“I had undergone several mammograms and was always reassured it was fine,” Katerina says. However, she felt something wasn’t right and when she noticed the lump seemed to be getting bigger she decided to seek out immediate attention at The London Clinic.
“I opted to pay for my own healthcare initially because I had a sense of urgency and wanted the speed. I needed answers.” During her consultations in the hospital’s One-stop Breast Clinic, she was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer.
“In the beginning, you're completely fraught and in disbelief really. You walk into these appointments thinking it’s probably nothing serious, and when you hear it’s cancer your world kind of falls apart.”
Despite, the gravity of the situation Katerina felt grateful that her cancer was treatable.
“I’m being reassured all around that I should be cured from it and be able to make a full recovery, so that's the good news.”
While Katerina opted to self-pay for her first appointment, her health insurance took over from there. “Being a patient of The London Clinic has been interesting for me, because I always viewed it as very prestigious, a place for celebrities, and I didn't expect that this level of care would be something that I'd be covered for under my health insurance.”
Receiving the diagnosis was overwhelming, but Katerina found comfort in the swift and comprehensive care at The London Clinic. “I was quickly reconnected with my former breast surgeon, Miss Joanna Franks, who had treated me years before. She’s fantastic, and her team was incredibly supportive. The breast cancer nurses were remarkable, coaching me through each step of the journey. Especially my nurse Amun Abdullahi who was phenomenal.”
Katerina’s treatment plan involved a one-sided mastectomy with an immediate breast reconstruction using her own thigh tissue. “The plastic surgeons, including Miss Victoria Rose who led this part of the procedure, were absolutely incredible.”
“This procedure is fundamentally the gold standard. It was a skin and nipple-sparing procedure, so they were able to keep the external appearance of my breast. It’s a bit like taking the filling out of a pillow and replacing it. The result is incredible! And the best part is it still looks like me.”
To other women dealing with a similar diagnosis, Katerina says: “I think if you have the opportunity to do this surgery and have the reconstruction taken from your own tissue, whilst it's a bigger surgery, I would definitely say it is worth it.”
Katerina is still in awe of the skill of her surgical team.
“I only have one small scar, so you’d never know everything that went on underneath during the eight-hour surgery. The surgical skill is truly breath-taking.”
After surgery Katerina spent a few days in the ICU, and when her blood pressure returned to regular levels she was able to return home to recover.
Now a couple of months on, Katerina is recovering well from her surgery, and has begun her chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Throughout this process she is continuing to receive support from a multidisciplinary team at The London Clinic, including physiotherapists, talking therapies and other holistic health and wellbeing therapies.
“Everyone, from the surgeons, to the nurses in the intensive care unit, made a massive difference to me. Their care helped me get back on my feet, both physically and emotionally.”
About Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with 1 in 7 women developing the condition in their lifetime. Early detection through self-examinations, and mammograms plays a key role in increasing survival rates.
The London Clinic’s state-of-the-art breast clinic provides access to clinical examination and assessment, pioneering breast diagnostics, with new technology that is more accurate and more comfortable for patients. We are also the only private hospital to currently offer MRI-guided biopsy, allowing for precise diagnosis without surgery.
Find out more about our One-stop Breast Clinic here.