TWOmonths ago Jodie Burdett was a busy working mum, juggling life as a high-flying solicitor with caring for her adorable daughter.

Fast forward to today, and she is recovering from her latest gruelling chemotherapy session.

Jodie, just 32, of Western Road, Billericay, was dealt the devastating blow she had breast cancer at the end of May.

She has just finished her fourth bout of chemotherapy, which leaves her almost bed-bound for four days a week.

The weekly Wednesday sessions will continue for another eight weeks, before they move to every three weeks.

“I always find the days following chemotherapy really tough.

By Sunday night I start to feel a bit better, but I'm back in hospital every Wednesday”, she said.

“Every week I panic, because as you get more and more of the medication in your body you don’t know how it will react. I’ve been lucky so far. The chemotherapy will pretty much take up a whole year of my life.”

Before chemotherapy began, Jodie cut off her long blonde locks in aid of the Little Princess Trust, but she is soon set to lose her stylish pixie crop.

Two year-old daughter Ella knows her mum is poorly, but she has been sheltered from the extent of the illness.

Jodie said: “The most difficult thing is I’m never onmy own with Ella at the moment, because it’s just too tiring. I always have to make sure someone is here with me.

“She doesn’t know anything about the chemotherapy. When I go into hospital every Wednesday she’s at nursery, and when I come back on a Thursday my mum has her.

“She’s noticed that I’m sleeping more, and I can’t play as much, but children are really versatile.

“I’m not sure how she will react when I lose my hair. Even the doctors are surprised I haven’t yet, they expected it to happen after the second week of chemotherapy.”

Jodie discovered a lump in her left breast after experiencing a sharp pain. She was told by her doctor the lump was most likely a cyst, but later discovered she had a cancerous tumour after being send for a mammogram.

After her diagnoses, Jodie, who married husband Ian, 41, eight months ago, threw herself into fundraising.

She has already raised £7,500 for Breast Cancer Care, which provides support and information to cancer sufferers and their families.

“I think the biggest thing for me is raising awareness. Since this has happened to me, so many people have asked me how I found the lump. I didn’t routinely check myself, I could just feel that something was wrong.

“You’ve got to trust your instincts, because you know your own body better than anyone else.

“As breast cancer is rare in younger people, you just don’t think to check yourself. Busy lives get in the way as well, but I’m proof that an early diagnoses is crucial. It doesn’t bear thinking about what could have happened if I didn’t get checked out.

“The support I’ve had has been amazing, and I’ve met so many other people on Facebook who are my age and also have breast cancer.

It’s comforting to knowyou’re not alone.”