For Michelle Warner (Tennyson) the seemingly insignificant letter that arrived in November of last year marked a sliding doors moment for her life and her health.
A deputy director with the Public Health Agency, Michelle was in the midst of celebrating her upcoming 50th birthday and felt as well as she ever had.
A routine letter inviting her to a breast cancer screening landed through the door and Michelle said she didn't give it too much thought but would go to the appointment.
Read more: Belfast mum on how fitness and friendship helped her overcome breast cancer 'misdiagnosis'
"To be perfectly honest, it didn't really strike me personally as being a big deal, because my first thought was everything should be ok as there was no breast cancer in my family," she said.
"While I wouldn't be brilliant at examining myself, I felt I knew I had no lumps and I had no symptoms and in the middle of my celebrations I felt fantastic.
"Obviously because I work in the Public Health Agency I know this is really important, but I didn't worry an awful lot about it because I felt I would be ok."
Michelle had her screening and was then off to Leeds, the city where she studied, for a reunion and birthday celebrations which were "brilliant".
It was only when she came back home that she found out she had been recalled by the Belfast Trust but even then, she still felt fairly confident that she was ok.
"It was only when I went to the recall appointment I felt things might not be as good as I thought they were," she said.
"Three biopsies were taken at that time and the doctors said it would likely be fine but that they wanted to investigate areas that were causing some concern on the mammograms.
"I think it was about two weeks after that I was invited to come for my results, into Mr Irwin's clinic, who is one of the breast surgeons in the Belfast Trust.
"An absolutely incredible, incredible man, I have to tell you.
"And it was at that point that he had said 'actually Michelle, based on the biopsies, you have breast cancer'."
For many it's news that would floor them whether emotionally or physically, but the Co Armagh woman said she was struck by very different feelings.
"I felt shocked and I was surprised, but actually I had this, I can't even describe it, but I had this real wave of optimism and hope, I felt lucky," she said.
"What came into my head was that I was being given this unbelievable chance.
"The doctor was saying to me 'Michelle, this is an early diagnosis and we believe you'll have a really good outcome and that's all down to the fact we got this early'.
"All I kept thinking was 'you're telling me I have cancer, you're potentially going to save my breasts, save my life'.
"And I kept in my mind going back to this letter that arrived in the middle of my 50th birthday and I could have quite frankly gone for the screening or not.
"And that letter hadn't even registered as being really, really important to me."
Surgery was booked for January 10 and thankfully, it was a complete success, with Michelle now looking at starting radiotherapy treatment and then a five-year hormone treatment programme.
" I had a diagnosis on December 8 and on January 26, Mr Irwin confirmed it had all been removed," she said.
"I know it was there prior to the diagnosis, but from the point of time I knew to the removal, it was seven weeks.
"I remember messaging my friends saying 'I no longer have cancer, I had cancer'."
With that worry off her mind, Michelle said she is indebted to the Belfast Trust team, who looked after her and made her feel like "the only person in the world that mattered".
She also paid tribute to her husband Dean who she described as "incredible".
"Dean has been with me every step of the way, I can't thank him enough for that," she said.
Michelle said the cancer treatment would have its own side-effects but that she was grateful to have had such a positive outcome.
"It will be a tough journey and at this moment in time, I've not exactly fallen in love with the hot flushes or the night-sweats but it still feels that that's a much better alternative for me than not going to the breast-screening," she said.
"My cancer was invasive, so my story might have been very different had I not gone for that 30 minute visit to the breast-screening unit.
"And actually my breasts probably look better now than what they did pre-surgery!
"Not only have they saved my breasts, but my life and that's incredible to think that all came from that 30 minute appointment."
She encouraged women who receive the letter to go to their breast-screening appointment, as that 30 minutes could prove as "invaluable" to them as it has to her.
The Public Health Agency said while breast cancer can occur at any age, the risk of developing it increases with age and most occur in women over the age of 50.
If breast cancer is found early, there is a better chance that treatment will be successful and they highlighted a five-point awareness code.
The breast awareness five-point code
1. Know what is normal for you;
2. Know what changes to look and feel for;
3. Look and feel;
4. Report any changes to your GP immediately;
5. Attend for breast screening from the age of 50.
"There are a number of changes that could indicate that cancer may be present and it is important to check for these regularly," a spokesperson said.
"Our breasts look and feel different at different times in our lives, but if you are worried about any change at all, the best way to put your mind at rest is to speak to your GP."
The PHA also highlighted changes to look out for:
Appearance
a change in the size or outline of either breast, especially those caused by arm movement; puckering, dimpling or redness of the skin; veins that stand out more than usual.
Lumps
Lumps or thickening in either breast that feel different from the other breast; swelling or lumps under your armpit or around your collarbone.
Nipple changes
A nipple that has become pulled in, changed shape; signs of nipple discharge, bleeding, rash or crusted, flaky skin.
Sensation
Although pain on its own is not usually a sign of breast cancer, do not ignore unexplained pain or a change in sensation in your breast.
For further information on the changes to look out for visit the PHA's website.
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