Latest news with #SusanConnarty
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Woman's 'devastating' cancer diagnosis after ignoring fatigue on Scots holiday
Susan Connarty, 60, from Edinburgh, believed the tiredness she felt on a summer holiday was nothing more than normal fatigue. 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." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh woman 'ignored her holiday fatigue' before devastating diagnosis
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info An Edinburgh woman who 'ignored her holiday fatigue' was given a devastating diagnosis. Susan Connarty, 60, struggled to walk on a summer holiday abroad to the Scottish Borders but put it down to tiredness. Soon after her holiday she contracted Covid-19 and struggled to recover so decided to get blood tests from her GP. Tests were inconclusive but doctors suspected Susan had stomach cancer because she was unable to eat properly and referred her for an urgent endoscopy. But whilst waiting for results Susan found a lump on her left breast in the shower and a mammogram and ultrasound revealed she had breast cancer. She was later told it had spread to her bones and was incurable and she now takes a variety of medication to help her lead as normal life as she can. Susan, a regional manager, from Edinburgh, said: "On the holiday I couldn't do physically what I could before - I knew that wasn't right. "This was the first inkling for me that something was not right. It did worry me. It was unlike anything I had felt before." "I ignored it and pushed through. This should have been what took me to the doctors in the first place, but it wasn't. "Like most people do, I just ignored it at first." Susan, a regional manager for a returns programmed which supports people coming back to work from career breaks, was on her holiday in September 2023 when she felt the extreme tiredness. She was taking care of her mother, Peggy, 99, at the time who was suffering with advanced dementia - who passed away a month after her diagnosis. Susan said: "Feeling exhausted was quite normal to me. I lived a very tiring life. "I didn't look after myself very well. My priority was my mum." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Soon after the holiday, Susan came down with Covid-19 and decided to see the doctor in October 2023. She said: "I really struggled to recover from it" The blood tests results were "odd" - but they came back "non-specific". Susan said: "The post-covid symptoms I experienced were mostly around my stomach, and I had a terrible cough. "The cough was making me sick everyday and I wasn't able to eat properly." The doctors were concerned from the inconclusive blood tests and symptoms that Susan might have stomach cancer and sent her for an urgent endoscopy. But Susan discovered her lump before the tests came back. She said: "I contacted the doctors that same morning and was seen immediately. "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." Susan was referred to the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh, where she went through a series of mammogram and ultrasound tests which confirmed she had breast cancer in February 2024. She 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." (Image: Susan Connarty / SWNS) The following week, Susan was told the cancer had spread to her bones after more blood tests and she was told she had stage 4 breast cancer. She was told surgery was not an option. 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" She is now on a mixture of drugs to support her bones, decrease her hormones and try to prevent the division of cells. She said: "I feel lucky drugs are available that weren't ten years ago." Susan has kept as healthy as she can by exercising - and is fundraising for Maggie's - a charity who offer support and guidance for people with cancer. She will be cycling 37 miles in the spirit of Sir Chris Hoy next month. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages 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." Susan is now on a range of medication to help her live a normal day-to-day life and she is monitored with regular scans. She said: "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."
