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I found a lump in my breast - doctors gave me two weeks to live: Dying mother, 50, is left in agony in her final days after heartbreaking cancer diagnosis
A 'fun' and 'loving' mum who would do anything for her children and grandchildren has been told she has less than two weeks to live.
Jeanette Carter, from Tamworth, Staffordshire was given a shock breast cancer diagnosis in January.
Mrs Carter, who worked with disabled people and adults with autism, showed no sign of the disease until she discovered a lump in her breast in January.
CT scans later that month revealed Ms Carter, 49 at the time, not only had cancer in her breast, but the disease had also spread to her lung and stomach.
Then, in March, she had to be rushed to A&E where medics found the tumour had grown to such an extent it was pushing against her windpipe, causing fluid to dangerously collect around her lung.
Jeanette Carter (pictured with her husband Darren), from Tamworth, Staffordshire was given a shock breast cancer diagnosis in January. Mrs Carter, who worked with disabled people and adults with autism, showed no sign of the disease until she discovered a lump in her breast
CT scans later that month revealed Ms Carter, 49 at the time, not only had cancer in her breast, but the disease had spread to her lung and stomach. In March, she had to be rushed to A&E where medics found the tumour had grown to such an extent it was pushing against her windpipe, causing fluid to dangerously collect around her lung
Given the aggressive spread of the cancer, further treatment was cancelled and with her family told she had just two weeks left to live Mrs Carter was moved to an end-of-life hospice.
Her loved ones had hoped to celebrate her birthday on April 28 with a party. Instead, they have been left comforting her in her final moments.
They fear she has just 'days, maybe hours left to live'.
Her husband Darren told MailOnline: 'It's been an absolute nightmare, the worst nightmare I've ever been through and it has turned our entire life upside down.
'She's at end of life care and her medication has been upped, she's in a lot of pain and is hallucinating and she is struggling to talk.
'It is a dreadful disease, the worst anybody can have, but she knows we are here and it helps calm her because she is so scared.
'But I'm coping and staying strong for her.'
Speaking at St Giles Hospice in Whittington, Staffordshire, her daughter Lea-Mai Carter, added: 'Mum knows she's dying and the worst thing is seeing her in so much pain and discomfort but having us by her side is helping her battle through.
'Her final wish is for her loved ones to be with her when her time comes. We're not leaving her alone for a moment.
'We just wish we could take her pain away.'
Ms Carter added: 'Cancer is a brutal, random disease and can hit anyone from King Charles to celebrities and ordinary people like my mum.'
One in seven women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime — around 56,000 a year — making it the most common cancer in the UK.
The figure stands at roughly 300,000 annually in the US.
Between 85 to 90 per cent of women diagnosed with primary breast cancer survive more than five years.
However, secondary or metastatic breast cancer — when the disease spreads to another part of the body, most commonly the bones or lungs — is typically far deadlier.
Affecting 20 to 30 per cent of women diagnosed with primary tumours, just a quarter of women with metastatic breast cancer will survive their cancer for five years or more, according to Cancer Research UK.
Speaking at St Giles Hospice in Whittington, Staffordshire, her daughter Lea-Mai Carter (pictured right), added: 'Mum knows she's dying and the worst thing is seeing her in so much pain and discomfort but having us by her side is helping her battle through'
A GoFundMe page has raised more than £4,500 to help towards the costs of her funeral as well as bills as well donated funds to the St Giles Hospice. Paying tribute to his wife, Mr Carter (pictured) said the support shown has been 'amazing'
After CT scans in January revealed Mrs Carter's cancer spread to her lung and stomach, she was transferred to Queen's Hospital Burton in Burton-on-Trent.
Further tests there revealed the cancer was also in her spine.
She first started having respiratory troubles in March when, during her weekly chemotherapy session, she had to be given oxygen after struggling to breathe.
In response her consultant recommended she instead undergo the treatment every three weeks.
But during a scheduled appointment for her PICC line — a long thin tube used to administer chemotherapy — to be cleaned her heart rate suddenly spiked and she was urgently sent to A&E.
Medics discovered that the lump in her breast was pushing against her windpipe, making it hard for her to breathe.
It was then, the family say, that the consultant delivered the tragic news chemotherapy was unlikely to help and she had just two weeks left to live.
Her loved ones have been left in shock by her sudden deterioration.
They had hoped to celebrate her milestone 50th birthday on April 27 — the day before her actual birthday — with a party.
Checking your breasts should be part of your monthly routine so you notice any unusual changes. Simply rub and feel from top to bottom, in semi-circles and in a circular motion around your breast tissue to identify any abnormalities
Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple
But given the uncertainty of her condition they were forced to cancel. Instead, they spent as much time as they can with her at the hospice, surrounding her with gifts, flowers, cards and cuddles.
It wasn't quite the celebration she had been planning, 'but at least she has made it to 50', Ms Carter said.
A GoFundMe page has raised more than £4,500 to help towards the costs of her funeral as well as bills as well donated funds to the St Giles Hospice.
Paying tribute to his wife, Mr Carter said the support shown has been 'amazing'.
He added: 'She is so fun, loving and family-orientated. She'd do anything for her daughter and grandson and has taken my two grown up children from a previous relationship as her own.
'We would like to say just how grateful and amazed so many known and unknown people have given us money.'
Ms Carter added: 'She is kindest, nicest person in the world who would do anything for anybody, and would always put others first.
'Our only comfort is that we will be there to say goodbye, hold her hand and tell her how much we love and appreciate her.'
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000