Ex-patient Eve loves working in our shop
As a hospital theatre sister, Eve Hawker had often cared for people living with cancer, and she was used to helping them cope with the challenges they faced.
But when she found a small, hard lump in her breast, her career experience meant she knew exactly what was happening as clinicians investigated to see if that lump was a tumour.
“I had found a lump and noticed my breast seemed a bit misshapen,” said Eve. “The lump wasn’t very big but it was very hard. I got in touch with the doctor the next day and he sent me to the Magnolia Centre at York, where they took a biopsy.
“I had worked in breast surgery myself, so I knew exactly what was going on and that it wasn’t looking good. I was told straight away that it was breast cancer and that it was quite extensive across the whole breast and the whole breast would have to be taken.
“Even though I had worked in breast surgery, so I knew exactly what it was, it was still a real shock. Something like that pulls the rug right out from under you.”
Eve said the surgeons took a lymph node to check if the cancer had spread. Thankfully, it hadn’t, and she underwent a mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time – a muscle was taken from her back and used to make her reconstructed breast.
Eve was relieved to find that her second stage cancer would not need any radiotherapy or chemotherapy. “I am on medication and am tolerating that really well,” she said. “I do all the checks because I know I am still not immune and you have to be quite sure that things are OK.“
As she began her recovery Eve started to get involved with our work at York Against Cancer. “I had got to know what was available through the charity - the respite properties, the minibus, the mobile chemotherapy unit – and I thought it was really good.”
Eve began to volunteer in our hospital shop, and found she loved it. “It’s a very positive experience,” she said. “It’s nice to be with people who are volunteering and who have maybe had issues of their own to deal with in their family.
“I am used to being in a hospital environment and seeing patients waiting for their appointments, wandering into shops to buy cards, and it’s amazing what conversations you get into, just little things.
“The customers are very appreciative, putting their change into the can on the counter, things like that. If you’re thinking about joining York Against Cancer as a volunteer, go for it, because you meet really nice people and it’s good to share.”
- York Against Cancer’s shops are unfortunately closed at present due to the coronavirus outbreak, but we’ll need more people than ever when we return as we prepare to open our shop in the news Monks Cross stadium complex. We are still working as a charity, so please do email us at office@yorkagainstcancer.org.uk or call 01904 764466 to register your interest in joining our volunteers.