising cash!

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story and updates on Instagram!

I’m Laura, I am 33, and I have breast cancer. Luckily I’ve caught it early, and I think this is down to incredible charities like Coppa feel. 

 

I didn’t find a lump at first, I breastfed my daughter for nine months, then 15 months later, I got milk-like discharge from my boobs and put it down to hormones and my period. Then I got a shooting pain across my right breast from under my arm to my nipple. It was so painful, grabbing my breast and stopping me in my tracks.

 

I went to the GP and she assured me there was no lump and it was nothing to worry about, hormone changes are normal. But to be safe she will refer me to the breast cancer clinic. Two weeks later the night before my appointment at the breast clinic, I found a lump deep inside my right breast.

 

At the clinic, I had ultrasounds, checks and a biopsy on the lump. A week later it was confirmed as a small 9mm cancer and cancer in my lymph nodes under my arm too.

 

Since then I’ve had surgery to remove the lump and all my lymph nodes removed as well. I have frozen embroys to ensure we still have fertility in the future and on March 21st 2022 I started chemotherapy.

 

This is typically a disease for older people; I didn't think I needed to worry about being young, fit and healthy! I’m at the start of creating our own family, the middle of my career and was thinking about moving house; now I’m looking at fertility options, menopausal symptoms (from ovarian suppressant injections) and hair loss!

 

I knew that discharge from the breast was a possible symptom of breast cancer because of many posts shared by people across instagram around breast cancer. I believe it’s important for charities like Coppa Feel to keep spreading awareness of breast and other cancers in young people!

 

CoppaFeel! are the first UK breast cancer charity to create awareness amongst young people, with the aim to install a new healthy habit that could one day save a life. They are on a mission to stamp out late detection of breast cancer and ensure the nation is checking their boobs regularly. They want to educate people on the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, encourage them to get to know what is normal for them and empower young people to have the confidence to see a doctor if they notice anything that isn't right for them.