Beverley Callard said she 'cannot paint a smile on her face' as she revealed her breast cancer surgery results have been delayed due to a backlog.
The soap star, 68, revealed she is battling the disease last month after being diagnosed just after she relocated to Dublin to start her new job on Irish soap Fair City.
In an update to fans, Beverley explained that she is still waiting for the results of her latest procedure and opened up about her husband and how he has been supporting her in a post shared to Instagram on Friday.
Beverley said that her husband, Jon McEwan, was decorating their new home to ensure she was comfortable during her recovery.
In the clip, she said: 'Well, I had to do a photoshoot yesterday and on the way there - it was for a magazine about Fair City - and on the way there, Jon [my husband] was driving, and I was in the passenger seat.
'My phone rang, and it said the caller ID. Usually, it's the hospital or one of the consultants from the hospital and I thought 'Okay, this is it, my results.'
Beverley Callard, 68, said she 'cannot paint a smile on her face again' as she revealed her breast cancer surgery results have been delayed due to a backlog.
The soap star revealed she is battling the disease last month after being diagnosed just after she'd relocated to Dublin to start her new job on Irish soap Fair City.
'It was one of the amazing cancer care nurses from Norfolk and Norwich Hospital; they are fantastic. She wanted to know how I was doing.
'I told her that I've got quite a lot of soreness, which I've not had for ages but it came on a few days ago.
'She said I could be overdoing things; hopefully I'm not; I've had a lazy day today. But then she said 'No results yet because there is a backlog,' so hopefully I will get them next week.
'You know when your heart is in your mouth? You think 'This is it. It's coming now, any minute,' and then, no, nothing.
'Obviously, we were still moving in the car, and I just thought 'I can't do this now; I cannot paint a smile on my face again.'
'Anyway, I did it. You just do, don't you? Then we went out for some dinner and it was really nice.
'The other thing I was thinking was that Jon’s painting the bedroom in our new home and doing all that so it will be lovely for me for radiotherapy, etc., if I am tired, and I just thought 'Oh, I could not go through this by myself.'
'I really feel for anyone who is going through it by themselves; I really do. If you are, you’re much stronger than me; that is for sure; I’m sending you so much love.'
She also opened up about her husband, Jon McEwan, (pictured 2017) and how he has been supporting her in a post shared to Instagram on Friday.
Beverley’s update comes after she revealed her mind is ‘manic’ while preparing to return to work.
Sharing a previously update with her fans on Instagram, Beverley opened up about the struggles she is facing while trying to prepare for her trip to London.
She said: ‘Well, what a day today. I’ve been packing because I was told I have got to go to work on Sunday and Monday in London.
‘So the quite posh outfits I need and as you can tell, I love wearing things like this more than anything else.
‘So today I had a try on in my bedroom and then got myself into a state because I’m fine now. I’m fine now.
‘But what do you do when you can’t put a bra on because you’re still sore and you still have wounds.
‘So how do you make yourself look equal on both sides. Because I thought I’ll find a soft bra, put it on and shove a pair of socks in there or something.
‘No, it didn’t work at all, so then I thought well, I can’t stick a shoulder pad on myself or something because I’m too sore everywhere.
‘So I was completely, oh well, I shouldn’t be going. Why am I doing this and the rest of it? But I have got good shoes to wear. That is the only thing. I’ve got great shoes to wear, and that’s it.
‘And I will sort it, but it was just one of those days today. I’ll work something out somehow.
‘So that was my day really, and I can’t sleep. My mind is manic at the moment. I think maybe it’s nerves about going back to work and everything else but I’m being strong, and I hope you are all as well.’
Breast cancer statistics
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.