From Student Radiographer to Patient

Hello 😊

A few of you may know me personally or be following me either on Twitter or Instagram -either way, I’m Kirsty 😊 and if you have met me I will have probably said hello and talked for half an hour. I am a Yorkshire lass, currently studying Diagnostic Radiography at The University of Leeds and loving every minute of it. I also have 2 wonderful, crazy little boys and a lovely Mr that I am due to marry next year (3rd time lucky due to covid grr!).

My reason for starting this little blog is a bit of a weird one really, well not weird but not the nicest. A few weeks ago, I was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (Breast Cancer) at the grand old age of 28. It came as a massive shock and to be totally honest I am still coming to terms with it and what it means for me my little family. Strangely enough, the thing I have felt the most over the last few weeks is positive. Why strange you may think? Well those that know me well will tell you how much of a worry wart I usually am and how much I get upset about things. So for me to not feel overwhelmed by this is really refreshing for me.

My autopilot response to all this would normally have been to spiral out of control and go into a blind panic about the unknown and uncertainty that lies ahead but I've found myself thinking very differently. How I can use my skills during this time in other ways? What if I can keep learning about Radiography, but in different ways? What if I can share what its like from a patients point of view, when you kinda know some of what's going on? these are just a few of the things that have popped into my crazy crazy head over the last few weeks but its got me going. Going enough to sit down and get it into a blog post anyways. Its got me thinking how I could document the rollercoaster of treatment I'm going to be facing over the next few months and how I could keep learning, studying and inspiring more people to love Radiography as much as I do. Those of you that follow me in Instagram & Twitter will know how much I'm into note-porn, learning and anatomy and what I wanna do is blend it all.

I want to create something that will be both cathartic for me in documenting my treatment with a little hope that it also raises awareness that breast cancer most definitely does happen to 28 year olds (but also its not the end of the world is most cases (hopefully mine!)). I also want to get people as excited about Radiography as me and share all the brilliant resources and things that have helped me so far. I was also thinking maybe some science bits behind the things I am going through? I have a Biomedical Science degree so have a lil teeny bit of sciencey/biology knowledge too.

So, I'm gonna have a go at this anyway. I'd love you to subscribe to be and let me know your thoughts and suggestions. I am going to do a series of posts on diagnosis etc and the ways this is usually done and what the process was for me. But for now - check your boobies!

Kirst x