With no physical signs or symptoms, Trudy from Shrewsbury was shocked to receive a breast cancer diagnosis following a routine mammogram.
Fortunately, she’s found that participating in a variety of activities from the Lingen Davies Wellbeing Programme has introduced her to a friendly community of people with shared experiences, helping her process her cancer diagnosis.
She is now a keen advocate in encouraging people to participate in the NHS cancer screening programmes.
Trudy, 64, had recently attended a routine mammogram appointment when she was told, on Valentine’s Day, that she had breast cancer.
“It was a complete shock. I’d had no signs or symptoms and just couldn’t believe it, I don’t know why. In fact , don’t they say one in two people will experience cancer in their lifetime now? I just didn’t expect it to be me.
“I was lucky because the cancer was in the very early stages, but of course I didn’t know that in the beginning. As soon as you’re told the news it’s like you’re on a roller-coaster, and to start with it’s almost like clockwork. There was a letter every week… an appointment here, an appointment there. The worst part was waiting for test results; fearing the worst, hoping for the best.
“In the beginning you’re just constantly thinking about having cancer and it was frightening. It feels like you’re bombarded with literature, but I’d rather have too much to read than not enough. I made sure I looked at everything as I like to make sense of things. That way I knew what people were talking to me about during appointments. I really can’t speak highly enough of the NHS in Shropshire because the care I received was excellent.”
It was when she was reading through the literature she was given that Trudy came across a name she recognised – Lingen Davies Cancer Support.
“Over the years I’d often driven past the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, and when I was scrolling through Facebook, I spotted that same name again, Lingen Davies. There was a post talking about a free activity at Fordhall Organic Farm and I wondered whether I should go and see what it was like.
“I thought to myself that I could just go along to one meeting and see if I liked it. I wasn’t sure what to expect but decided to give it a go. I liked what I read about the ethos of the farm and the activities on offer looked really interesting. I had been to one of the breast cancer support groups before my surgery but that was all I’d done at that point.
“Back then I couldn’t talk about having cancer without crying, but in a room full of strangers where everyone was in the same position there was a feeling of absolute understanding.
“I hadn’t really considered the supportive element of attending the group. I remember saying to one of the women that I hadn’t told my daughters yet about my diagnosis because I didn’t want them to worry. There never seemed to be the right moment and things were still very uncertain. She’d had cancer for several years and told me about her experiences with telling people about her diagnosis. She was so upbeat and positive despite having been so ill. That really helped me to be more optimistic.
“As far as Lingen Davies goes, I’m so grateful. Yes, I could’ve found lots of activities by myself, but I probably wouldn’t have bothered. This programme has opened so many new doors to me, and I’ve decided to carry on with a lot of the things I’ve learnt and experienced. They definitely keep you out of your own head. A lot of them are outside in nature too, which I find very therapeutic”
“I was just so lucky they found my cancer early. I keep telling people that whatever they do, they need to go to their screenings. For me, the cancer was tiny really, but it was there, and it would’ve grown. People often talk about feeling a lump but for me there was nothing there at all. I’d felt absolutely fine.”
To remove the cancer, Trudy was recommended surgery, followed by five days of radiotherapy treatment.
“Surgery wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I’d assumed I’d be out of action for a while, but I wasn’t. Obviously, I needed to be careful with lifting anything too heavy, but I was surprised that I didn’t need painkillers or anything.
“After my radiotherapy I got some discomfort a few weeks later, with lots of tenderness and sore skin. I still get tired more easily now but seem to be busy most of the day.
Trudy’s initial treatment has now come to an end, and she’s begun her five-year journey on hormone tablets.
“Taking the hormone tablet is the worst part for me. One of the side effects is muscle ache and joint pain. I already suffer from arthritis, so I thought that’s all I needed adding to the list! I also had a persistent headache for a couple of months, which was miserable.
“Fortunately, my aches and pains are so much better when I’m active which is one of the reasons why I’ve done so many of the activities on the Lingen Davies Wellbeing Programme.”
In total, Trudy has tried several of the activities on the Wellbeing Programme which are freely available to people in the region living with and beyond cancer.
“I’ve been to Fordhall Organic Farm several times, Yoga with Jenna Blair, Sound Baths with Katy Joy, Nordic Walking with Cathy at Telford Town Park, and I’ve done the creative programme at Swan Hill Studios. I’ve also done the iCan and LiveWell programmes.
“The Sound Baths with Katy are amazing and I’ve been to sessions she runs outside of the programme. I think these have been the most beneficial for me, I don’t know why. It just really makes you slow down and relax which is good for me as I’m always on the go.”
Alongside experiencing new activities and learning different crafts, Trudy has found that the people she’s met have made the biggest difference.
“Some of the people I meet I just think, ‘Wow, you’re amazing!’. One woman was just so positive and the length and intensity of treatment she’d been through makes mine seem minuscule, but she’s doing okay. She’s back at work and it just gives you hope.
“I really can’t speak highly enough of the Wellbeing Programme. There is such a wide variety of interesting activities that I honestly believe everyone could find something they enjoyed. Everyone running the sessions has been so welcoming. They’re all so approachable and I’d tell anyone that’s hesitant about starting an activity to speak to the provider to help put them at their ease. All events have been totally nonintrusive and I’ve laughed a lot.
“I’m very fortunate I’ve got a lot of support from friends and family, and my husband is absolutely brilliant. When I’m having a moan and groan in my head, I remind myself to stop because I’m not having to go through any of this on my own.”
I can only go on how I’ve felt, but as soon as you hear the word cancer your world changes.
None of us knows what the future holds and this sort of thing really does make you stop and think. You’re going to have bad days – after all, we all have bad days – but life’s very precious.
