Former Hollyoaks star, Ali Bastian, was hospitalised at the weekend post her shock breast cancer diagnosis. The 42 year old, famed for her role as Becca Dean in the Channel 4 drama, found herself facing a Stage 2 cancer revelation last month.
The devastating news hit hard for Ali, who detected a lump while nursing her daughter, Isabella. Amidst undergoing weekly chemo treatments, Ali needed urgent care over the weekend and extended her gratitude to the medical staff upon returning home.
She uploaded a selfie, clad in a puffer coat and beanie, updating fans from Ireland with a caption: “Thank you so much to all at Cork University Hospital AandE for taking care of me this weekend. Back home now getting some fresh air and some rest.”
Previously, Ali shared fears about being perceived solely as a “cancer patient” due to hair loss from her illness. After mistaking the initial lump for a blocked milk duct, antibiotics failed to alleviate discomfort leading to a dire clinic visit that confirmed the condition.
The road ahead includes a mastectomy and radiotherapy planned for the coming year, reports the Mirror.
The mother-of-two confessed that she was reluctant to be labelled a “patient” for fear of losing her identity. She was comfortable “trotting around with a bald head” at home, but was concerned that it would become her defining feature.
In an interview with The Sun’s Fabulous magazine, Ali revealed that the first time she removed her wig, she felt apprehensive for a “split second” before feeling completely normal. She said: “Then it felt all right, and then it just felt normal. I’m hot and my bald head needs some air! ” Last month, she documented the moment she shaved her hair off on Instagram, stating it was a “small price to pay for the chance to be well again”.
In another social media update, Ali shared a photo of herself wearing a hair wrap. She courageously admitted: “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.”
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