Dublin mum diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer: 'I was very lucky… get advice from doctors, not the internet'
Dublin mother Caitriona Plunkett (37) has urged people who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer to seek their information from a doctor rather than the internet.
She received a diagnosis of breast cancer nearly three years ago, and spoke out about her experience on Daffodil Day today.
From Malahide, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in June 2016.
Ms Plunkett, who is mum to Corinne (11) and Gavin (9) was diagnosed at an early stage, and it hadn’t spread to her lymph nodes, making treatment more effective.
“I was very lucky that I found a lump myself. I had it for two weeks, and it didn’t go away,” she said.
Her GP referred her for further tests, and a few days later she got the official diagnosis of breast cancer.
She underwent chemotherapy and had a mastectomy.
“I had my right breast removed and then I had reconstruction,” she added.
Ms Plunkett was relieved to get the all-clear, and has remained in very good health since then.
She said her advice to other women who get the shock diagnosis is not to go searching it up on the internet, where reports about the cancer can be very out of date.
“There is so much research being done at the moment, thank goodness.
“It so important to ask the people who know, whether it is your doctor, or your consultant,” she said.
She said that she found the Irish Cancer Society’s cancer nurse line a great help during her illness.
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