A mom has hailed her dog as her “little lifesaver” after it helped her discover she had breast cancer by sniffing and pawing at her breast.
Trisha Allison, 50, was lying on the couch one morning watching TV when her pet pooch, Luna, jumped on her – catching her right breast in the process.
The two-year-old collie cross then kept sniffing and nudging at her chest, and laying next to her, which Trisha said she never does.
After around 45 minutes, Trisha began feeling pain and went and checked herself out.
She said, “Something didn’t feel right” and went to her GP, who referred her to a hospital where they performed a mammogram and MRI scan.
The married mom-of-two then underwent a biopsy and was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks later, on April 18 this year.
Trisha, a childminder, from Wilford, Nott., said if it wasn’t for her beloved pet sniffing out the cancer she would not have discovered the lump so early.
She added: “If it wasn’t for Luna I would not have found it that day.
“Because I have dense breasts I might have not banged them again for a couple of years or so – my story might have been very different.
“I check myself anyway but I don’t check myself every week or every month.
“I probably check myself every couple of months.
“It took two weeks to get the result that it was cancer but they caught it early.
“I think she knew – she’s my little lifesaver.”
Trisha said Luna, a border collie/greyhound cross, isn’t usually a cuddly dog so she knew something was wrong when she kept sniffing and nudging her breast.
She added: “Luna isn’t the most affectionate dog – she was acting unusual.
“Around 30/45 minutes later I thought, ‘that still hurts’ and went upstairs and checked myself.
“I had a feel and that’s when all the blood drained from my face – I had felt something that didn’t feel right.”
The following Monday, Trisha went to her GP who referred her to Nottingham City Hospital.
Doctors carried out an MRI which showed the lump was cancerous and confirmed a second lump.
Trisha was told the cancer had been found early and she’s had two operations to remove the tumors. She is now waiting to find out if she will need chemotherapy
She said: “The thing is, I am a positive person, but when you are sitting in that room, you have it all in your head that you are fine and that you’re not ill.
“When they say ‘I am sorry to tell you it is cancer,’ your whole world falls apart and you just wonder what size coffin you’re going to need – it is hard to explain how you feel.”
“My next appointment is in two weeks’ time and they will determine my next steps.
“Every appointment is so stressful, everyone tells me to be positive but you go in being positive and get the worst news.
“I am grateful for Luna, if it wasn’t for Luna this would be a very different story.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
Edited by Saba Fatima and Asad Ali
