A mother who attributed her back and shoulder pain to sleeping on an old mattress was devastated to discover it was actually stage four cancer. Kimberley Anderson, 39, from Dundee, Scotland, was initially diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in October 2019 after finding a lump in her left breast while showering.
She underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy alongside a mastectomy with reconstruction on her left breast, before being given the all-clear in early 2021. Kimberley says she had 'put cancer to the back of her mind', but at the start of 2023 she began to feel extremely tired.
Fatigue and aches dismissed as ageing
She suffered from such severe fatigue that she needed to nap during the day, in addition to experiencing muscle aches, loss of appetite and weight loss. The mum-of-one says she blamed the muscle and bone aches, which she was experiencing in her back, shoulders and ribs, on sleeping on an old mattress.
Despite purchasing a new mattress in the January sales in 2023, Kimberley's pain persisted. The nail technician was eventually referred for a CT scan in August 2023 after attending A&E because she was experiencing pain in her neck so severe that it had become difficult for her to breathe or swallow.
Tumour discovered in neck
The scan revealed that Kimberley had a 5cm tumour in her neck, and in September 2023 she received the devastating diagnosis of stage four metastatic breast cancer. A 'shocked' Kimberley was also told the cancer had spread to her chest wall, ovary, rib and adrenal gland.
She underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment but received the devastating news that the cancer had spread to her brain in July 2024. Kimberley had surgery to remove the cancer from her brain in September 2024, and continues taking chemotherapy tablets daily.
Cancer stable but no cure
She says her cancer is now 'stable' and she's seen no growth in the past year. Kimberley hopes the treatment will continue to work for as long as possible, and wants to raise awareness of the symptoms of breast cancer other women should look out for.
Kimberley said: "I was told in early 2021 that I was cancer free - after that I kind of forgot about cancer and put it to the back of my mind. In 2023 I started feeling really fatigued, nauseous and I lost a lot of weight. I was experiencing muscle aches and pains in my shoulders and in my back."
She said: "I thought I was just getting older, or my mattress was hurting my back. It was an oldish mattress - I did actually go and buy a new mattress. I went to the shop where you lie on the bed and it tells you what kind of mattress you need. I was thinking 'it must be me, I'm getting older', I wasn't thinking about cancer at all."
Advocating for breast checks
Kimberley purchased the new mattress in January 2023 but her symptoms persisted. In August 2023, she was rushed to A&E where doctors carried out a CT scan and discovered that her breast cancer had returned and spread to five areas of her body.
Kimberley said: "I was struggling to breathe and swallow at this point so I went to A&E. They did a CT scan and I had a 5cm tumour in my neck, a mass on my chest wall, a mass on my ovaries, a mass on my adrenal gland and my ribs."
In October 2023, Kimberley underwent five rounds of radiotherapy treatment to target the tumour in her neck, followed by 12 rounds of chemotherapy. But less than a year later, in July 2024, she received the devastating news that the cancer had spread to her brain. She underwent surgery to remove the tumour from her brain two months later, in September 2024, and continues taking oral chemotherapy tablets daily.
Kimberley said: "The cancer is still present but it's completely stable, there has been no growth for over a year now. I hope that I stay on this treatment for as long as possible. When this one does stop working, I'll move on to a different one and I think that will be my last treatment - I think that's my last option."
Now, Kimberley is urging other women to check their breasts regularly, no matter their age. She said: "I advocate that women should be checking their breasts no matter what age they are - even if you're in your 20s. We know our bodies better than anyone, including the GP, so don't let a GP fob you off. Advocate for yourself, push past the primary care barrier, do what you need to get seen by proper specialists."
