Alex Cheshire-Round, 29, who initially dismissed her breast cancer symptoms, has urged women to get checked. The mum-of-two, from Nuneaton, noticed a hardness in her right breast when she rolled over in bed in May, while expecting her second child.
Symptom mistaken for pregnancy change
She thought the hard breast tissue at 24 weeks was a sign her milk was coming in early, as it had done at 18 weeks with her firstborn, Ronnie, now 10 months old. But after her husband, Tom Cheshire-Round, 31, urged her to have it checked, a biopsy and scans revealed stage two breast cancer.
On July 14 at University Hospital Coventry, Alex had a 5cm lump cut away from her breast and lymph nodes taken from under her right arm. Five minutes after she woke from the operation, her baby was distressed, and Alex was put under again. Her daughter, Lexi, was born at 1.57pm, weighing 4lb 13oz at 33 weeks.
Mother and baby now home
Both Alex and her baby are now safely home after the birth, but Alex is waiting to see what further treatment she will need. She thinks chemotherapy is likely. Alex, who works in sales, said: "It was very scary and it was a huge shock. I just shrugged it off at first - you go through so many changes when you're pregnant."
She added: "It's so rare for someone my age to get breast cancer. I just thought it must be something to do with pregnancy and hormonal changes. My milk came in early in my pregnancy with Ronnie, I reassured myself it was just that happening again. I got really worried when my GP said they don't give mammograms for under-40s, but then offered me one after inspecting it."
Lucy Davis comparison
Lucy Davis, who played receptionist Dawn Tinsley in The Office, revealed her terminal cancer diagnosis earlier this week after nearly missing a small lump that felt like a "hard spot". Last week, Alex, who spoke to Talk to the Press, went for an MRI and further full body scans now she is no longer pregnant. Lucy Davis recently found out she has been diagnosed with "incurable" stage four breast cancer.
In response to the news she said on Instagram: "As of now, I'm trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can. The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out."
Awaiting test results
Like Lucy, Alex explained that she does not let herself get "depressed" about her diagnosis. Alex said: "I never thought I’d have to say that I am praying that it is curable cancer. If it is stage four cancer I will be on treatment until it basically kills me, it will depend on how effective the treatment is.
"I am awaiting the results of all the tests now. I have two little babies and in a way that is good because I have to get on with it, I can’t sit and be depressed, I have to get up. It is scary to know that my son’s first birthday is next month and I am thinking to myself will I be there for the next one. Accidents and tragedies happen all the time around us and you do not know if you are going to make it to the following day anyway, you can't look at it and feel sorry for yourself because you won't be able to get out of bed."
