A mother-of-two who survived breast cancer with help from friends, family and a pink wig has written a book to inspire others and raise money for the hospital which treated her. TESS McDERMOTT heard her story.

CHANTAL Rosenbaum went to bed early on January 5 last year.

She pulled the covers up over her chest, as she had done almost every night since she was a child. As she did so her hand brushed against her left breast and she felt a lump.

The 35-year-old said: "It was like a lozenge - smooth and round. I was sure it wouldn't be anything, so I waited a week to see if it would go away - but it didn't."

She saw her doctor and after weeks of waiting and tests her wost fears were confirmed; cancer.

"I was left standing there with so many questions, not knowing what to think. I was only 34. I didn't have a history of breast cancer in the family. How could this happen?"

Doctors at St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, discovered a second tumour under her arm and recommended an immediate full mastectomy.

Not fully satisfied with the long wait for test results and treatment suggested at St Margaret's, Mrs Rosenbaum decided to seek a second opinion.

A friend of her father's recommended Mr Gui, the head of breast surgery at London's Royal Marsden Hospital.

She said: "It only took him a few minutes and he told me there were three, possibly four more tumours under my arm. That was when I felt at my lowest. I had to fight back the tears. It was the only time during the whole disease that I really thought I might die."

Mr Gui told her she would not need a mastectomy. Chemotherapy, a lumpectomy and radiotherapy offered her the best chance of survival given the number and spread of the tumours.

She said: "I suddenly realised this was not going to get any worse. He had found everything. For the first time since I had been told I had breast cancer I realised I could relax."

Within days she was booked into the Royal Marsden for her first session of chemotherapy.

Her mother, Sandra Rains, said: "That hospital has given me back my daughter. The nurses were angels. Whatever we can do for the Marsden we will."

Mrs Rosenbaum, of Newnham Close, Loughton, believes it is the support of her close family, her husband, Gary, mum and dad and brother and sister-in-law, and the optimistic attitude they took towards the disease that helped her through.

She said: "I went to Lakeside with my mum to buy a wig. We bought two and my sister-in-law Alyson texted to ask what we bought. As a joke I replied I had bought a beautiful pink one. She texted back, Trust You'. As soon as mum heard she said we had to go back and get one, so we did.

"The nurses couldn't believe it when they saw my new pink hair. They all thought it was hilarious. I'm so glad we got it. It was wonderful being able to put a smile on people's faces waiting for chemo."

She added: "You just have to take a positive attitude. It's the little things that get you through."

In September, after chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, she was given the all-clear. But her oncologist, Tina Lucas, had one more job for her.

Mrs Rosenbaum said: "She said you've got such a great attitude, you should write a book'. She even came up with the name for it, A Pink Wig Will Get You Through. I thought she was being ridiculous, but I was bored one evening and I thought, maybe I'll write an article.

"So I went upstairs and a few hours later Gary came up wondering what had happened to me. I'd only written about the first month. I knew then it would have to be a book."

The book describes the everyday aspects of battling cancer, from deciding the best way to tell her children she was sick, to becoming addicted to the shopping channels, the things you notice like the way people tilt their heads when they ask how you are and the struggle to get back into the swing of things after treatment ends.

The first print run of 200 sold out within days with all proceeds going to the Royal Marsden Cancer Campaign.

Mrs Rosenbaum said: "I'm overwhelmed by the response. I never thought people would be so interested."

l To order a copy, contact the Royal Marsden fundraising department on 020 8770 0279 or visit The Bookshop, Woodford Green.

tmcdermott@london.newsquest.co.uk