A hospital nurse has said nothing could have prepared her for having a mastectomy, despite having seen many take place during her work.
Kerry Noble, a theatre coordinator and senior sister at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent, said she was treated by her colleagues after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I was anxious about being so vulnerable in front of my colleagues,” the 58-year-old said.
“But they were fantastic and really looked after me.”
Family cancer history
Ms Noble, from Broadstairs, had a routine mammogram in 2023, which flagged her up for further testing.
She was eventually given the diagnosis, days before the funeral of her mother, who had died unexpectedly.
“When my phone rang with an unknown number my heart sank,” Ms Noble said.
“Even though I was expecting it, it was still hard to hear.”
She said that her family had a history of breast cancer, with four out of five of her aunts having died from the disease.
Kerry Noble said that her family had a history of breast cancer [East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust]
Ms Noble had a mastectomy with reconstruction but said she experienced complications during and after the operation.
She said three colleagues – Karen, Andrea and Kelly – were “amazing”, helping her shower, cook and change her dressings.
“Without them all, I wouldn’t have coped,” she said.
“My motto is one day at a time and that’s exactly what I did.”
Return to work
Ms Noble had eight months off work and said she had to adjust her role because of the impacts of her treatment.
“I have been very open about my journey,” she said.
“People will come and talk to me about their own worries or something a family member is going through, and I’m always happy to listen and share my own experiences.
“It has been difficult. I will never be the same person I was two years ago, but I have a new grandson to enjoy, and new adventures to look forward to.”
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