Summer of 2025 brought scorching heat, the Musk versus Trump divorce, Oasis in Ireland and, for our household, a diagnosis of breast cancer.

On a humid May evening while flicking through Netflix I turned to the other half and said, “oh, there’s a little lump here”.

Neither of us seemed really concerned or thought much of it. The summer kicked off and between summer camps, work and life in general, my pea-sized lump didn’t feature very much in my mind. I figured it might just be a blocked duct and waited for it to pass.

It didn’t.

So off to the doctor I went. My GP thought the same, that it was a blocked duct or cyst, but, since there is a history of breast cancer in my family, my doctor and myself agreed a further referral was still needed. I’m lucky, I attend a practice that listens to me, but I’m also conscious that after two decades in and out of hospital, I tend to be vocal in what I think my body needs. Not many people will be as comfortable advocating for themselves, so if you do think there’s something wrong, even if your doctor doesn’t agree, ask them to refer you for an assessment. Women report feeling their health concerns go unheard and dismissed. This is not just a feeling, RCSI experts say women’s health is poorly understood and underfunded in Ireland.

It wasn’t long before I got a letter from St Vincent’s Breast Check, but it wasn’t for a specific time, it was to tell me that there was a backlog and so it will be longer than their usual turnaround time (more on that later). Again, I wasn’t too panicked since I was “sure” it was nothing.

The day finally arrived for my triple assessment. For those who are unfamiliar, a triple assessment is a clinical exam, a mammogram and an ultrasound biopsy if required. I was told a biopsy was required.