by Mark Jefferies, Daily Mirror 6/12/2011
Jennifer Saunders (Pic: PA)
Talking candidly about the gruelling effects of the disease for the first time, the comedy queen told how her family, close friends and sense of humour helped her come through it all smiling.
The Absolutely Fabulous star had six months of chemotherapy at an oncology unit in London’s Harley Street.
Jennifer, 53, said: “You just grit your teeth and bear it. It becomes your job and your job is now getting through this next year of whatever.
“In a funny way that releases you to say, ‘What do I have to do today? Oh, I have this or that hospital appointment’ – although I did find it quite odd, the number of hospital appointments.
“I became quite addicted to my old chair and my nurse, who was very good at stabbing me – you know, getting the portacath in – because, I can tell you, you don’t want any fiddling about. “He was an absolute joy. I sort of miss him, really, and those social visits.”
Diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2009, Jennifer only went public about it after being given the all-clear in July the following year.
Felicity Kendal, left, Jennifer Saunders and Beattie Edmondson at Wimbledon
She said: “The idea of losing your hair is still a very potent, emotional thing. Not for me, I didn’t mind so much. What I didn’t realise was that every bit of hair would go. Then, when it comes back, it comes back a lot. Every hair you ever had is suddenly back, reborn.”
Jennifer told the Christmas Radio Times the effects of the drug Tamoxifen, which she will be on for the next five years, were particularly hard to bear.
She said: “I found the Tamoxifen the hardest thing because it changes you. It’s like suddenly becoming older.
“You feel fagged out, you lose your motor and it makes you feel depressed. You have that ‘I want to go to bed and sleep for ever’ kind of feeling. Normally I have the energy to get up, get ready and do something, but I wasn’t starting my days until maybe 11 or 11.30, even though I was awake.”
At the same time as fighting cancer, the Tamoxifen also blocked her production of oestrogen and brought on the menopause. Suddenly she had hot flushes, cold sweats and mood swings to handle, too.
As Jennifer describes it: “You are pushed into menopause like jumping off a cliff... Bang.”
Then her good friend, psychologist Tanya Byron, made Jennifer confront the reality that she was also depressed. Jennifer said: “I’d say, ‘The whole world is against me.’ And she’d say, ‘No, darling, I think that might be depression’.”
In the end, Jennifer was prescribed the antidepressant Citalopram, saying: “It was brilliant.”
Speaking to promote her return as over-the-top Eddy in the Absolutely Fabulous festive special, which is on Christmas Day on BBC1 at 10pm, Jennifer praised her husband Adrian Edmondson and their three daughters – Ella, 25, Beattie, 24, and Freya, 20 – for helping her through such a difficult time.
She joked: “Ade was shivering in the house the other day and actually pulled a sheepskin over himself. I said, ‘Why don’t you turn the heating on?’ And he said, ‘Because you’re hot all the time. And then cold. And then hot. And then sweating, and then not sweating’.
“Ade was all right, actually. He’s a sort of rock in that he never gives anything away and he’s very good at letting you get on with it. I think he was very strong about that. And the girls were brilliant. “Freya was at home most of the time and was fantastic. And I have really good girlfriends who’d look after me and sit with me in the chemo sessions.
“I have to say, I thought quite a lot of it was hilarious. Once you get through the fact that you’re going to feel bad, you know you’re going to get through it. And, actually, we used to laugh so, so much. I used to totter up the street on their arms to see if I could get a drink in me. ‘Can one of us get a drink? I need a drink! I need more chemicals.’
“We used to have such fun. They used to take me shopping.”
Comedy double act French and Saunders
“She said: When I’m being Eddy and Joanna Lumley becomes Patsy there’s no happier place to be, it is total escape. It must be, for us, like meditation is for other people.”
Cancer Research UK's Dr Julie Sharp on why breast cancer research is vitally important
Hundreds of thousands of women – and hundreds of men – are breast cancer survivors because of advances in research.
New and better treatments have boosted survival rates despite a rising number of cases. Today, 80% of women survive for more than five years, compared to 50% in the 70s.
More women than ever are sur-viving breast cancer thanks to our work, which has helped develop the national breast screening programme, saving housands of lives.
Our scientists led the world in finding faulty genes involved in contracting breast cancer, helping doctors to offer tailored advice, screening and treatment. We funded clinical trials that proved the benefit of drugs such as tamoxifen and anastrozole, and research at our centres showed that herceptin can improve survival in a certain type of the disease.
Our scientists have played a key role in the development of drugs called PARP inhibitors, which could bring benefits for those with breast cancer caused by genetic faults.
The Mirror
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/tv/2011/12/06/jennifer-saunders-on-her-breast-cancer-battle-that-brought-on-menopause-and-depression-115875-23613030/#ixzz1g0QGwAbN
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