A mother who experienced a sudden sharp pain while doing yoga said her first thought when she was diagnosed was whether her children would remember her. Vicki Poole, 45, a marketing agency director from Ruislip, west London, was attending her regular yoga class in December 2021 when the pain in her breast struck.

Following a GP visit and subsequent tests, she received her cancer diagnosis in February 2022. Breast Cancer Now explains that lobular breast cancer is a form of the disease which targets the lobules - the milk-producing glands within the breast.

Medical scans uncovered a tumour measuring 10cm by 4cm by 6cm, alongside "two suspicious" lymph nodes in her armpit, though fortunately the cancer hadn't spread to other parts of her body. She underwent a mastectomy on her right breast in April 2022, followed by chemotherapy treatment which triggered a heart arrhythmia, landing her back in hospital mere days after completing the chemotherapy course.

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Following radiotherapy, hormone therapy and heart surgery, her left nipple began bleeding in July 2024, and she discovered some "rough patches of skin" which proved to be indicators of abnormal cells. Consequently, she has opted for a mastectomy on her left breast and is awaiting her surgery date.

Vicki, who shares her home with husband Martyn, 47, and their two children, said: "I just remember, when I got diagnosed, saying, 'Oh my God, my children are so young'. I just thought 'am I going to die and will my children remember me?'" In December 2021, Vicki experienced a sharp stabbing sensation at the base of her right breast during a hot yoga session. "I thought at the time it was related to the movement – I thought maybe I was doing the move wrong," Vicki recalled.

"I had to come off of my front because it was a persistent pain, and then I expected to see a bruise so when I didn't, I just mentioned it to my husband. It didn't hurt unless I put pressure on it, then it progressed to if someone hugged me, I'd feel it. Then I realised I had a similar pain in my arm, in the inside of my elbow, so I thought it was carrying my daughter."

By January 2022, Vicki sought medical advice from her GP after the discomfort persisted and she'd detected some unusual firmness in the skin covering her breast. During the consultation, her doctor conducted an examination before referring her to a specialist one-stop breast cancer clinic, where she underwent an assessment with a breast consultant, received an ultrasound scan and had a mammogram.

A biopsy followed, with a radiologist extracting a small tissue sample from her breast. That very day, medical staff informed her that "something had come up" on her scan and "it could be nothing but could be nasty", assuring her the results would arrive at the earliest opportunity.

"The next thing I remember is being in my car and crying," Vicki added. A letter subsequently arrived instructing her to attend Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, where in February 2022, she and her husband received the devastating news that she had lobular breast cancer and would require an MRI scan to determine the complete extent of the condition.

Vicki revealed her immediate concern was for her children, gripped by the fear she might not witness them maturing. Breaking the news to close friends and relatives proved "very hard", particularly as she lacked "all the answers to their questions".

The subsequent month brought an MRI scan which identified a tumour measuring 10cm by 4cm by 6cm, alongside "two suspicious" lymph nodes located in her armpit. A comprehensive full-body CT scan followed to determine if the cancer had metastasised.

"They then started talking about my lifespan if it had spread and it was so scary, it was a very dark time," Vicki revealed. Six weeks on, she found herself in a "bad place mentally" whilst awaiting the outcome, but the scan demonstrated the cancer hadn't spread and the remainder of her body remained clear.

Vicki recalled: "I texted my husband, and I met him at the train station, and we were just jumping up and down. They said my breast cancer was typical of a lobular tumour – they said it was like a spider web, where there's a mass in the middle."

A fortnight later, in April 2022, Vicki underwent a mastectomy, as she "just wanted the cancer out", with the majority of lymph nodes beneath her arm being extracted. She reported the operation healed "well" and approximately two weeks afterwards she attended her friend's 40th birthday celebration wearing a prosthetic breast and "did not feel self-conscious at all".

Between May and September 2022 she received chemotherapy treatment to "mop up any trace of cancer in the body". Throughout this period her hair fell out in clumps, prompting her decision to shave it off completely.

In September, just 11 days after completing her final chemotherapy session, she suffered a heart arrhythmia – a recognised side-effect of the treatment – and collapsed during the school run. She was rushed back to hospital where it took five days for her heart rhythm to stabilise.

She referred to this episode as a "low point", having been "so happy" to have finished with chemotherapy. Following this, she underwent radiotherapy throughout November.

By December 2022, she began hormone therapy, which induced a chemical menopause. This led to weight gain, mood swings, loss of confidence, and she found herself withdrawing from social and work events.

Since switching to a different type of hormone therapy, her side-effects have lessened – she now feels like a "new person" and is no longer "hiding away at home". In November 2023, she also underwent heart surgery to address her arrhythmia, which has since been brought under control.

However, in July 2024, she noticed bleeding from her left nipple and some "rough patches of skin" on her breast. Subsequent tests revealed abnormal cells, but no cancer.

Following advice from her medical team, she has opted to undergo a mastectomy on her left breast and is currently awaiting her surgery date. Reflecting on her journey, she believes these experiences have given her a new perspective on life.

"I've been extra emotional at my children's assemblies and things like that... my friend who I had chemo with passed away, and she was a mum too," she added. "If we had more drugs available, and more treatment, she might have survived longer, and her daughter may have a better memory of her...I just feel really lucky to be where I am today."

Her message to others was clear: "If anyone suspects anything about their breasts, please get checked and please don't think you might be too young."

Breast Cancer Now has launched a five-year research initiative focused on lobular breast cancer, committing £1million in its inaugural year. The charity is uniting specialists at its Toby Robins Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, with the aim of discovering improved treatments for lobular breast cancer.

For more information, visit www.breastcancernow.org