You know how in the adverts about checking for cancer they talk about checking yourself and finding lumps, and always getting those checked out? In my instance it wasn’t specifically a lump, it was a change in the shape when I raised my arm that alerted me. Something just didn’t feel quite right.

I was on quite high alert because I lost my sister-in-law to breast cancer in 2008 which was very, very difficult. I was very close to her and hers had been diagnosed in her 5th pregnancy, which was quite late on. I loved Andrea very much, just like a real sister, so that was very difficult. It meant thereafter for myself, for my niece and for all the family I would be on alert about health matters.

I was diagnosed with the breast cancer on the 27th of September 2012, so that’s coming up for 3 years. I was by myself because I hadn’t thought to ask my husband Stephen to come with me and that was very upsetting for him. I didn’t take a friend because I suppose I had this feeling that it would all be OK and it wouldn’t be anything to worry about.

The staff at the breast clinic were wonderful, they ask you to return for a further appointment with your spouse or a friend or family member and give you lots of information. The support from the Beatson itself was also amazing and I'm so grateful to all who helped me.

I made up my mind that the only way forward was to be positive and so I set all my strength into recovering, and everyone who dealt with me responded to that attitude. I have great faith as well and I felt that was a big factor. I believed so strongly that I would get better.

I had an operation called a therapeutic mammoplasty, which is somewhere between a mastectomy and a lumpectomy. Following on from that they recommended that because of the type and grade of tumour they wanted me to have a course of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy followed by the drug tamoxifen.

You’re very tired and exhausted afterwards, weary and weak. You do feel slightly queasy and you feel a bit bloated because you’re given steroids to help the medication work. They told me that after the first chemo that I would probably start to lose my hair. I tried to say to myself that I’m a woman regardless of hair or breasts, and those are not things to stress about. Your health and your faith and your family and the love are all more important.

I had this fabulous long blonde wig which was quite glamorous, and I used to dress it up with coloured hair bands and matching bobbles. I always tried to still wear my make up; I drew in the eyebrows – not heavy, but just enough to make me feel that I still looked OK.

As an actress, I used it as ‘I’m giving myself a different look,’ and I tried to put myself into that kind of mindset. In fact, with the Beatson's support in the scheduling of my treatment, I was able to rehearse for a second tour of Calum's Road, while undergoing radiotherapy and went back out on a seven-week tour just days after my treatment ended.

I’ve not long finished a big tour with a play called The Straw Chair – it’s been very well received. It’s made me keener than ever to act to get back to my first love which is acting - that’s my passion. I know now as a middle aged woman that finding parts isn’t going to be as easy and that might mean there are fewer parts, but it doesn’t deter me. It’s just made me more determined.

It’s definitely made me more positive, learning to live in the here and now. Don’t wait - life’s not a rehearsal.

For more information on Beatson Cancer Charity visit www.beatsoncancercharity.org

amanda connelly