3 years ago, I was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
I was terrified. My first thought was, “Oh no, I haven’t taught Samuel how to cook yet!”. So really my first thought was “I am going to die before I have a chance to teach my son how to cook.” Which is a confronting thought. But thankfully I needn’t have jumped to such conclusions.
Because my story is a little different to the ones I hear at the Biggest Morning Tea events and in the media. It’s a story of fairly simple treatment. It’s a story that played out without disrupting our lives that much at all. It’s a story of early detection.
At around age 42, I started getting routine mammograms every year. Around 3 years later, in 2021 my routine mammogram revealed a tiny spot in my left breast. A spot so small that it couldn’t be felt, and which displayed no symptoms. I had a biopsy a week later and 4 days after that my GP delivered the news I had been expecting, but dreading. It was breast cancer.
I immediately trawled my memories for all the breast cancer stories I had known in my life. Horrendous chemotherapy treatments, mastectomies, feelings of nausea, fatigue, being unable to work or do normal day-to-day things, and long-term side effects. Worse, there were those who hadn’t been able to treat the cancer in time, and who lost their lives. I thought all these stories were going to be my story. I thought there was only one track on the breast cancer train. But I was wrong, Thank goodness.
I met with my breast surgeon following my GP’s diagnosis, who laid out my options. She said her gut told her, because we had caught the cancer so early, that it would probably be contained to the breast, but she couldn’t know for sure until she got in and tested the tissue and lymph nodes. We decided she would do a lumpectomy, remove the sentinel lymph nodes (where the breast fluid drains to first) and a few others and test the nodes during surgery to see if they were clear of cancer cells. Then after the surgery we could make decisions about next steps. I spent an agonising month waiting for the surgery still not knowing what I was dealing with. I started journalling and meditating every day, and walking 5kms every day, no excuses. I learned, during a Dry July women’s alcohol-free challenge I was doing at the time, that any level of alcohol consumption increases our chances of getting 7 types of cancer, including breast cancer. And that was enough to change my mindset around alcohol completely, and I haven’t had a drink for 3 years. I prioritised my physical and mental wellbeing while I waited, and it made my wait a bit more bearable.
Finally, the day of my surgery arrived, and because of Covid lockdowns, I couldn’t have anyone come into the hospital with me. But I was in a lovely private hospital and was comfortable with my surgeon, so I was feeling ok and really, I was just eager to get the cancer out of my body. The surgery went well, and when I woke my surgeon told me that she had tested the sentinel lymph nodes and had confirmed that the cancer had not spread. The best part about that news was that we decided that chemotherapy was not necessary, and the surgery and radiation treatment alone would achieve a cure rate of 98%. Also, once the pathology came back after surgery, my surgeon said that the type of cancer I had is unlikely to return. Who knew there was more than 1 type of breast cancer? Not me!
I had to recover from surgery for a month so that my wounds were healed properly before I went into 3 weeks of deep breath hold radiation treatment, 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I had to have a letter in my car giving me permission to drive outside of my LGA due to the lockdowns. It was a crazy time. The radiation side effects were minimal thanks to my strict skincare strategies of using natural deodorant and lots of Moo Goo moisturiser, with only some reddening of the skin around the treatment area and some tiredness. And then, after some consultation with an endocrinologist, we decided as a team that it wasn’t worth enduring the intense side effects of hormone therapy just to increase my cure rate by another 1%. So aside from 6-monthly follow-up appointments with my breast surgeon and yearly scans, that was the end of my treatment.
June 29 (diagnosis) to September 24 (last radiation treatment). That’s just 3 months of treatment (with lots of waiting in between). If, God forbid, any of you find out you have breast cancer, I want this story to be your story. For that to happen you need to be getting regular mammograms.
Although my journey was scary and traumatic at times, the treatment I required was mild and short compared with many other stories I have known. And I do harbour some guilt about that to be completely honest. I know so many women have suffered greatly from cancer treatments, and I didn’t have to. You can barely even see my 2 scars now, 3 years later. I think sometimes that’s why stories like mine aren’t shared as often. Because we feel guilty that we didn’t have to suffer like many of our sisters did. Sometimes it feels like I don’t deserve to share my story, because others have suffered so much more than me. And it’s also very vulnerable to share any cancer story, especially when thinking back on that time holds such emotion.
But now I feel a responsibility to share my story as much as I can, so that you, my sisters, may have an outcome as good as mine. So that you are not scared of going to get your scans.
The message is simple. Just get screened REGULARLY. Don’t just get one scan and think you’re good for another 5 years. A lot can happen inside your boobs in 5 years.
If you are 40 or older, book yourself in for a mammogram. You’re probably eligible to get scanned for free at BreastScreen NSW.
The important part is to get scanned EVERY YEAR. If you want to be scanned annually and your doctor tells you it’s not necessary, go to another doctor.
A message about breast cancer I heard recently from an oncologist that rang true for me was, “Remember that not knowing doesn’t mean you don’t have it. Knowledge is power. If you have it, you can do something. The earlier you know, the better the outcome.”
And I can’t tell you how great it feels to go for a mammogram, and they tell you everything is fine. It’s much better than avoiding the scans and worrying, wondering and catastrophizing for no reason.
YOUR HOMEWORK: If you haven’t had a scan in the last 12 months, make time to go see your GP, get a referral and get a mammogram. Or book in through BreastScreen NSW. Please, do it for yourself. And comment below when you’ve made the appointment.
For those who get scanned regularly, please brag about it in the comments! You’re legends!
For any of you who are going through this journey right now, and you need support or just want to talk to someone who has been through it, please get in touch with me via Corinne. I’d love to chat.
Note: Jacqui is a friend of mine who was ready to share her story to encourage everyone to get a mammogram. Remember that a mammogram is free at any breast Clinic and there are a few around Ryde. You can also ring Royal North Shore Hospital and book an appointment at their Breast clinic.
Meditation and family yoga 