10
Loading video...
By Alyce Collins
Senior Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
As a mom-of-four with a husband who is regularly deployed, I am used to managing everyone else and running a household. I do my best to stay on top of my fitness by going to the gym whenever I can, my husband and I even use it as an opportunity to have what we call “date runs” together. I FaceTime him from the treadmill and we run or walk while catching up.
It has become our routine, but one morning in March I suddenly woke up with a sharp pain in my right breast area. My initial thought was that I had pulled a muscle during my workout the previous day.
I gave it a few days, but the pain persisted. That left me wondering if the underwire from my bra was actually causing the problem. Not thinking much of it, I used it as an opportunity for a bra fitting. Over the last two years, I have lost over 80 pounds, so I did need to invest in some new ones anyway. I bought some new bras without an underwire, thinking that was the solution.
Read More on Health
Days passed but the pain did not go away.
...
After around a week of this constant ache through my right side and into the breast area, I started to wonder if maybe it was related to the C5-C7 spinal compression I suffer with. That can be exacerbated by sleeping awkwardly and it sends shooting pains down my arms and back. That happens infrequently, but when it does occur, the pain lasts for several days.
This did not feel the exact same as it was more of a dull ache, but I was running out of answers. My husband urged me to see a doctor after 10 days, so I went to get it checked just to be sure. The GP asked if I had sustained any trauma or injury to that area which would explain it, but the answer was no.
As a result, they referred me to the hospital for a mammogram and ultrasound scan two weeks later. The mammogram was perfectly clear, but the ultrasound did reveal a lump. Still, they did not seem overly concerned because they could see liquid in the lump and believed it was a cyst or fat necrosis.
‘I Never Expected Those Words’
I went back around five weeks later for another scan, and during the appointment, the sonographer called for a second opinion. She had spotted a second lump this time and it was the same size as the first one. The decision was made to take a biopsy, and because the second lump was already the same measurement as the first, they biopsied both areas.
That was the worst pain imaginable.
I still really was not thinking much of it, but then I got a call a week later asking me to come back in. I took my eldest daughter to the appointment, I was sat down by the consultant and then told that I in fact have cancer.
...
I was in complete shock because I was of the belief that it was just a benign cyst. I never expected those words to come out of my doctor’s mouth. After telling me I have breast cancer, he then proceeded to say that “the good news” is that it is grade one.
Everything runs through your mind after hearing something like that. There is so much unknown and while I try to block it out, the physical pain is a constant reminder. Every time I feel a new ache or sensation, I fear the cancer has spread further in my body.
I have had an MRI and am waiting for test results before treatment can start. Although I will be having surgery soon and radiotherapy, that much I do know.
I would love my husband to be by my side, but we have to be sensible about when he takes leave from work. Once I know when surgery will take place, he will come home to support me. It isn’t what he wanted either, but the bills still need to be paid. After all, a cancer diagnosis does not mean the world stops spinning.
I still have to work too, even though I just want to hide away and be in my own bubble sometimes.
‘Being Brave For My Children’
Two of my children are in their twenties, and the younger two are aged 15 and 9, so I had to handle this carefully. The night I found out my diagnosis, I sat them all down (while on FaceTime to their dad) and told them everything. I wanted them to be clear on where I am and what is going to happen next.
I do not want to hide this from them, but I refuse to display sadness in front of them. I tell them if I am in pain, but I want them to see me carrying on and being brave.
...
My life has largely remained the same, for now. I am still working, looking after my children and keeping their usual routines. I am a super strong person who finds ways to cope, often through comedy. When I got to sleep, everything shuts down and I have a break from it all. I think when I finally see my husband will be the moment I break because I don’t need to hold it together once he gets home to take over.
My message to others is to always check your breasts. If you are unsure about something, get it looked at and ask for more tests.
Samantha smith, 46, who resides in the U.K., was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2026. The mom-of-four has been documenting the early stages of her journey on TikTok (@samantha.smith795) as she hopes to raise awareness and offer hope to others. This experience has also encouraged her to make a difference, as Smith and her family are fundraising for the charity, Cancer Research UK.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines