Mum felt pain during yoga then doctors said ‘something had come up’

A mother who experienced a sudden sharp pain in her breast while practising yoga has been diagnosed with lobular breast cancer and is now preparing for a second mastectomy. Vicki Poole, 45, a marketing agency director from Ruislip, west London, felt the pain during her regular yoga class in December 2021, prompting her to seek medical advice.

Following GP consultations and subsequent tests, she received her lobular breast cancer diagnosis in February 2022. According to Breast Cancer Now, lobular breast cancer originates in the lobules – the milk-producing glands of the breast.

Medical scans uncovered a substantial 10cm by 4cm by 6cm tumour, along with “two suspicious” lymph nodes in her armpit, though fortunately the disease had not spread to other parts of her body. In April 2022, she underwent a mastectomy on her right breast, followed by chemotherapy treatment, which unfortunately triggered a heart arrhythmia that resulted in her being readmitted to hospital just days after completing the chemotherapy course.

After subsequent radiotherapy, hormone therapy and heart surgery, in July 2024, she noticed bleeding from her left nipple and discovered some “rough patches of skin” which proved to be indicators of abnormal cells. Consequently, she has opted to undergo a mastectomy on her left breast and is currently awaiting her surgical appointment.

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 sudden, stabbing pain 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, with the pain showing no signs of subsiding and having discovered some unusual “toughness” on her breast skin, Vicki sought medical attention from her GP. Following an examination, she was referred to a specialist one-stop breast cancer clinic, where she underwent a comprehensive assessment including consultation with a breast specialist, an ultrasound scan and a mammogram.

She also underwent a biopsy, during which a radiologist extracted a small tissue sample from her breast. That very same day, she was informed that “something had come up” on her scan and “it could be nothing but could be nasty”, with results to follow as soon as possible.

“The next thing I remember is being in my car and crying,” Vicki added. Shortly afterwards, she received a letter summoning her to Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge, where in February 2022, she and her husband received the devastating news that she had lobular breast cancer and required an MRI scan to determine the full extent of the disease.

Vicki revealed her immediate thoughts turned to her children, gripped by the fear she might not live to watch them mature. Breaking the devastating news to close relatives and friends proved “very hard”, particularly as she lacked “all the answers to their questions”.

The subsequent month brought her MRI results, unveiling a tumour measuring 10cm by 4cm by 6cm, alongside “two suspicious” lymph nodes in her armpit. A comprehensive full-body CT scan followed to determine whether the disease 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 recounted. Six weeks on, whilst awaiting results, she found herself in a “bad place mentally”, though the scan ultimately delivered positive news – the cancer remained localised and her body was otherwise 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 also excised. The surgical site healed “well” and approximately two weeks afterwards, she attended her friend’s 40th birthday celebration wearing a prosthetic breast, feeling no self-consciousness whatsoever.

Between May and September 2022, she endured chemotherapy treatment designed to “mop up any trace of cancer in the body”. Her hair fell out in clumps during this period, prompting her decision to shave it off completely.

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

She described this as a “low point”, as she had been “so happy” to be “done with chemotherapy”. She subsequently underwent radiotherapy throughout November.

In December 2022, she commenced hormone therapy, which induced a medically-triggered menopause. Consequently, she put on weight, suffered mood swings and her self-esteem plummeted, leading her to withdraw from social gatherings and work functions.

She has since switched to an alternative hormone therapy and her side-effects have improved considerably – 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 now stabilised.

However, in July 2024, her left nipple started to bleed and she discovered some “rough patches of skin” on her breast. Subsequent tests revealed abnormal cells, though no cancer was present.

Consequently, she has chosen, following guidance from her medical team, to undergo a mastectomy on her left breast and is presently 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.”

She urged others: “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 focusing 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, to develop improved treatments for lobular breast cancer.

For more information, visit www.breastcancernow.org