A CROSSGATES woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 32 has spoken about the confidence-boosting support she received after treatment.

Deanna McLauchlan took part in the free ‘Moving Forward: living with and beyond breast cancer’ course last year, provided by Breast Cancer Care in partnership with NHS Fife. The four-week course starts again tomorrow (Friday) at Lynebank Hospital from 10am-1pm and aims to provide information, support and professional guidance.

Through advice given to her and her family, Deanna’s older sister and mother have found out that they also have a gene which increases the risk of having breast or ovarian cancer.

Deanna explained, “I have the brca2 gene which means I am more likely to have another cancer so I will have to have another mastectomy and have my ovaries removed.

“I am on injections that shut down my ovaries and on an implant which is oestrogen-blocked for 10 years. “When I found out about the brca2 my sister and mum got tested and they tested positive for it – they will both need mastectomies and ovaries removed.

“I’m known as Mrs Cancer – because I know a lot now thanks to the group and I pass all this information on to them!” Now 33, Deanna, who is a visual merchandiser for Next, told the Press how she coped with cancer.

“I was diagnosed in August 2013 with breast cancer. I found a lump back in the June time and because of my age it took a while. I had a week of IVF because they told me that all the cancer treatment would damage my fertility. I have 12 frozen embryos in storage now for a later date,” she said.

“I then had my mastectomy about mid-October and started chemotherapy. I also had to have a few emergency operations during that time.

“I began to get really ill because of the chemo and that continued right through until the start of last year. In March, I finished the chemo and started radiotherapy in the July.

“In that time I found a group of people my age and going through breast cancer. This group was really good for me because I had not met anyone my age going through the same thing. A lot of women in the waiting rooms in the hospitals were all 60-plus and they weren’t thinking about the same sort of problems like fertility and reconstruction.

“It was then I was told about Breast Cancer Care who told me about the Moving Forward course.

“The course at Lynebank Hospital really allowed me to ask all the unanswered questions I had. The surgeon who was taking the sessions happened to be my surgeon. I got to ask him a broad spectrum of questions rather than be rushed in a 10-minute appointment. It was nice because it was in a social setting and we could go over a lot of things and get more information about cancer.

“I think they told us more of the things that are covered over to protect you in the early stages but I am the sort of person who likes all the information.

“They also brought in special prostheses – all different kinds like for swimwear – which was really great for me because I was going for a spa weekend with my friends and I was needing one of those to help me feel more confident.

“It was good to be able to see and hold them – they didn’t just give us the online sites to go on. The course also covered nutrition and talked about the menopausal side effects. “I do believe you can talk to friends and family but if they haven’t been through it they don’t know first-hand what it is like so it was nice to find people who did.

“The course overall gave me confidence and I felt more knowledgeable about the illness. When you are going through it, it is really scary and you go to appointments and you maybe take in a few words so it is good to go back over it and know about the diagnosis and the long prognosis.” Deanna told the Press about life after the course – she’s now engaged to her partner Stephen Wilson and is planning their 2016 cruise wedding in the Caribbean or Mediterranean with friends and family.

Claire Thomson, services worker with Breast Cancer Care Scotland, said, “We understand the need for support doesn’t end when treatment finishes and know that people can often be left with many unanswered questions.

“This course will cover a range of topics and will be an invaluable service for people affected by cancer to help them approach life after treatment with more confidence.” There are still places on the next Moving Forward course which starts tomorrow (Friday). Contact Breast Cancer Care on 0141 353 8330 or sco@breastcancercare.org.uk before attending the course and for more information. Following this course the next one will start on 5th June.

Visit www.breastcancercare.org.uk/services to see what support services are available.