Dentist from Plymouth Runs Race for Life with Fellow ‘Cancer Thrivers’
A dentist from Plymouth has spoken about the most difficult moment during her breast cancer battle – telling her family.
58 year old Bridget Prideaux, partner at Mount Wise Dental Practice, discovered an area of thick tissue on her breast one day before setting off to the 2012 London Olympics to watch a basketball game.
A few days later, the mother of three was told the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
Bridget told of how one of her sons was in the middle of his GCSE exams, and she was anxious about how her elderly patients would take the news.
It was her husband who carried out the difficult task, and only let her know when those close to her had been informed.
Bridget had axillary node clearance and a mastectomy as well as three weeks of radiotherapy and three months of chemotherapy. All her treatments were complete in time for her eldest son’s wedding in June 2013.
Following encouragement from Derriford Hospital’s Mustard Tree Macmillan Centre, Bridget helped to form Bosom Pals, which now has almost one hundred members. The group is to play a big part in Plymouth Hoe’s Race for Life on Sunday.
Bridget said that the opportunity to talk to other people who’ve been through similar experiences has helped incredibly. They live each day to the fullest and describe themselves as cancer thrivers rather than cancer survivors.
She said the group have all had a wake-up-call that makes them value what they have rather than yearn for something that might be unreachable.
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