“And I just couldn’t believe that somebody who was meant to love me could treat me in this way.“I found a community of women that were just amazing and they really helped me.

The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer.Cassie’s pain was further exacerbated by her partner of two years ending their relationship. “You sort of feel like you’re the only one going through this.”“I didn’t recognise myself. I had to learn to love my body again.

She has given up alcohol, she exercises regularly and loves weight training. If it’s treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body.“I was just so scared. I had to literally give up control of my body and hand it over to a team of strangers who were trying to save my life.”Heartbreak is a physical pain. I just felt completely and utterly deserted and rejected

Her GP immediately issued an urgent referral for a mammogram, which led to the discovery of two tumours, one 1in (2.5cm) long and another 0.4in (1.1cm). “I couldn’t deal with both things at once; it was too painful.”

“I had two tumours, and life sort of changed forever.”Over eight months, Cassie, from Essex, endured over 60 medical appointments, including chemotherapy, a mastectomy, and breast reconstruction where flesh was taken from her stomach. She says the diagnosis has evolved her personality for the better and she is using her experiences to help others with her Instagram account @all_the_breast_.“I kept my hair, so I’m using all of that pain and I’m turning it into a purpose, which makes me feel so happy.”Doctors told her that if she had left the cancer undiagnosed for much longer, it would have escalated and become terminal. 

“I’m turning the pain of my experience of breast cancer into power and I am building a community on Instagram where I help people, especially around cold capping, because people are constantly told that it doesn’t work and it worked for me. Cassie Harrison

“He wasn’t strong enough, so I had to almost put my feelings for him on pause because I was fighting for my life, and it really was that bad. “These also have their own side effects which are pretty horrendous, but I’m alive and I beat it, so I can only be grateful.“I felt like I was starring in a film and nothing was real, I was just this part in this film that was sort of going on and that eventually the film ends and you’re left with the healing process after treatment“But it was absolutely petrifying. It was gruelling. I was scared. My life as I knew it completely changed. “After the operation I was cut from hip to hip and that tissue and skin was used to rebuild my breasts.  She also had a week of radiotherapy and was put into a medically induced menopause.  “My two best friends are just amazing, and I also reconnected with a lot of people that I had spoken to about my breast cancer diagnosis on Instagram.“I journaled what I was going through in the hope that it would help other people, while also searching for answers myself.“I feel like I have a lot more patience. I think that’s the one thing that cancer has taught me, so I’m quite grateful for that, for this experience, and I am using my voice. “She felt something and referred me immediately to the breast unit, which I attended about three days later. “It was quite easy then to let go of my ex because I just thought, I don’t want that noise in my life anymore. 

‘It was just a horrendous time’

Most breast lumps aren’t cancerous, but it’s always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following:She says it appeared to pull upward toward her neck, looking distinctly different to normal. It wasn’t until she felt a grape-sized lump upon returning home that she sought medical attention.“I just want to be around people that make me feel loved and make me feel safe, and it’s brought a lot of peace.”“It made me realise that life really is so short, so people I no longer allow people who don’t bring me joy in my life. “Two weeks later I was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I’ve now met so many incredible ladies that are a part of my life and will always be a part of my life, but I really had to lean into love and relinquish control and let people help me. Just a week later, her long-term partner ended their relationship, leaving her to face the battle alone.Source: NHS

“I think once the treatment ended I probably felt more rejection and heartbreak because I was able to then actually deal with that. BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK.“I’ve got an incredible support network. My friends are my family. I only have a very small family, and I got through it with the help of my mum. Cassie says: “I noticed a really big change in my breast shape and I knew I had to do something about it, so I booked an appointment with the GP.  “I’d managed to keep the hair on my head, but it was thinning and I had gaps.Cassie says the news left her racked with worries for the future. As a mum, she was terrified about leaving her daughter behind.“He broke up with me the week after I was diagnosed,” she says.

“The chemotherapy is almost like torture because you are so poorly you can have a bit of a bounce back in between sessions, and then you have to be poisoned again, so that was just hell.She says: “When I went in for my mastectomy, I’d had eight rounds of chemotherapy over a six-month period. “I was just exhausted, felt very sad and quite angry,” she says. “But I have to say, what it has made me do is really address things in my life.“It was just the most terrifying experience when you’re actually faced with your own life and the prospect that you’ve got cancer and you think you’re going to die.Cassie “battled” to keep her hair using a cold cap, and fortunately it worked.A MUM had her world turned upside down after she noticed a change to her boob while on holiday.“I wasn’t even perimenopausal when they tested me, so I was put into a medical menopause because my cancer was driven by oestrogen,” Cassie says.“Heartbreak is a physical pain. I just felt completely and utterly deserted and rejected. 

“You can feel really isolated. I felt very lonely at times, even though I had an amazing support network around me. Cassie Harrison

Cassie first noticed her left breast changing shape while on holiday in Lanzarote in July 2023.  Cassie no longer has any cancer cells in her body.“I didn’t work. I was lucky enough to have a year off to get through cancer and to get through chemo and the surgeries that I’ve had. “I was quite direct and outspoken, not in a sense to upset people, but I’ve never really had any issues with making friends and building relationships and, and now I feel like I’m actually a kinder person,” Cassie says.“I had no eyelashes, no eyebrows, and I’d lost all the hair on my body. “That’s really difficult to do because I’m so used to doing everything myself.”“I couldn’t stand up straight and I had scars all over my body.“I was so weak and I had really lost my confidence,” she says. Cassie Harrison, 47, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023.“It was a complete shock,” she says. 

“I had a 15-year-old daughter and I’m a single mum, so all I was thinking about was her.“They really looked after me. They really supported me. They took me to all of my appointments. Despite her instincts, she chose not to address her concerns during the trip, not wanting to worry her daughter. “It was a horrendous time – the sleepless nights just questioning why he wasn’t there, why didn’t want to do this with me, why he wasn’t looking after me – it was really tough.“I’m a single woman, so that concerns me for the future. Is anybody going to find me attractive again? I’ve got boobs that don’t match anymore after all.”“She was very practical and she would keep the house really tidy and cook and clean for me, and then my friends were like my emotional crutch. “I don’t want to feel anxious anymore. I don’t want to be second guessing. Cassie says it was her own inner strength and the love and support of her family and friends that pulled her through the nightmare.“You just feel like utter crap after chemo, it strips everything from you.”My experience has made me realise that life really is so short, so people I no longer allow people who don’t bring me joy in my life“It was just so surreal and I lost a lot of confidence.”

“But it was a really surreal experience and really, really tough to go through,” she adds.Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue.