Marie Atherton Consett, Co. Durham United Kingdom Amazon Heart Thunder United States 2008 & United Kingdom 2008 Experienced Rider   Click Here to Donate Now!

In December 2006 I was a forty year old History teacher, minding my own business. I noticed a small dint underneath my left breast and put it down to gravity, there was no lump. It wasn’t until I developed a massive allergic reaction that I even considered something sinister might be happening to me. Blood tests were taken, nothing was causing the allergic symptoms, but they continued, I swelled up, my skin turned bright red, and my eyes were swollen and almost closed. I mentioned the dint in my breast after 2 weeks of this discomfort and was referred for a mammogram as a mater of urgency. I knew immediately – I was allergic to cancer!!!

On the 7th of February (my husband’s birthday – bless him!) a 17mm grade 3 tumour was removed. Thankfully my nodes were clear. 6 sessions of chemotherapy (I will NEVER call it “chemo”, it makes it sound far too nice!), 15 radiotherapies and the summer of 2007 was the summer of bald! We rode to Cornwall to celebrate the end of chemotherapy – 900 miles in 1 day!

My family and friends were amazing! We threw a head shaving party after the first session of chemotherapy. My Dad taxied me through my radiotherapy and bought me flowers for no reason. At school my form class baked and sold cakes to raise money for breast cancer charities and sent me a teddy bear to keep me company throughout the long and boring sick days.

Now Ive got 4 more years of Tamoxifen ahead of me – I’m discovering the joys of the menopause…..NOT! Hopefully September will bring my last Herceptin infusion. As grateful as I am for all the wonderful professionals who have treated me, especially the chemotherapy unit at Shotley Bridge Hospital, I’ll be happy if I never see another hospital again!

Amazon Heart is important. The thought of taking part in this adventure has kept me hopeful, the stories of the other women who have taken part have made me feel less alone. All the medical procedures and treatments are wonderful – they have saved my life, but cancer has attacked my confidence and left me frightened. I need to shake my fist at the sky and show breast cancer that it cannot stop me. I need my adventure because I haven’t felt brave or in control of anything for so long. This disease can cripple women by making them live scared. The work of Amazon Heart will help me keep the cancer in it’s place and not let it ruin the life that medicine has saved for me.

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