First and foremost I am a mum and wife, my children and husband are the most amazing, understanding, kind and caring humans I have ever known. I was in my 20's when I was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Within 3weeks of the diagnosis I'd had a radical mastectomy and a few months later I had 6months of chemotherapy and a months worth of daily radiotherapy but knowing that I would be cured was what kept me fighting through the harsh and exhausting treatment. 2 years later I had 12 hour surgery to have a new boob built from my own fat and tissue and I was so relieved to be given the all clear. We continued to live our life as a happy family.
It was around a year later when I noticed a niggling pain in my chest. I mentioned it to the consultant who prescribed me some pain relief gel to rub on my chest and said it was probably nerve damage. The pain wouldn't go so I continued to hassle the consultant and my gp for 14 months. I was given a range of different reasons for the pain, chest infection, pleurisy, nerve damage. But not cancer.
I saw the oncology consultant for a medication review and mentioned the pain to him. He sent me for a scan the same day and then phoned me the following day to go and see him.
Then I received the news I'd been terrified of hearing for the last 2 years and my absolute worst nightmare became a reality. My cancer has returned and has spread to my bones, little sprinkles of tumors all over my body but a big one in my chest.

I'm sat here crying as a type this because I can't quite believe that it's real. How can I be dying? how am I meant to come to terms with the fact I'll be leaving my children without a mum and my husband who has been my best friend for the last 10 years?
I'm desperate to try alternative treatments to help me survive for as long as possible. With NHS treatment I'll survive a few years but that isn't long enough...If the NHS had examined me thoroughly when I first had the pain, I wouldn't now have to beg for my life 💜