Woman who spotted something wrong in the shower turned health shock into something beautiful

For most, when they receive serious news about their health, it can be followed by disbelief. It wasn’t much different for Swansea based mother of two, Sian Fisher, but what happened next isn’t what you would usually expect.

Sian, 50, is also a comedian, and she chose to laugh her way through her treatment, instead of crying. A regular on the South Wales comedy circuit, she said: “I wonder sometimes if I have really taken on board what has happened to me… because I did laugh all the way through it.”

Sian first noted something was wrong in December 2022, but told herself that it was going to be ‘fine’. She said: “I was in the shower, and I felt a lump. I know I’m normally an anxious person, but I told myself, it’s going to be fine. It’s going to be fatty tissue or a blocked duct.”

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It was when she went to visit her doctor that she received shocking news. She said: “That was on a Friday evening, just before my work’s Christmas do, which I went to, then I had an appointment with my doctor on the Monday.”

She added: “I was sent for a mammogram, and they took a biopsy. I was told the breast was unsalvageable. I was pretty much in shock. I was glad I had my mother there.”

Sian had been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, one of the most common forms of breast cancer, but said that she was put at ease by the staff. She said: “The consultant at that point was Mr Firas Ibrahim. He has such a lovely, gentle way about him. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got you’. And I just trusted him.”

She added that the entire team was ‘phenomenal’ saying: “The whole team were absolutely phenomenal. You couldn’t ask for better care. They were just so fantastic. Very caring, very professional, very down to earth. Just really good care.”

Sian was then booked for a mastectomy, followed by reconstruction surgery, where she received an implant to replace her surgically removed breast and had her other breast uplifted. Explaining the ordeal, she said: “It snowed on the day that I went into hospital. I was singing to myself, ‘It’s like snow on your operation day’, to the tune of Alanis Morissette’s hit, Ironic.”

Not one to miss out on a good joke though, she added: “I joke that I came out with better boobs than when I went in!” She added: “Because of my sticky blood type I had to have the surgery and reconstruction done at the same time because I’m at serious risk of clotting. Mr Reza Arya did my surgery, and he was super wonderful. As were the girls in the breast clinic who had to dress my wounds all the time.”

But it wasn’t all easy, as it took some for Sian’s breasts to heal, and she need eight weeks of preventive chemotherapy. She said: “And yeah, I lost my hair. That was upsetting and I did cry.”

That wasn’t enough to deter Sian though, as for her, the show must go on. She performed at an open mic gig at Kick Ass Comedy in Swansea’s Wind Street doing a five-minute set with a drain bag still in, all within mere days of surgery.

Explaining how her experiences fit in her set, she said: “Comedy is tragedy plus timing. We all have our own personal tragedies, and I’ve just made a set out of mine. My material was all about cancer. I think some people would avoid it like the plague because it’s a horrible disease, and so many people haven’t been as fortunate as me.

“But what about all the people who have been as fortunate as me? It can give people hope. It is scary, but you could be all right. I was all right,” she added.

Speaking of the audience response, she said: “Nine times out of 10 the audience has been fine. People have applauded and spoken to me afterwards saying I’m so brave. Then they tell me their personal stories. There are so many people affected by cancer.

“Some people have left crying. They have had a worse time of it and lost someone and it has been too raw, so I have to include a trigger warning so they can leave and come back.”

However, she acknowledges that she could not have done it alone. She said: “I’m not a superhero. There were so many people who had my back. They say it takes a village to raise a child – I had a whole community backing me.”

“Mostly my mum, but also my employers and work colleagues, the comedy community, my sister and my friends. Everybody was mega supportive. I’m so grateful to all of them,” Sian adds.

Sian includes a message at the end of her set, urging others to keep an eye out for any warning signs and make an appointment to see a doctor if they are concerned about anything.

She said: “Don’t ignore any signs for fear it may mean the worse because there’s so much that can be done these days. Check yourself out, and if you find something, don’t be scared and leave it. It may be nothing but if it’s not, there’s so much research gone into treatment.”

Sian is sharing her story to thank the “phenomenal” staff at the Singleton Hospital-based South West Wales Cancer Centre or SWWCC. To commemorate the centre’s 20th anniversary, a fundraising appeal Going the Extra Mile for Cancer, has been launched and will support the thousands of patients from the Swansea Bay and Hywel Dda areas.

Follow this link if you want to support the Going the Extra Mile for Cancer appeal.

And follow this link to find out more about Going the Extra Mile for Cancer.