After numerous tests, including a bone marrow biopsy, Katrina was eventually told she had an incurable form of blood cancer called myeloma.
“I couldn’t believe a lump I had joked about could be something so deadly,” she said.
Myeloma affects over 35,000 people in the UK.
While it is incurable, it is treatable in the majority of cases.
BBC broadcaster Lauren Laverne revealed her diagnosis in July.
However, it can be hard to spot, with early signs like back pain, tiredness and recurring infections often being attributed to aging, arthritis or minor illness.
“In hindsight, I’d been fatigued and had experienced terrible rib pain, but they were put down to tiredness from work and a sprain,” said Katrina, who urged those with similar symptoms to “get help early and push your medical team as it could save your life”.
Having had chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant – as well as titanium mesh inserts to patch the hole in her skull – she now takes daily medication to try to keep the cancer at bay.
“It’s been really hard adjusting to life with cancer, but I know that I have to make the most of things while I can,” she said.