Andrea Devine is one of our very precious Breasties, she so kindly is sharing her story with us.
A Go fund me page has been set up to support Andrea during this time if you wish to support just follow this link https://www.gofundme.com/f/andrea-devine-appeal?fbclid=IwAR39HtFcYowBiC-17PArdrjUXCeWY9nLy8mFQ3GVViRgFDF9F0RcSJbIYk8
In her own words this is Andrea’s story
My Cancer Story
Where do I begin tell my story !! After I had my beautiful daughter Holly I discovered a lump in my right breast. Like a lot of people I brushed it off and didn’t go to get it checked out for a long time.
March of 2017 came along and I had then finally decided this lump isn’t going away I better go get it checked to ease my mind. After being to see the GP she examined me and then reassured she thought it was just a cyst and nothing to be worried about but anyway would fill in a form to get it checked in the breast clinic on St James Hospital, as at the time was only 29 years old there was a waiting of approximately 3 months to be seen, so 19th of May came along I had my 30th birthday party unknowingly what was coming my way.
I then did get an appointment for 13th of June 2017, on that day I was given the triple check – Ultrasound, mammogram and biopsy and told to come back in a week for my results. But only afterwards I realised as she said that she suggested it maybe be a good idea to bring someone with me on the day of results. 20th of June came along and myself and boyfriend Jay went into St James to hear my results.. Unfortunately was told the devastating news.. My lump was in fact cancer. My complete thought process went mental, I cried, I asked questions regarding my daughter who at the time was only 18 months old, my hair falling out etc.
As awaiting my appointment for the breast clinic I turned 30 years old on the 19th of May celebrating my 30th birthday party with family and friends.
July 2017 came along and it was time to then start treatment. 5 months of chemotherapy until Nov 2017, some lymph nodes taken from my armpit in December 2017 to check for any spread of the disease which thankfully came back clear. The new year came the 10th of January 2018, I made the decision to have a major 12 hour surgery to have both my breasts removed as a double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction in the hope that my left could be prolonged and I got to see my beautiful daughter grow up as I had gotten a test done and it came back I have BRCA 2 gene which would make me have a much higher chance of cancer coming back. My treatment didn’t end there, I received 1 year long injections of a drug called Herceptin this ‘magic drug’ which was an extra protection for the type of Breast Cancer I had. Eventually that finished up Sept 2018. It was a really horrible bitter sweet time for me then as my own Dad who had been battling cancer lost his batter an unfortunately passed away the same week I finished my treatment. I never really got to grieve for him and maybe even still to this day still haven’t. He was and always will be my best friend, my partner in crime, and the thorn in my side who I miss every single day, we got along so so well we’d have the best laugh together.
2019 came along and I thought to myself now this is my time to get my life back on track, my health back on track and enjoy every day with my daughter. Until March 2019 and I began to have have daily headaches that seemed to get worse, I had these headaches for a month but had been to see my GP who put it down to maybe stress, migraines and was given painkillers to ease pain. The pain didn’t go though, if anything they were getting worse. My GP gave me a letter and told me to head into A&E in St James Hospital to be looked at. I went on my own the 4th of April 2019 not knowing what was lying ahead. Spent hours in A&E where they gave me CT brain scan. Was called into a room by 3 doctors and told the devastating news that they could see something in the scan at the back left hand side of my brain and I needed to stay in hospital to be put straight onto steroids to relieve the pressure an fluid surrounding the tumour which was the cause of the headaches. Following on I got more tests an MRI to find out exactly. My brain tumour was ‘Secondary’ meaning it was stage 4, no cure and it was was from my breast cancer where they reckoned a tiny particle must have travelled through my blood stream an up to my brain. I stayed a couple of days in St James then transferred over to the care of Beaumont Hospital as surgery was my option. 9th of April I received my brain surgery with great success. In May 2019 as a precaution I got 3 day of intensive stereotactic radiation to the area of make sure everything was gone. As id been told I had my brain metastases which meant I could never be cured, i need every 3 month brain MRI’s to keep on top things and look for any recurring evidence of a brain tumours. A routine scan came along in Dec 2019, got my news in Jan 2020 that yet again a new tumour was evident in the same cerebellum area. This area of your brain controls balance an co ordination. Anyway, in Feb 2020 I received 5 days of more very high dose of stereotactic radiation that got rid of that one too. As I had breast cancer and now the 2 tumours being secondary my oncologist in St James wanted to start me on oral chemotherapy treatment but this was to be a “preventative” treatment in the hopes it will prevent me from getting more brain tumours. It was due to start in March but Covid came along and my treatment was deferred for 6 weeks. I was scared of having to wait an not receive my treatment when it was supposed to be. 1st of May the day arrived where I was allowed to start my treatment – 2 different chemo tablets..11 tablets in total a day. Another routine MRI scan came along in June 2020 and low an behold my now 3rd tumour to be discovered. Can all this be actually real??.. Can this be actually happening to me again?? The questions in my head went over an over again. My oncologist said we are going to scan you again in July, as we have not giving the chemo enough time to do its job or to hopefully do its job. July came a bit of good news came my way they said the tumour was stable. But as August came along I felt my eyes not feeling as they normally would. Now I initially assumed because months of treatment and lots an lots of chemo tablets was in my system it was having an effect of tiredness etc. If I woke from a nights sleep or from a nap I would feel my eyes being blurry an get double vision for about 45 mins or so. Time went on my eyes then became constantly all day blurry an double vision. But also in the summer time or before I felt like my swallowing just wasn’t right and my voice was getting hoarse which got worst over time and daily headaches and pain on my left eye.
Right at this moment I have been admitted to St James Hospital since 19th of October. Got a ct brain scan which shows my was stable tumour has gotten bigger on the back left side, a new tiny one of the right back side and then 3 tiny spots on my brain stem that is the cause of my eyes, my swallowing and my voice. The plan is to start whole head radiation on Wednesday the 28th of Oct daily for 2.5 weeks. It wont get rid of the tumours completely but please god stabilise for as long as possible and may go back to chemotherapy treatment once they see how I cope with the radiation treatment and how well that works. Because my voice is so hoarse too I will need to get a small procedure done on my vocal cord, a ct scan on my neck and I’ve been having pain in my hip about 12 days now where pain is travelling down my leg last few days so will need an mri scan on my spine to make sure nothing there an everything is checked.
My overall outcome doesn’t sound too good. Ive been told to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. It could happen suddenly, it could happen in months, even a year but it’s not going to be long.
I’ve to get things in place for myself and things and or any wishes I’ve wanted to do for my 4 year old daughter Holly. I wont be able to drive again. And the 3rd nerve is gone in my left eye, the pupil is dilated an doesn’t react to light at all. They said don’t expect your eyesight to go back to normal, hence why I wear a patch on 1 eye because I wouldn’t be able to make out where the floor was if I tried to walk with both eyes open at the same time. I’ve to get a procedure done on my vocal cords to as images from the ENT showed they are now asymmetrical (not matching).. This procedure may not even work probably a less that 50% chance if it will or my voice going back to normal. My eyesight, swallow and voice is due to the 3 spots on the brain stem itself, along with a new around 4cm on back right hand side and my previously stable one was 0.9cm but grew to now 2.1cm.
This treatment is going to be very very tough on me as its whole head radiation so damaging all my good cells along with the bad.
I’m definitely in no way ready to give up this fight. And will definitely try beat the odds. My head/mind is well an truly firmly set on that !!
Thank you for reading my story
Lots of love
Andrea xxx
