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A mother of two who has defeated breast cancer is now speaking to encourage other women to see if they are well before Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Glenda Burke of Porthmadog was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer in September 2017 after finding a lump on her right breast.
Following a lumpectomy she underwent chemotherapy at the Alaw unit in E, followed by radiation therapy at the Ysbyty Glan Clwyd cancer center.
The 54-year-old said: "I discovered the hump while I was in the shower, in early September of last year, and I called my GP on the same day to have it checked.
"When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I did not really know what I was feeling, it was a little fuzzy and I had the impression that it was happening to someone. one of the others.
"I had planned my lumpectomy on Oct. 13 at Ysbyty Gwynedd with my wonderful surgeon, Mr. Ilyas Khattak, whom I can not praise too much and who was incredibly kind throughout my treatment.
"He removed 36 lymph nodes from my right armpit and was told that, fortunately, the cancer had not spread further, which was a huge relief."
Glenda underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy after her operation to make sure she had the best chance of overcoming the disease.
She added, "Chemotherapy was the hardest part of my entire journey. I started to feel bad and lose my hair.
"I had never thought that hair loss would have an impact on me, but when it started to appear in clumps, it really upset me, mainly because, for the first time, I looked like to a person with cancer.
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"To make it a little easier, I decided with my husband to shave my hair, it was very annoying for both of us, but it helped me not to see my hair fall every day.
"I had my chemotherapy in six sessions every three weeks and although this was the most difficult part for me, it was facilitated by the extraordinary staff of the Alaw Day Unit and my formidable oncologist, Dr. Catherine Bale, who helped us all a lot.
"I was determined to conquer the disease throughout my life and my last part of the treatment was at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd for having 20 sessions of radiation therapy, which was a walk in the park compared to chemotherapy!"
(Image: BCUHB)
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the UK and more than 55,000 women are diagnosed each year.
Dr. Catherine Bale, medical oncology consultant at Ysbyty Gwynedd, said, "One in eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.
"We believe that breast cancer is due to the combination of our genes, our lifestyles and our environment. In a small number of cases, the genes for breast cancer belong to the family.
"The earlier the diagnosis of breast cancer, the better the chances of successful treatment.
"I encourage all women ages 50 and older to attend their free breast cancer screening appointments, which are extremely effective at detecting early signs of breast cancer.
"I would like to thank Glenda for sharing her experience in raising awareness and for her kind words about the teams who participated in her treatment."
Glenda hopes that her story will give hope to other people who are currently undergoing treatment to conquer the disease.
She said, "I got it all clear and it's amazing how much I feel normal after my cancer.
"If by sharing my story helps a person to go through what I've done, I will be very happy.
"It's a tough journey and you're going through very dark times, but it's important to remember that life after breast cancer exists.
"This experience has given me a totally different perspective on life, you enjoy the little things now.
"I was very grateful for the support of my friends, my family and my neighbors, but also many people I hardly knew who contacted me as co-cancer survivors and m & rsquo; Offered advice and encouragement.
"I can not thank the Ysbyty Gwynedd and Cancer Center staff enough for the support they provided, especially the breast cancer nurses who called only if I needed anything. it would be.
"We are really lucky to have such a fantastic health service here in North Wales."
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