"I am determined to live my life as well as I can, for as long as I can. "

Tracey’s Story

My journey started in February 2020 when I found a worrying lump in my breast and went to my GP for advice.

I was checked over, but they said that they couldn’t feel anything and it wasn’t something that I should worry about, so I was sent on my way and just carried on as normal working as a carer /cook assistant. I loved my job, but it was really hard working though the pandemic, so when my friend asked me to join her on holiday, I had no hesitation. It was the best holiday ever, we had so much fun, but when I was holiday my breast started to look different to normal, naturally as soon as I got home I went straight to an out of hours doctor to get checked and he immediately sent me to the breast clinic.

There I had a mammogram and an ultrasound. They also told me they wanted to do a biopsy and that it would be performed a week later. When the results came back, they said I did have breast cancer after all and it was Grade 2, it was also in both breasts. It had spread to my lymph nodes too, so I started chemotherapy treatment almost immediately.

Not long after, I was sent for another breast MRI and 2 weeks later they told me it had spread to my sternum and spine. They also told me my cancer was stage 4 and now incurable. I felt so angry because it was now October and I had originally queried the lump way back in February. Not only was I angry with my GP, I was angry with myself for not being persistent and getting a second opinion at the time.

I was in shock, all could think about was my husband Ben and my two lovely boys Nathan who was then 15 and Charlie who was 9.

But I’m not going to sit around and be sad all the time, I am determined to live my life as well as I can, for as long as I can. Some days are harder than others when I think about my uncertain future but I really try not to let in get me down. I can’t wait to be part of Maggie’s on the Runway so I can get dressed up to the nines and storm the catwalk with my fellow Ricks Chicks xxx