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Join Amy for the race of your life
Amy Bates of Stanground who is encouraging people to enter the Race for Life. Photo: David Lowndes/Peterborough ET
OVER the last 18 years, Cancer Research UK’s annual Race for Life has raised more than £400 million to try and beat this devastating disease.
CARLY LEWTHWAITE found out how you can get involved, and why raising awareness means so much to one city woman.
RACE for Life is the largest women-only fundraising event in the UK. Since 1994, women of all ages and fitness levels have come together at these inspiring events to walk, jog or run to help beat cancer.
Since Race for Life began, an incredible 5.4 million participants across the UK have raised over £400 million to fund the work of over 4,000 researchers, doctors and nurses dedicated to helping more people beat cancer.
Some of the Race for Life women take part in celebration of surviving a cancer experience. Others take part in memory of a loved one or to give hope for a cancer-free future. But they all share a common goal: to raise money for Cancer Research, UK’s groundbreaking work and to help save lives.
This year the theme encompasses the enormity of the fight faced by cancer sufferers each and every day – ‘It’s all of us versus cancer.’
Amy Bates (23) is one city woman who will be there on the day, no matter what.
Amy was just 21 when she was diagnosed with the same cancer that killed her grandmother in her 40s.
After coming to terms with the fact that she had breast cancer, Amy then had to face the prospect of having both breasts removed.
Since then she has undergone a gruelling four month course of chemotherapy which saw her lose her hair, cope with radiotherapy and endure major surgery to remove and reconstruct one breast using muscle from her back.
Despite still recovering from treatment, Amy was determined to take part in Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and to volunteer to help ‘Paint Peterborough Pink’ as part of the charity’s ‘Join the Fight for Women’s Cancer’ campaign to beat breast cancer.
“When they asked for volunteers to help Paint Peterborough Pink I didn’t hesitate to put myself forward,” said Amy, who lives in Stanground.
Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump on her breast. She went to the GP straight away thinking she might have pulled a muscle while exercising and was referred to a specialist.
Because of her age, nobody believed it was anything more than a cyst, so she didn’t receive an ultrasound for another four months.
“I was really worried about having a cyst and having it drained by a big needle,” said Amy. “It didn’t occur to me that it could be cancer.”
On the day of the ultrasound, specialists were unable to get a conclusive result, so Amy was given a mammogram. Those results also came back inconclusive, so she was given a needle biopsy the same day.
“I probably cried because it was painful, but I was still thinking it would be a cyst,” said Amy. “When I went back for the results a week later there was a doctor, a breast care nurse and a surgeon in the room and it still didn’t occur to me that it would be anything bad.
“When they told me I had breast cancer I just froze. My best friend Sarah, who was with me, started crying and eventually, after the initial shock, I burst into tears, too. I couldn’t take any of it in but the breast care nurse wrote everything down for me so we sat down afterwards and went through everything again.
“Then, after we’d had a cry about it, we tried to make ourselves laugh. Sarah had just found out she was pregnant so I remember saying to her, ‘you’re going to be fat and I’m going to be bald.’
“I put off going home because I really didn’t want to have to tell my mum. I knew she was going to be the hardest person to tell. When I told her I don’t think I even mentioned the word cancer. I just told her it was the worst thing that could possibly happen.”
Sarah’s mum had lost her own mother to breast cancer when she was just ten years old so finding out that her daughter had the same disease hit her especially hard. To make matters worse, Amy’s father had also been diagnosed with cancer of the nasal cavity at the time she was pregnant with Amy.
Amy’s next big hurdle was starting an intense course of chemotherapy which involved six cycles of drug treatments over four months. After just ten days she developed an infection and had to spend four days in an isolation ward at Peterborough District Hospital.
“It turned out I was neutropenic, which meant I didn’t have enough white blood cells to fight off infection,” said Amy. “I hadn’t realised just how life threatening that was. If I hadn’t gone straight into hospital I might not be here today.
“While I was in hospital my hair started to fall out. I hadn’t been too worried about losing my hair but I was devastated when it happened. Waking up in hospital with my pillow covered in hair was just awful. As soon as I came out of hospital I asked Sarah to bring round the clippers and she shaved my head for me that day. I felt much better after that.”
The following four cycles of chemotherapy went relatively smoothly for Amy but, just after her last dose, she was hospitalised with another infection. Fortunately she recovered just in time for her brother’s wedding and, although still weak, she managed to walk down the aisle as chief bridesmaid.
“After that I saw the surgeon to discuss the next step and that’s when I found out I would have to have a full mastectomy and all my lymph nodes removed,” said Amy.
“That was quite a big blow to me as I’d been expecting just to have the lump removed. It’s quite a hard thing to deal with, especially as I’m so young.”
Major surgery to remove the breast, lymph nodes and surrounding tissue and reconstruct the breast using muscle from her back, took place at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge on December 21 two years ago.
Amy said: “I was in a lot of pain but mum came in every day and she really spoilt me by bringing lots of extra presents in on Christmas Day.
Despite the successful surgery, doctors decided to give Amy a three week course of radiotherapy in March as a further precaution against the cancer returning.
After inconclusive tests to determine if Amy has any genetic ‘markers’ making her likely to develop breast cancer again, she has made an important decision.
“I’ve now taken the decision to have a mastectomy and reconstruction on the left side as well,” said Amy, an admin worker at Morrisons in Stanground. “That was quite a difficult thing to decide to do but that’s better than having to worry about getting cancer again.
“I hope to have children of my own one day and I just want to do all I can to ensure that this cancer never comes back. I have a lot of life left in me and don’t want to have to worry about it.”
Amy is scheduled to have her final operation in the next few months, so she is unsure if she will be able to participate.
She said: “I’m not sure if I’ll be running this year because I don’t know when the operation is yet, but even if I can’t take part I’ll be volunteering on the day.”
The last time Amy took part, she wasn’t feeling her best, but described Race for Life as “amazing” and encouraged as many people as possible to take part.
She said: “I ran it for the first time just after my treatment and wasn’t exactly on the right side of being fit, but the atmosphere is absolutely amazing and makes you feel like you can do it.
“The race is so personal to everyone, who is either running in memory of a loved one or for themselves. The atmosphere is one of celebration and you get a real rush of energy.
“I would urge anyone who can to join me and do their bit to help fight breast cancer for good.”
The Evening Telegraph is looking for inspirational stories about how people have dealt with cancer. Call John Baker on 01733 588726 or email john.baker@jpress.co.uk.
To find out more or to enter, visit raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org or call the Race for Life team on 0871 641 1111.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
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speedyshane
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:32 AMGood luck to you Amy. You're an inspiration to us all!
swineshead
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 08:26 AMAmy, congratulations to you on your courage, best of luck to you and your family in the future.
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