This time last year Manx resident Helen Newbery noticed an 'unusual bump' in her breast.
A regular walker and four-time finisher of the Parish Walk, Helen put it down to inflammation from a sports bra she'd been wearing during a recent 100-mile trek along the South Downs Way.
However, after a month without change, a visit to the doctors revealed she had two types of breast cancer.
Between August 2023 and January 2024 Helen endured several rounds of chemotherapy, multiple radiotherapy sessions, and a bilateral mastectomy.
In February, just a month after surgery, she decided to try and get back to her pre-cancer fitness levels and challenged herself to walk 1000 miles to raise money for the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group.
So far, via her JustGiving page, she's raised £13,000 for the charity.
Helen says: 'The Breast Clinic at Nobles Hospital, Isle of Man, is supported by the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group. This charity has raised millions of pounds since it was formed in 2012 and now, as I come to the end of my treatment, I would like to add to those millions in some small way.'
After ringing the bell at the top of Slieau Freoaghane, signalling the end of her challenge, Helen sat down with Manx Radio to talk about the impact of this last year on her and why she now wants to set up a new walk and talk group for anyone going through the same thing.
In the summer of 23, I noticed an unusual bump, but initially put it down to sort of information from my sports bar, having just completed a hundred mile trek across the South Downs way. With no improvement after a month, my partner was sort of, let's go to the doctor, and more or less, then it was a month of hell of scans, biopsies, tests, waiting, which eventually led to a diagnosis of not just one breast cancer, but two breast cancers, one in each. What was that moment like? I think I was just numb, numb to it, and it all felt surreal really. So tell us about your treatment if you can, what did you have to go through? So within my second diagnosis on the 9th of August, by the 23rd of August, I was sat in the chemo chair, I had six rounds of chemotherapy every three weeks, which finished just before Christmas. After Christmas, I had a bilateral mastectomy on January the 10th, and then I had radiotherapy, the beginning of March, and that was 15 sessions. Six months ago now, you set yourself this target, was that, was the goal to return to peak fitness? Yes, that's exactly it. I had the surgery, I was slowly trying to get out each day walking, and I thought, actually, let's just set a goal here. Ultimately, with the parish walking, mind thinking, I'd like to do a bit of it, which started with, let's go to Russian, then peel, and then thought, actually, as my fitness improved, let's just get to laugh. Because you have completed it before, haven't you? I have, yeah, four times. Breast Cancer Support Group, how much have they supported you over the years, and why choose them as your chosen charity? I guess because the Breast Clinic at Naples Hospital is supported by the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group. It's raised millions of pounds since it was formed in 2012, and I wanted to add to those millions of pounds, just in a small way. All the money remains on the island, and they're continually fundraising to equip the unit with the best possible highest spec equipment, which is reassuring when you have a diagnosis. Post Recovery, how has this challenge helped? I think it's just, I've just remained fit throughout it, and you know, it started, you know, there were some bad days where, you know, I could just about do a mile, and then, you know, you're going out all the time. This challenge has allowed me to reconnect with friends and clock watch the miles, so, you know, you're looking at 166 miles a month, roughly, at five, six miles a day, so it's, you know, perfect excuse to get out and walk in. And it's given you some ideas about the future and about how you manage your own treatment and how others might benefit from what you've learned. Yeah, so I guess, you know, it is all about keeping healthy, and I was lucky to meet some amazing women along the way with the same, with the same diagnosis, each with a different story to tell, and we've helped each other get through the good days, the bad days. We've walked and talked in the sun, in the rain, and some people aren't so lucky enough to find that kind of support. So I really would like to set up a safe space to walk and talk, so sort of a breast cancer support walk and talk group. I'm currently channeling my energies into the relay for life, and once that's done, I'm going to channel my energies into focusing on setting up this group and probably called something like breast foot forward. What would you say to somebody who finds himself in the same position that you found yourself in this time last year? Don't Google. Dr. Google is a bad move. You're never going to hear success stories on the internet. You're never going to hear at those stories where people have had a success and have moved forward. Seek help. So the breast cancer support group have a very active Facebook page, and you will meet people in the breast clinic, and you do befriend them, but you're not alone, I think, is the message. Check your boobs. Anything else you'd like to mention? Just thank everybody that supported me, particularly my partner, who's been with me right by my side from the beginning, my family and my friends, really, with all the love and support, you know, everyone that's reached out and raised this amazing amount of money. Thank you for making it to the end of the Manx Radio Newscast. You are obviously someone with exquisite taste. May I politely suggest you might want to subscribe to this and a wide range of Manx Radio podcasts at your favourite podcast provider, so our best bits will magically appear on your smartphone. Thank you. [Music] [BLANK_AUDIO]
