Moira & Louise – October 2023, first night away celebrating the end of radiotherapy
Moira:
“At the age of 58, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2023 – I’ve been through some dark times since then, but after all my treatment, I’m now feeling well and living for today. I can’t wait to take on the Half Moon (13.1 miles) at The MoonWalk Scotland with my daughter Louise and to give something back.
Towards the end of 2022, I felt a lump in my breast, but wasn’t concerned. I’ve always attended my regular mammograms and they’ve all been clear. We had no history of breast cancer in the family and in fact no cases of any type of cancer. I didn’t think for one minute that my lump was anything sinister.
I work in a doctor’s surgery and kept thinking that other people needed our appointments more urgently than I did. Time went by and then one Monday, there was a cancellation – the last appointment of the morning. It felt like it was meant for me and I put my name down. My doctor thought the lump was probably nothing but that she would refer me to the Borders General Hospital for further tests, including biopsies, just to make sure.
I had to wait a week for my test results and it truly felt like the worst week of my entire life. It was such a dark time and I thought I was going to die. I was finally given the news that I did have breast cancer and it was so hard telling my family. For all or us, it was a real bolt from the blue and a huge shock.
However, once I’d seen the breast doctor and she explained our plan of action, my mindset changed and I felt much more in control. At this point, I thought “I can do this”! Even though I’d waited several months to get my lump checked out, I was told that my cancer had been caught relatively early.
My treatment started with eight sessions of chemotherapy – it was a huge relief halfway through when I was told that the lump had shrunk to half its original size. I just burst into tears, but they were happy tears! I had surgery to remove my lump in August 2023 and the results afterwards showed that the cancer hadn’t spread to my lymph nodes, which was further good news. The final part of my treatment was radiotherapy at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, which I completed the following month.
Now that I’m feeling well again, I really want to do something to help people like me and families like ours, who might have a breast cancer diagnosis in the future. As a family, we donate to charity every year, but by signing up for The MoonWalk we want to raise money in a different way, at the same time as giving ourselves a challenge! My new motto for life since my illness is to live for today – the last year has shown me that you can never know what’s around the next corner. I’ll be raising money for a cause very close to my heart and that means so much.
The MoonWalk looks like so much fun, with so many people uniting together for the same cause and cheering each other on. It will also be very special taking on the last MoonWalk Scotland in Edinburgh, before it goes on tour to another city. It’s going to be very emotional walking with my daughter Louise on the night. We have a close bond and love doing things together.
We want to raise vital funds of course, but also much needed awareness about breast cancer. I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to attend your regular mammogram appointment, if you qualify for one. And my message for anyone – of any age – is that if you discover anything unusual in your breasts, you must go and get it checked out. It would save your life.”
Moira with her family for the Kings Coronation 2023. The first time having all the family over – Moira, her mum Betty, her husband Gordon, John (her daughter Louise’s partner), Russell (her son), Nikki (her daughter in law), daughter Louise
Moira’s daughter Louise:
“Mum’s breast cancer diagnosis was such a huge shock – she’d kept the tests she was having a secret from everybody apart from my dad, as she didn’t want to worry us. Even though statistics now show that half of us will get cancer in our lifetime, you never think that it’s going to affect your own family, until it does.
I was 25 when Mum was diagnosed and had never previously checked my breasts. I didn’t think I needed to, because I was so young. I thought breast cancer was a disease which just affected middle aged women. Checking my breasts has now become a habit for me and I make sure I do it once a month. I’d encourage anyone my age to start doing the same!
I can’t wait to take part in this year’s MoonWalk Scotland with Mum and to give something back to help people who maybe don’t have the support network which Mum has. I’m so proud of her and know that she will face the challenge of completing The MoonWalk head on, just like she’s done with her breast cancer treatment. She just doesn’t give up!”
Thank you for sharing your stories Moira and Louise – we look forward to seeing you both at The MoonWalk Scotland 2025!
Sign up as a Walker or Volunteer now!