Mum from Bury St Edmunds set to run Race for Life at Nowton Park after cancer diagnosis
A mum from Bury St Edmunds is gearing up to run the Race for Life at Nowton Park in June after undergoing a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery earlier this year.
Beth Gutierrez, 41, who recently moved back to the Moreton Hall estate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, after noticing changes in one of her breasts whilst breastfeeding.
The mum-of-two said for her the 5K race 'feels like a bit of a marathon' but she is determined to do something to help others affected by cancer.
When Beth and her young family moved to America, in 2021, for her husband Julian's work, they were ready to start a new life there.
Her breast cancer diagnosis came as a 'total shock' and was something she had try and cope with away from her family and close friends back in the UK.
Beth, and Julian who is in the American Air Force, had expected to be living in Oklahoma for at least four years.
"My daughter had started school, we were settling in really nicely and to have that the diagnosis come totally out of the blue was just devastating,"explained Beth.
She went for a mammogram after noticing her left breast felt heavier and slightly swollen when she was feeding her son Ollie, then one.
Following the results of the mammogram, which X-rays the breast looking for early signs of cancer, Beth was called back for an ultrasound scan and biopsies.
Initially Beth was told she would have surgery and start on chemotherapy after cancer was found in her breast and lymph nodes.
The team treating Beth then decided she should undergo a full body scan to make sure the cancer hadn't spread anywhere else.
"Unfortunately when I had that done, they found it had metastasised to a couple of places in my spine," said Beth.
Metastasis means the development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from the primary site of the cancer.
Beth said: ’I think that was probably the hardest point of everything, it was a huge setback because then they said they couldn't then do the chemo or the surgery, they said they could just control it."
The couple, who first moved to Bury St Edmunds in 2015, had to try and process the diagnosis, at the same time keeping things as normal as possible for their children, Elsie aged five and Ollie who is now two.
She added: "Family and friends are just so important at times like that and I had to be on video calls with my parents and close friends, it is just not the same as having them by your side.
"It was really hard for my husband as well, because he is a fixer in the house, he mends things when things get broken, a diagnosis like that was very hard for him as well as he couldn't fix it.
"It was tough on both of us to try and deal with everything.
"He's just been an amazing, incredible support, I wouldn't have been able to get through it without him, he's been incredible and continues to be incredible.
"I love my husband to bits, I knew from our first date that he was a good one."
Following the diagnosis in America, Beth had radiation treatment on her spine at a cancer centre, she also began to take 'oral chemo' tablets.
Despite support from new friends they made in the USA, Julian and Beth asked the military about humanitarian reassignment back to England.
Beth remembered: "I said I just can't stay here, without my family and friends it was just too hard.
"The military over there in Oklahoma were really good, (the air force) they totally understood and said we could go back."
The family returned to the Moreton Hall Estate in Bury St Edmunds in September 2022.
Beth's care was transferred from America to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds and she has described the team caring for her there as 'brilliant'.
Since Beth returned to the UK her diagnosis is now looking more optimistic.
She explained: "Things changed, I had some scans done when I came home because they wanted to see as a baseline where I was at."
Results of the scan showed Beth had responded 'amazingly well' to treatment, shrinking her cancer so much that she was able to have a mastectomy.
Beth said: "It was quite a journey and for me that was incredible, because when they found it in my spine and said I couldn't have the surgery I was devastated."
At the end of January, Beth had her mastectomy and reconstruction of her breast, the operation which was carried out in Chelmsford took more than seven hours.
She now has scans every three months to 'keep-an-eye' on everything, her latest showed no trace of cancer in her spine and she is now waiting on the results of her first scan since the mastectomy.
Despite still taking the oral chemo tablets, other medication, and having regular injections, Beth is adamant she will finish the Race for Life at Nowton Park on Sunday June 11.
She said: "To be honest I am a really positive person, it was such a struggle but I just think 'well I can't change what's happened'," said Beth.
"I am trying to use this now as a really positive thing and I really want to help others now, I am doing the Race for Life as I want to raise as much money as possible."
Beth has already raised more than £1,400 in sponsorship - anyone that wishes to add to her total can do so here.
Since moving back to Bury St Edmunds Beth has found 'incredible' support from Breast Friends, a group that runs meet-ups for breast cancer patients in Suffolk.
She has also taken part at 5K Your Way, which takes place on the last Saturday of every month, also at Nowton Park.
Beth is also keen to praise the Mama B's group at Stephen John, a hair salon on the Moreton Hall estate.
Mama B's gives cancer patients a chance to enjoy some special pampering - on the first Monday of every month.
Anyone interested in finding out more about Mama B's can contact the salon on: 01284 700100.
