In June 2011, then 41-year-old Juliette O’Connell noticed a persistent rash around her collarbone and the top of her left breast after returning from a cycle ride. What she initially dismissed as a simple heat rash turned out to be stage three, grade three, HER2-positive breast cancer, a diagnosis that she received in March 2012 after the symptoms evolved to include a sore, flaking nipple and a discharge.
Symptoms and Initial Dismissal of the Rash
When the rash first appeared, O’Connell applied Sudocrem, but it began ruining her clothes. She asked a local pharmacist for an alternative cream, and the pharmacist advised her to visit a doctor regarding the growing skin irritation. O’Connell did not immediately follow up, only attending a doctor weeks later while taking her youngest child in for a check-up. The doctor referred her to the breast care unit at Limerick Regional Hospital for a mammogram, which she was sent home to await news of the appointment while feeling entirely healthy and experiencing no pain.
Escalating Signs and Diagnosis
By the second week of January 2012, O’Connell developed flaky skin close to the nipple on her left breast, which she initially treated with a moisturizer. The flaking intensified, the original rash merged with the dry area around the nipple, and the skin became raw, sore, and developed a cut-like appearance accompanied by a pus-type liquid. Unaware that a sore nipple or discharge represented potential indicators of breast cancer, she returned to the breast care unit on March 9, 2012. Following a mammogram, an ultrasound of both breasts, and a biopsy of the left breast, her consultant informed her that she had a 5.6cm tumour on one side of her breast, a 3.2cm tumour on the other side, and a substantial tumour in her left armpit. Subsequent scans confirmed stage three, grade three, HER2-positive breast cancer.
Treatment Regimen and Surgery
O’Connell’s treatment plan involved chemotherapy designed to shrink the large tumours, during which she was hospitalized after every session due to severe physical toll, requiring 24- to 48-hour stays on a drip over the weekends. She was also prescribed Herceptin to target the HER2-positive cancer and participated in a clinical trial for Lapatinib, a drug targeting advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Following the completion of chemotherapy and a six-week recovery period, she underwent surgery to remove her left breast and 17 lymph nodes. Laboratory testing of the excised tissue and nodes revealed that no cancer remained in the removed breast or the lymph nodes. She subsequently completed 35 rounds of radiotherapy alongside an additional 12 months of Herceptin therapy, followed by reconstruction surgery six months after ending treatment.
Current Advocacy and Awareness
Now 56 years old, O’Connell works full-time as an outreach co-ordinator for Breast Cancer Ireland, traveling across the country for 40 hours a week to speak about early signs of the disease and educate the public on being breast aware.
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