A brave mum has revealed she put on a brave face at her daughter’s wedding – four days before she was due to have breast cancer surgery.
Lorraine Paton, 59, told no-one but her husband William about the diagnosis and said: “Cancer wasn’t coming to my daughter’s wedding.”
Instead, she beamed with pride on the big day and avoided speaking to anyone for too long in case the emotion got too much for her.
Although she is still undergoing radiotherapy – her breast cancer was at stage two when it was diagnosed – she plans to do the MoonWalk half marathon in Edinburgh tomorrow.
Lorraine, from Livingston, only found the lumps on her breast by chance.
She said: “I was in bed and reached over to put my phone out for the night and something felt weird. I put my hand out and found a lump.
“It was more than 2cm when I was diagnosed. It shocked me that it was already that size because I checked myself regularly.
“I was lying near enough flat when I found it. I want people to be aware of the need to check your breasts when you’re lying down
as well as when you’re standing up in the shower.
“Lying down displaces breast tissue so you may find a lump you wouldn’t at any other time. My cancer is treatable but not curable.”
Lorraine’s surgery was scheduled but her youngest daughter Laura, 34, was due to get married. Weeks after her breast had been removed, she told Laura and other daughter Natalie, 36.
Following three months of chemotherapy, she began a course of radiotherapy, which is due to end next week.
She said: “I have done a MoonWalk before but this one is a marker that I’m coming back.
Lorraine will wear her “one-sided bra” at the walk, which she will do with her husband and daughters.
