When Isabel Mcarthur was diagnosed with cancer it felt like she was coming to the end of her life.
The 65-year-old was told she had breast cancer in February 2020.
Weeks later the country was in lockdown while the mum-of-three – and grandmother-of-nine – was still trying to come to terms with her own health battle.
“I can’t even describe how bad that feeling is,” Isabel says of her diagnosis. “It comes as quite a horrible shock and takes a bit of getting used to.”
‘It was really difficult telling my children’
Isabel booked an appointment with her GP shortly after noticing a change on one of her breasts.
She was then referred to hospital where a biopsy revealed she had stage 3 breast cancer.
“It’s almost like the end of your life,” she says.
“The worst bit of it all was phoning my kids to tell them and actually having to say it. It was really difficult.”
She then had to wait several weeks for a lumpectomy, a procedure to remove the tumour from her breast.
It was a worrying time for Isabel, who soon discovered there was little in the way of cancer diagnosis support available.
But a few weeks later, she found out another woman she knew was also going through her own cancer journey.
Realising how helpful it was sharing their experiences, Isabel, of Macduff, decided to launch a new support group to help other patients.
“I was going though the treatment and she was finding out how it went and what was involved,” Isabel said.
“Rather than just facing it herself she had an insight to it.
“We came to the conclusion that we’re not alone on this journey.”
Every year I worry
The cancer support group can be found on Facebook under Can be OK and also holds meetings on Monday nights at The Vinery in Banff.
It’s a place for anyone going through cancer, or their family and friends, to come and share their thoughts and concerns.
Isabel feels fortunate she had an early diagnosis but highlights how it’s still an ongoing experience for her and other patients.
“I’m down to yearly mammograms now. But once you’ve had a cancer diagnosis you still get anticipation maybe two months before it comes up,” she says.
“I hope everything is going to be alright but you have the results to wait on.
“This time round it was six weeks to get the results back; the longer you wait the more worried you are that something might be wrong.
“Thankfully it was clear.”
Cancer diagnosis support: ‘It can be OK’
The retired after-school club manager says there are now 45 members in the group and they’re keen for more men to join and share their experiences.
She came up with the name for the cancer diagnosis support group Can be OK to reassure others that they don’t need to feel alone.
“I just sat one day and thought I can’t say it will be OK because we can’t guarantee that,” she says.
“But you can go through this and cancer can be OK.”
The group has held sessions on reflexology, wellbeing and nutrition as well as a drop-in service on Thursdays from 10-12pm.
This month former GP Dr Aileen Alexander also gave a talk on sleep and the group hopes to hold fundraising events.
Conversation