BEV’S BATTLE Bev Callard shares emotional health update amid breast cancer battle as she admits she has to force herself to eat
CORONATION Street legend Beverley Callard has given fans an emotional update on her breast cancer journey as she revealed she has to force herself to eat.
The 68-year-old was given the shock news last month – just 20 minutes before starting her new job on Irish soap opera Fair City.
Beverley – who starred on I’m A Celebrity in 2020 – has returned to the UK and already undergone an operation to test her lymph nodes for cancer.
The actress has also told fans she is set to endure radiotherapy.
Beverley has now given fans a “tough” update on her battle with cancer as she thanked them for their support.
Opening up to fans on how she’s really feeling Bev said: ” I just want to give you a breast cancer update… I’m feeling quite vulnerable and scared now but when I was 32 I beat cervical cancer. I had a hysterectomy and I was absolutely fine afterwards and so I know I can beat this.
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“I am scared now vanity wise. I’m scared what I will look like. I’m scared about hair loss or whatever things like that.
“I’ve lost a bit too much weight now but I think it’s just stress. I’m still eating but I have to force myself to eat, just you know because your body is so tense.”
Bev has her next hospital appointment on Wednesday and doctors are set to tell her exactly what operation she’ll be undergoing on Friday.
She confessed she should’ve stayed at work a bit longer because she’s got lines to learn and she’s very busy which she appreciates as it allows her to block out the noise of her shock diagnosis.
The TV personality revealed she had a wonderful weekend with her daughter Rebecca despite it getting emotional at times.
Bev said Rebecca reminded her that she’s tough, “hard as nails” and “can cope with anything.”
The soap star captioned the post: “This is a bit of a long one… but I wanted to share how I’m feeling and be a bit vulnerable with you all.
“You’ve all shown me so much love and support, so I wanted to sit down and talk to you all about where my head is at. It’s tough but important to do sometimes. Sending love.”
Bev told fans her messages had been flooded with men and women getting in touch about their breast cancer journeys and the star said she sends her love to everyone going through it.
The actress announcing her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this month on The Late Late Show to host Patrick Kielty. She revealed she received the news just 20 minutes before filming her first scenes in her new Fair City soap opera role.
She said her consultant rang her and told her she had to come back to the UK.
Bev shot to fame after she appeared on the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street back in 1989.
How to check your breasts
It is important to regularly check your breasts for any changes.
Breast tissue reaches all the way up to your collarbone and across to your armpit, so it’s vital to check these areas too.
If you feel or see any changes in your breast you should always consult your GP.
Charity CoppaFeel! recommends checking your breasts monthly, so you can pick up on any changes quickly.
Breasts do change naturally as part of your monthly menstrual cycle, so you should get to know your breasts, how they feel and what changes they usually go through to know if anything is out of the ordinary.
Five-step check
There is a five-step self exam you can do at home to check for any changes.
Step one: Begin by looking in a mirror, facing it with your arms on your hips and your shoulders straight. You should be looking for any dimpling, puckering, bulging skin, redness, soreness, a rash or changes in the nipple.
Step two: Still looking in the mirror, raise both arms above your head and check for the same changes.
Step three: With your arms still above your head, check for any fluid coming from the nipples. This can include milky, yellow or watery fluid, or blood.
Step four: While lying down use your opposite hand to check each breast. Using a few fingers, keeping them flat and together, go in a small circular motion around your breasts. Make sure you feel the entire breast by going top to bottom in these small circles. It helps to develop a system or pattern to make sure every inch is covered. Use light pressure for the skin and tissue just beneath, medium pressure for the tissue in the middle of your breasts, and firm pressure to feel the tissue at the back, feeling down to your ribcage.