Raglan woman battling back after cancer ops (From South Wales Argus)

Raglan woman battling back after cancer ops

A GWENT woman is recovering at home after undergoing a double mastectomy followed by a second operation to remove cancerous lymph nodes.

RECOVERING: Hazel Cave has resumed her job only three days after returning home from hospital

The Argus reported in November how Hazel Cave, 43, from Raglan, faced the double mastectomy before Christmas after being diagnosed with cancer in both breasts.

Miss Cave underwent the operation on December 15 at Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny, during which doctors also took biopsies of lymph nodes from under her armpits.

When the left lymph nodes were found to be cancerous, this led to a second operation on December 29 to remove them, again at Nevill Hall.

Following the double mastectomy, Miss Cave was allowed home on December 23 meaning that she was able to spend Christmas with her family before returning to hospital on December 28.

She then came home after the second operation on January 4.

Not letting it get her down, she returned to her part-time job as a youth worker at Raglan Baptist Church on January 9.

She is now expecting to start radiotherapy treatment at the end of February and is undergoing physiotherapy and hydrotherapy to help with her arm movement.

She said: “It is just about seeing how it goes now but I am doing what I can, when I can. I’m not one to sit down and do nothing.”

A dance concert held by Miss Cave’s sister Melissa, of Ebbw Vale, raised £550 for Macmillan Cancer Support.