Cancer Survivors Day: Linda's Story

Today is National Cancer Survivor’s Day and we'd like to thank Care Assistant Linda, who shared her inspirational story of beating cancer in her 40s.

Today is National Cancer Survivor’s Day and this is something close to our hearts as we often provide support for customers battling cancer, however cancer does not discriminate and we recently spent some time with Linda, who is one of our Care Assistants and shared a truly inspirational story of beating cancer in her 40s.

Linda’s story started back in 2016 when her annual mammogram appointment came around, but as she was feeling fine, she didn’t have any motivation to attend. Linda has a very persistent daughter however, who managed to convince her to go, and it was this mammogram which was to dramatically change the course of her life.

As with any other mammogram, the procedure was carried out relatively quickly and it was a couple of days later when a letter arrived saying there was a shadow picked up by the check that Linda’s journey started.

The letter called Linda into her local hospital which was Worthington for an appointment to discuss the results and after a biopsy it was confirmed that she had a small (under 10mm) cancerous tumour tucked away under her left breast.

After hearing the news, Linda was stubborn in disbelief and initially did not want to speak with the Macmillan nurse initially. Thoughts such as ‘this only happens to other people’ filled Linda’s thoughts, however when she spent time with the Macmillan nurse who explained everything, she found it extremely helpful.

After many scans and checks, Linda’s treatment plan was confirmed and she was to have a lumpectomy (breast surgery to remove the tumour) followed by a course of radiotherapy, which was to be daily for three weeks.

Following this treatment Linda was on hormone therapy for five years and after that period, she was discharged and completely in remission, with no visible signs of cancer remaining.

Throughout her treatment, Linda was working as a Psychiatric nurse in a specialist dementia nursing home in Burgess Hill. It had its challenging moments, with regular reminders of her condition from those she was caring for, however the support of her family and amazing co-workers was what helped her pull through.

Busby the cat and dogs Fergie and Rio

In 2020 Linda took retirement and moved to Eastbourne with her husband, who she needed to provide full time care for.

After a while, Linda felt she needed to enter part time employment and joined her local Sainsbury’s, where she worked on the checkouts. This just didn’t match the rewards that working in care brought, so after a short while Linda resigned to look for a care job.

This is when Bluebird Care came onto the scene and after hearing positive things from friends as well as reading fantastic reviews online, she was successful in her application to join the team and never looked back!

Linda started with Bluebird Care Eastbourne in July 2022, bringing a lot of experience to her new role as a community care assistant and found a team who is supportive, flexible and a new career that’s more than ‘just’ a job.

Linda works 25 hours per week providing support to her regular customers and has a great rapport with them. She loves her new role and finds it incredibly rewarding.

When it comes to the shock of receiving a cancer diagnosis, Linda’s advice is to always go for your mammograms and make sure to check yourself regularly; remember it’s not always ‘someone else’.

Linda explained that it’s also ok not to be ok. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a challenging time where you can have days feeling ok and days not feeling ok, however the support available through the NHS and associated charities such as Macmillan is excellent and modern treatment is extremely effective.

Because of the tenacity of Linda’s daughter, her cancer was caught early, and she is incredibly grateful to her daughter for making her attend the mammogram. The experience has led Linda to appreciate every moment, live every day and make the most of it because you never know what’s around the corner.

If you are concerned about any changes to your body, the first place to start is by speaking to your GP who can make any referrals needed. There are also some fantastic charities such as MacMillan Cancer Support who provide free support, advice and signposting. You can also find general information about cancer on the NHS website.