For Letterbreen woman Allison Humphreys, being diagnosed with breast cancer put her life into perspective.

"You go through your day-to-day life not thinking about the bigger things," she said, reflecting on her shocking diagnosis.

"Then suddenly, you find a lump, and everything changes. It puts everything into perspective —whether it's faith, family, or work."

Mrs. Humphreys was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2015, and the impact it has had on her life is still never far from her mind.

"I found a lump in my breast the week leading up to Christmas," said Mrs. Humphreys, who is the current vice-president of the Methodist Women in Ireland (MWI) organisation.

"I discovered it on a Sunday night and had an emergency appointment with my GP the very next morning.

"I was immediately referred to the Breast Clinic at Altnagelvin, and I received the diagnosis that December. It wasn't a great way to start the year."

The year 2016 was supposed to be a year of big plans, with her wedding scheduled for July, but the unexpected diagnosis forced a change in those plans.

"I was engaged to be married, and we were supposed to get married in July," she continued.

"When treatment started, I realized it wouldn't be possible. I had no choice but to postpone the wedding. It was upsetting at the time."

Treatment began almost immediately, and due to the large size of the lump, Mrs. Humphreys feared the worst.

"I had a very distinct mass. You mostly hear about pea-sized lumps when it comes to breast cancer; mine was much bigger," she said.

"At Altnagelvin Hospital, they were very quick to act. I had a lumpectomy on January 12, and I started chemotherapy at the beginning of February. That continued until June, and I had radiotherapy in July."

"Chemotherapy was tough, although in some ways, I expected it to be worse.

"It wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. I lost my hair, felt very lethargic, and experienced pretty bad nausea. There were times I was quite sick from the treatment, but you just have to get on with it.

"My chemotherapy cycles were every three weeks, following the same pattern: the first week was awful, and during the second week, I had to be careful about who I came into contact with to avoid infections.

"By the third week, I would feel better and could go back to work. Then the cycle would restart. In total, I had six cycles over 18 weeks."

Much to Mrs. Humphreys' relief, the treatment proved effective, and nearly a year after her life-changing diagnosis, her wedding went ahead.

"Looking back, postponing the wedding was just a minor hiccup. I got married on December 28, 2016 — almost a year after my diagnosis — so it was nice to end the year with a celebration after such a difficult start."

Mrs. Humphreys said she considers herself lucky to have survived breast cancer and paid tribute to the support charities, including Cancer Connect in Fermanagh and Care for Cancer in Omagh, for the help they provided.

The experience, she added, has deepened her Christian faith, and as MWI Vice-President, she is keen to support other women going through similar experiences.

"When I give my testimony, surviving breast cancer is a big part of it," she said. "It was a major event in my life, and it's never far from my mind, but thankfully, it's not everything now.

"I count myself lucky to have come out the other side. I'm grateful because some women don't make it through.

"As someone with faith and a belief in God, I took great comfort and support from His word. I knew people were praying for me."

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October), Mrs. Humphreys is urging other women to get checked if they notice anything unusual.

"It's important to get checked if you don't feel right within your body," she said. "I found my lump by sheer chance, and there needs to be more awareness to encourage people to check themselves and be aware of the risks."

"The main thing I’ve learned from this experience is to appreciate life because it can change in an instant. I’m very fortunate to have come through this."