My mum thought I was announcing a pregnancy — the news was very different

It was a regular weekday in October when Vicky Green curled up on the sofa to watch Bake Off.

The weather was starting to get chilly, and so Vicky, a 31-year-old clothing merchandiser from Cheshire, snuggled her hands under her armpits to warm them up. But it was at this moment she felt a lump in her left breast. 

‘I was like, “what the hell was that? That’s never been there before.”’ she told Metro.co.uk. ‘I sat up and gave it a good feel.’

Because her mum had always ‘drilled in’ the importance of checking for signs of cancer and wearing SPF to Vicky and her siblings, there was no doubt in her mind that she should make a doctor’s appointment.

‘I gave it a week in case it was just hormones and then I made the appointment to see the doctor to get it checked,’ she added.

‘The doctor found a second lump and I was referred to a hospital three weeks later, and they reassured me that it was probably nothing.

‘I had mammograms and ultrasounds and nine biopsies taken, and the doctor took me back into the room after all that and said, “I need you to prepare yourself because after seeing these ultrasounds it does look a little more concerning – it could be cancer,”’ she recalled.

Vicky described the next two weeks as the worst of her life while waiting for the results to come back. ‘It was just so awful, I was physically ill just worrying – I couldn’t eat or sleep.’

Then, on November 29, 2023 it was confirmed that she had triple negative breast cancer.

Doctors were able to catch Vicky’s cancer early, but warned that she needed to start treatment as soon as possible, as her form of breast cancer is aggressive and grade three – one of the fastest to grow and spread.

‘We got back from the hospital that night and cried. You just never think it’s going to be you,’ she added.

Her partner of four years, Mick Thurston, also shared Vicky’s shock. ‘I couldn’t quite wrap my head around it and how much life was going to change for us,’ he told Metro.co.uk. ‘It just didn’t feel possible at 30 years old.’

A lot of their plans were also thrown into disarray – particularly their upcoming trip to Mick’s home country of South Africa.

Forced to cancel their holiday, the couple were able to get £1,000 back. But it wasn’t just about the money or the break; Mick had also planned to propose while the pair were away.

‘It felt like the best place to try and make it special and unforgettable and I knew she’d love it,’ he said. ‘I had no idea what I was going to do instead so I was panicking a bit too.’ 

Mick still planned on proposing, but decided to hold off until things were clearer and Vicky’s treatment had begun.

Speaking of the aftermath of her diagnosis, Vicky explained that in some ways it was a ‘relief’ because they knew what needed to happen. ‘

The waiting was so bad, to have an answer at least we could make a plan,’ she said. ‘We decided to be as positive as we could be, because I absolutely love Christmas and it was around that time of year.

‘We said we’d have some nice days out and spend time with family and friends and we saw everyone before the treatment started and I began to lose my hair. I wanted to see everyone before I started to look sick. We had as nice of a time as we could have.’

But for Vicky the worst was yet to come. ‘Telling our family and friends was the worst bit actually. With it being so close to Christmas it was literally a case of going round to everybody with this awful news and upsetting everybody, they were all in tears and so shocked.

‘Because of my age, it wasn’t on anyone’s radar. When I told my mum I had some news, she thought I was about to announce a pregnancy, it’s like “no, quite the opposite”.

‘It was such a bad time – I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.’

Vicky delayed the start of her chemotherapy to discuss her future family planning options with her partner because the treatment would mean she wouldn’t be able to have children naturally. ‘I did find it stressful because I could feel the tumours were getting bigger and bigger all the time.

‘We had the conversation and we weren’t sure if we will want kids after all this, but I didn’t want cancer taking that choice away from us. So over that December period, I had some fertility treatments and in early January they collected by eggs and we had six embryos frozen.’

While this was going on, Mick, who is captain in the Royal Yorkshire Regiment, was trying to figure out the best time to propose. ‘I had been carrying the ring around everywhere with me and I was just hoping that a good opportunity would present itself at some point,’ he said. 

And then it came to him. ‘It was a very busy and emotional time, so I also wanted to make sure I got it right. We both had December off work so had talked about having some nice days out in between all the hospital appointments.

‘Vic loves being by the seaside so on the December 10th, we decided to drive over to Llandudno for a walk and some lunch. When we got there, I suggested a walk to the top of the Great Orme, and as were enjoying the sunshine and views I thought it was the perfect time. I felt a bit nervous but mostly excited.’

Vicky said she still feels ‘giddy’ thinking about how Mick asked her to turn around so he could take a picture, only to find him down on one knee.

Thinking about the wedding has also been a respite for Vicky during her treatments. ‘On the tough days and when I couldn’t get off the sofa, I would still be on the phone looking at dresses and it would give me such a boost.’

No date has been set yet, as the pair were waiting for Vicky’s treatments to be completed, but she wants a fitted and flowy dress, lots of pink and a rustic barn vibe for the venue. 

Another thing that has inspired and motivated Vicky is a new campaign by Cancer Research UK, which asks the nation to submit their top songs and help mark the season of Race for Life 2024 as it launches the official Plays for Life playlist.

As a keen Race for Life runner, Vicky’s running songs – and wedding playlist – include Keep Your Head Up by Ben Howard, Smilin’ by Bryn Christopher and Good Times by Ella Eyre. 

‘Smilin’ makes me think of Mick so I’m sure this will make an appearance on the wedding playlist,’ she gushed.

Vicky was able to ring the bell at the end of May 2024, after having her last chemo session. She’s had MRI scans and has been told that both tumours are now gone. She’s due to have a single mastectomy and immediate reconstruction followed by radiotherapy at some point this summer.

In the meantime, she’s sharing the importance of keeping on top of checks as she thinks ahead to finally being able to tie the knot.

‘At 30 years old, never in a million years did I think I’d get a cancer diagnosis. Speaking out is important so hopefully I can save lives like mine.’

To find out more and submit a song to the Plays for Life playlist, visit here. To sign up to Race for Life 2024, visit raceforlife.org.

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