Woman's 'devastating' cancer diagnosis after ignoring fatigue on Scots holiday
A Scots woman who believed she was just fatigued on holiday was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
Susan Connarty, 60, from Edinburgh, thought the extreme tiredness she felt on a summer holiday was just fatigue.
But her struggle to walk on a trip to the Scottish Borders was the first sign of something sinister.
After returning home, Susan, a regional manager for a returns programmed which supports people coming back to work from career breaks, caught Covid-19 and struggled to recover.
In October 2023, she went to her GP, who ordered blood tests to investigate her symptoms. The results were inconclusive but raised concerns.
Susan explained: "The blood tests results were 'odd' - but they came back 'non-specific'."
She added: "The post-Covid symptoms I experienced were mostly around my stomach, and I had a terrible cough. The cough was making me sick every day and I wasn't able to eat properly."
Doctors, worried by her symptoms and the unusual blood results, suspected stomach cancer and urgently referred Susan for an endoscopy.
But before the results arrived, Susan found a lump on her left breast while showering.
"I contacted the doctors that same morning and was seen immediately," she said. "I thought to myself - 'OK this is what it is'. I wouldn't say I was emotionless about it, but your mind tries to protect you initially."
At Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, mammogram and ultrasound tests confirmed breast cancer in February 2024.
Susan said: "I had an inkling that this was the case, but it still felt like a shock. I was with my sister when I was told. She has been fantastic for me, as has everybody else in my family."
The following week, further blood tests revealed the cancer had spread to her bones, and Susan was told she had stage four breast cancer.
She said: "It was a devastating diagnosis to get. I felt like I was given an immediate death sentence.
"I turned to my friends and family and just had to keep on going. It was a difficult period. I didn't know how I was going to keep it all together.
"I'm a single woman - I had to work out how I was going to keep paying the mortgage."
Now, Susan is on a mix of drugs to support her bones, reduce hormones, and try to prevent cancer cell growth.
She said: "I feel lucky drugs are available that weren't ten years ago."
Determined to stay healthy, Susan exercises regularly and is fundraising for Maggie's, a cancer support charity. She will be cycling 37 miles next month in the spirit of Sir Chris Hoy.
Susan said: "Everybody at Maggie's have been just so kind, so human, and so easy to be around. They were able to help me put a spin on it.
"They made me aware of all of the treatments available to me, and I realised I could still have years left of my life.
"It was difficult to believe at the time, but that's how it has turned out for me. I could really lean on Maggie's."
She added: "The doctors have been really pleased with how well I'm doing.
"I've always enjoyed cycling, and I have been really moved by Sir Chris Hoy's story.
"I want people in similar positions as myself to understand that you can be well and you can live a good life with such a terrible illness.
"There is some amazing help out there, don't do it alone."
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