Ep 05 - From Patient to Advocate: Trish Farrell’s Breast Cancer Journey

In this episode, Trish Farrell, a counsellor psychotherapist in private practice from Dublin, shares her deeply personal journey through stage 2 HER2-negative breast cancer. Trish talks about her history of monitoring benign breast lumps and how her instinct told her something was different in June 2021. Although her initial medical checks felt familiar, her GP and Consultant sensed something different. Following a triple assessment, Trish was later diagnosed with breast cancer with lymph node involvement. She shares how she chose to have surgery first, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy, believing it was the right decision for her. She opens up about telling her sons and family, the emotional impact of treatment during COVID and the physical and emotional challenges of surgery and hair loss. Trish reflects on her coping mechanisms that supported her, from photography to taking time away before her treatment began. She also speaks about the additional emotional weight of losing two siblings to cancer during her treatment. Trish is now three years post-surgery, cancer-free, continuing hormone blockers and is a patient representative for breast cancer at St. James’s Hospital, helping to improve the experience for patients. Join us as Trish share her powerful journey, reminding others to trust your instincts and find the treatment that fits you best. Produced by www.GKMedia.ie