S4C and BBC radio presenter urges people to 'fight for your health' as she shares cancer treatment journey

S4C and BBC presenter, Mari Grug, has spoken candidly about her journey through cancer treatment. In May last year, the 39-year-old TV and radio personality was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a health update to her fans on Instagram thereafter, she also announced that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and liver. Mari, who presents S4C's Heno and BBC Radio Cymru's Bore Cothi, has been seeking treatment ever since.

In December, the presenter from Carmarthen explained that she had undergone a mastectomy. According to the research and support charity Breast Cancer Now, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes. If you want to find out more about the signs and symptoms of breast cancer, head over to our article here.

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Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK, while in Wales, around 2,800 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Speaking to WalesOnline, Mari explained that she hoped by opening up about her story, it will help others who might be going through similar experiences. For the latest Carmarthenshire news, sign up to our newsletter here.

During the Easter Holidays last April, Mari was watching TV with her family one evening when she found a lump "completely out of the blue". After discussing with her husband, Gareth, she decided to call her doctor immediately. Although medical staff warned her that it wasn't looking good, Mari would have to wait for a few weeks until she'd receive the results of her scan and an official diagnosis.

Mari received her cancer diagnosis in May, with her chemotherapy starting in July. "I think the biggest shock for me was I got the cancer diagnosis but then I still had to wait," she said. "I think initially I was a bit naïve. I thought they would confirm the diagnosis and then they would tell me I would be starting my treatment straight away. But that wasn't the case, I went from May to July without any treatment and just waiting for further scan results.

"And that's why I felt the need to come out and say I was going through this. Because thinking that you're going to hear the worst possible news, doesn't mean you'll get a fast track to the front of the queue to be seen and sorted. I wanted to tell other people not to wait."

Mari has received six sessions of chemotherapy, which took place every three weeks between July and October. When discussing the chemotherapy, she said: "I was told quite early on that day three and day four of the cycle would be difficult. They were the most difficult days for me.

"I was never sick, but felt nausea. A lot of people say they can't eat, but I was able to eat through it. In fact, eating actually really helped me as it helped me suppress feeling sick. I thought I was going to lose my hair, so I bought a wig.

"I have lost a lot of my hair, but luckily I haven't lost it in patches. It has thinned out a lot, but luckily I had strong and thick hair anyway. I bought a wig at the start of the process as I didn’t want to wake up one morning and it wasn’t there, especially if I needed to work that day.

"I’m unable to colour it, of course, because of the chemicals and people are now starting to realise I’m not a natural blonde. I think that's the reality of it that people don't realise - the little things that change. But once you have a diagnosis that is so severe, in the grand scheme of things you think to yourself, what does it matter if I lose my hair? If that’s what it takes, that's what it takes."

Despite having determination and a resilient attitude through it all, Mari admitted that she has found it understandably difficult at times. "The worst time for me was after finishing chemo," she explained. "When I had chemotherapy, I felt safe. I was having it every three weeks, knowing how I was going to feel, preparing for that - there was a pattern, there was a routine.

"Then, the chemotherapy came to an end. But then I had a week of three scans, my veins collapsed which happens when you have chemotherapy, and that was the worst week. I had to wait for scans and push to get a scan, and then waiting for the scans' results.

"My mental health has relatively remained good throughout this, but that week was especially difficult, and I cried a lot during that time. It was too much, I think there was a build-up there and then it just unfolded. That was a low point."

But Mari has found comfort and support in the people around her, namely her family. When Mari was young, her mum was also diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 46. Following from her experience, as well as talking to other people who had gone through the same thing, she explained her decision for being open about her cancer diagnosis with her three children.

"Gareth has been so supportive," she said. "We have such a close family - I have my mum and my dad, as well as my parents-in-law who have also been great. We've decided to be very open with the children about all of this, they are 10, seven and three years old.

"This happened to my mum as well. When she had her breast removed, for example, I was aware that it was all happening. I've spoken to some people who also went through this experience as children and some felt like they were kept out of the loop about what was going on. It made me realised I didn't want to do that, I wanted my children to know what was going on.

"I bought the wig, for example, and they tried the wig on. When I was losing my hair, they pointed out that I was losing my hair and we openly spoke about it. They came to visit me at the hospital as well. I don’t feel the need to hide what’s going on. We discuss openly and then hopefully in years, when it comes to talking about health, they’ll come to realise that it's something they’ll want to do too, and hopefully not something they will have to worry about."

She has also found solace through her friendships with her colleagues, as well as those that have reached out on social media. Since opening up about her diagnosis, Mari said that she's had an outpouring of messages of support far and wide.

"Initially, I remember having a conversation with my work and thinking I would have to be off work and that I would be off work for some time," she said. "But I managed to go back to work. Work didn’t force me to go back in any way, in fact they helped me a lot.

"I was determined to go back to work because it gave me a focus, a glimpse of normality during a time that was completely abnormal. I've been at Heno for over 10 years now and the team there is like an extended family. Coming to work and seeing them really helped. They are not just my co-workers, they are my friends, and that has been so helpful."

She added: "When I went public with my news, I couldn’t believe how many messages I received. Some were offering their support, others were telling me that they or a loved one of theirs had gone through the same thing. A lot were really positive messages.

"But what I've also found in recent months is that I've received messages from a few women who have just had a diagnosis and are looking for advice. They'll ask me what things did I use to help out, what's the best way to deal with certain things and so on. Some have even just thanked me because they've seen what I've been through and now check their breasts regularly.

"I’ve also had people messaging me telling me they were too afraid to call to check their results but hearing my story has encouraged them to call and find out their results. It’s almost on a weekly basis now where I’ll get someone contacting me saying they’ve received a diagnosis and looking for advice."

Now with a new year ahead, Mari says she remains "positive" as she awaits the results of her mastectomy as well as having an operation on her liver. Through her experience, she has called to lower the age for when people can get breast screenings, also known as a mammogram.

For people under 50, mammograms are not normally carried out as part of routine screening. In Wales, breast screening tests are offered every three years, to women aged from 50 up to their 70th birthday. According to Public Health Wales, if an individual has symptoms or are worried about their family history, they should speak to their doctor. For the latest health and Covid news, sign up to our newsletter here.

"The one thing I've learned through this experience is the need to fight for your health," Mari said. "You need to make those phone calls, you need to nag, you need to ask those difficult questions. The health service is working so hard, so to help them to help you, you need to advocate for your health as well."

She added: "There are so many women who are diagnosed with cancer and they are getting younger. When I went to buy my wig, the woman at the shop told me that the biggest difference she had seen over the years were the ages of the clients that came to see her, they were getting younger, she said.

"I know so many people whose mums had cancer, but have yet to get their mammograms. My mum was 46 years old, she was young and I was never offered an appointment for a mammogram. They have to bring the age down, especially when there's a link in the family."