Diane McDonald 1944~2003

My Mum was a wonderful woman and my best friend.

She was first diagnosed with Breast cancer in 1989 aged 45.  She underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a 5 year course of steroids because at that time there was a trial going on to measure the effectiveness of Tamoxifen and my Mum offered to take part.  Some women on the trial received Tamoxifen and some women, like Mum, got steroids instead.  So began my long association with the fantastic Guy's Hospital in London, a place where you never want to be; however kind and caring the staff are (and they are, believe me)

Her diagnosis was a bigger shock to me than my own.  I think the day I was told she had cancer I knew it would eventually take her from us.  I now know that it's worse for the family of the breast cancer sufferer than it is for the person themselves.

I will always be grateful that she had another 13 years with us, during that time she got to see me have a son and my brother have two beautiful daughters.  She only ever really suffered maybe during chemo and definitely during the last 7 months of her life, in 2003. Up until that point we all had a false sense of security; that she had won her battle, but maybe it was better that way.

Every second of every day I miss her so much, sometimes it overwhelms me, I will never get over the loss- which is why it is so important to me to do everthing possible to make sure my Son doesn't have to go through what I have. He's already lost his 'Gramps'.