Why we are Pink this month
We will donate £1 for the first 300 unique visitors to www.alphaontrac.co.uk this month. This is to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I was invited to join the Shropshire branch of Breakthrough Breast Cancer by a friend last year. This small group raises huge amounts of money by organising events in the county and the funds that are raised on a national scale go towards research into this very common disease. Most of us know someone who has been affected either directly or indirectly.
People often feel drawn to supporting a cause that has affected them personally but in my case it was the other way round. I joined the charity and 9 months later I was called to the local hospital in July following a routine examination. To say that this was inconvenient may seem like a massive understatement but the only way I could deal with this was to attend the appointment with complete belief that it was a mistake and an unwelcome interruption at a very busy time. I had just signed contracts for the merging of our business with The Ontrac Agency and being ill was not on the agenda. When the nurses asked me why I was attending alone and whether they could call a relative for me, it suddenly started to seem more serious. A biopsy was taken and I was sent away to await the result. A week later I attended again to be told that the sample taken was insufficient to be conclusive and another biopsy was taken. This second test revealed a suspicious area and I was booked in for day surgery. Fast forward four very anxious weeks and I was told by a beaming surgeon that the result was completely benign. It is apparently very unusual to get as far as having surgery and then have a good result so I was very lucky indeed.
I cannot put into words how I felt during that time. I also cannot express enough gratitude for the people with whom I shared the experience and who gave me so much support. In particular my friends in the Shropshire Breakthrough group. I guess I would have wanted to continue with my support of this very worthwhile cause with or without this experience but it has enhanced my empathy for anyone who has, or suspects they might have a disease that kills 1000 women in the UK every month. Mothers, sisters, wives, daughters – and men can get it too. Please visit our website this month.
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Tags: breakthrough breast cancer, charity, Shropshire, website
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