A woman with Stage 4 cancer has said she will be in treatment for the rest of her life because a doctor told her the lump on her breast was nothing to worry about.
Muireann McColgan was 31-weeks pregnant when she found the lump and she immediately went to the GP.
She also had nipple discharge - another symptom of cancer.
“I was told it was mastitis and sent on my way,” she told The Hard Shoulder to mark Daffodil Day.
“I was told I was too young; I was told that we don’t worry about lumps and bumps when we’re pregnant.
“I was sent on my way and, luckily for me, I was with the midwives at Holles Street and one of them spotted it and urged me to get a second opinion.
“I did and, long story short, two-weeks after I gave birth I was diagnosed. Unfortunately, it was Stage 4 when they found it - which means it’s incurable.
“So, I’ll be in treatment for the rest of my life.”
A doctor examines a mammogram snapshot of the breast of a female patient on monitors. Picture by: Oksana Krasiuk / Alamy Stock PhotoMs McColgan described her treatment as “less severe” as it is designed to prolong her life rather than cure it.
“I take tablets every day, I get shots and I get follow up scans,” she said.
“So, I look relatively normal, I don’t look like I have cancer - thanks to the new drugs.
“But I’d give anything to have that curative treatment but it’s not an option.”
Ms McColgan hopes that by sharing her story, she will encourage other people to be vigilant about their health and get a second opinion if needed.
“If my GP had sent me for a mammogram on the day that I presented with a lump, I could have been diagnosed earlier,” she said.
“I could have been diagnosed at 32-weeks pregnant.
“When I went to the mammogram assessment clinic that day, they straight away told me I had cancer without even waiting for the biopsy results.
“So, it was fairly obvious to them; I just always thought, ‘The doctor’s right.’”
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Also on the programme, Fianna Fáil Senator Teresa Costello recalled how she was diagnosed with breast cancer 11-years ago.
“I wasn’t breast aware,” she said.
“Hence, after my diagnosis I’ve been trying to educate women on their breast health.
“I went from being a seven day a week gym member with long blond hair to being bald with no eyelashes.
“Life was put into perspective very quickly for me - and unexpectedly.”
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Senator Costello started treatment in August 2013 and finished at the end of June in 2015.
She was on hormone treatment for 10-years after that.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” she said.
“My son was five; I started my chemo on Friday September 13th, I’ll always remember that because he was six on the 12th.
“I looked at the child and I questioned if would I be there for his communion.
“It has a ripple effect; telling my Mam and Dad I had cancer, it was horrible.”
Anyone who wishes to donate to Daffodil Day and support cancer patients and their families can do so here.
Main image: Daffodil Day. Picture by: Newstalk.com
