Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian admits it's hard to be a 'fighter' in breast cancer battle

Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian has been having weekly chemotherapy sessions after being diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in June and has admitted some days it's hard to feel like a "fighter"

Overcome with emotion, Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian confessed that she finds it challenging to constantly feel like a "fighter" in her breast cancer diagnosis.

The 42-year-old actress, best known for her role as Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap from 2001 to 2007, was left in "total shock" after receiving her devastating diagnosis at the end of June. Currently residing in Ireland with her husband and two young daughters, Ali has been undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions in preparation for a mastectomy and radiotherapy scheduled for next year.

With stage two breast cancer, the soap star acknowledges that there are days when it's impossible to hold back tears. Sharing a selfie wearing a headscarf on her Instagram Story, she wrote: "Some days you don't feel like the fighter people tell you you are, and that's ok too. This is not an easy path. There is cortisol in tears and they are better out than in."

In an interview with OK! last month, Ali discussed her diagnosis, saying: "It was a total shock. I have mornings when I wake up and I've forgotten... and then suddenly I remember. I'm still trying to process it." The lump was discovered while Ali was breastfeeding her youngest daughter, Isabella.

The mother-of-two, who also has a four year old daughter named Isla with her husband David O'Mahony, shared: "I hadn't been breastfeeding Izzy at night but then David flew back to London for work and suddenly she was feeding like crazy", reports the Daily Star.

Ali initially thought her discomfort was due to a growth spurt in her child, saying: "I was thinking, 'Maybe she's having a growth spurt or something.' And because of that, my boobs felt sore. The next morning, I woke up and thought, 'Ouch, this really hurts.' And that's when I felt a lump."

She assumed it was a "blocked duct" and after antibiotics didn't help, followed her doctor's advice to visit a breast clinic. Ali shared: "It was a bank holiday in Ireland, so I went straight to the emergency doctor. It really seemed like I had mastitis, especially as I had been night-weaning Izzy before that. We thought I probably had a blocked duct. The doctor gave me antibiotics and said that if it didn't clear up in a few days I should go to the breast clinic."

"But it wasn't clearing up and the more I felt it, the more it felt like this wasn't just a blocked duct. I went to my GP and I said, 'Actually, can I go to the clinic now? ' and she was very supportive of that." Receiving her diagnosis over the phone, Ali was comforted by the clinic's assurance, recounting: "We agreed that I would text her and that she would then call me back. I could hear it in the tone of her voice, but she told me in the kindest way possible. She was very reassuring. She said the words that I'm holding on to, that they have 'intent to cure me.'".

The medics believe her cancer is "hormone-driven" and are conducting further studies to determine if it's genetic, given that her maternal aunt and grandmother were also diagnosed with breast cancer. She is preparing for a single mastectomy and is awaiting advice on whether a double mastectomy would be a wise "preventative measure".

The ex-Doctors star is also receiving support from an oncology specialist psychologist and has been assigned a mentor who has experienced cancer. Ali is determined to conquer the disease and fully intends to return to her acting career. She confidently stated: "I will get through this and come out the other side."

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

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