I Had Cancer
I wanted to write a page about breast cancer because I had never in a million years thought it would happen to me. And because it did.
I think about breast cancer every single day. And though I don't want you to have to ... you probably should think about it more often than you do. Why? Because - particularly for younger women - breast cancer is aggressive and fast-growing and too-often misdiagnosed. If caught early, then chemotherapy is often very effective - and survival rates are very high.
It's hard to think about, I know - but had I waited around ... not got a second opinion ... well, who knows what my prospects would be. (More about all that in a sec).
So trust your instincts. Check your breasts. And don't save too much living for a rainy day.
How it all began
I was 31 years old when I was diagnosed, and Nelle was only 8 months old. It was the week after my first Mother's Day, and I had already been told by one doctor not to worry too much about the lump in my breast. I was breastfeeding, after all ... and I was young and healthy.
But I did worry, and got a second opinion - and so it began. The mammogram, the ultrasound, the biopsy, the diagnosis, the tears, the surgery, the waiting, the bone scan, the CT scan, the prognosis, the chemotherapy, the needles, the poison, the infertility, the baldness, the tiredness, the radiation therapy, the sore skin, the menopause, the hormone treatment, the uncertainty, the check ups, the MRI scans ...
What I learned
Breast cancer has defined me, though I wish it hadn't. I'm not going to say that it was the greatest thing ever to happen to me (because it wasn't), or that it was worth it for all I learned (because I would never choose it). But I have learned from cancer, and I have gained from it.
I've met lovely friends - some of whom are gone now, and deeply missed (but most of whom are doing well!). I've acquired the ability to say no, without feeling guilty. I reconsidered my career path, and found a new direction that's truer to my priorities. I no longer live like I'm immortal. I take care of myself. I don't wait around to do things. I try to gain as many experiences as possible, and I try to shower my friends and family in love. Often that involves food!
How I shared
I took the opportunity both when I had cancer and now that I don't to draw attention to cancer in younger women. We're often overlooked, and mis-diagnosed, and breast cancer affects us at a time of our lives when we're trying to establish our careers, and our families, and have babies, and maybe even find love in our lives. Cancer in younger women also tends to be faster-growing and more aggressive, so it's important to detect it early.
I'd like to share with you some of the stories I've been involved in ...
When I was going through chemotherapy, I was part of an article that ran in the Brisbane weekend newspaper's magazine supplement. It focused on breast cancer in younger women, and highlighted 4 cases. All of us were in our early 30s or late 20s. You can find a copy of that article here (on pg 44):
This article was recently followed up in the 5th Anniversary edition of the same magazine ... I'll post a link as soon as I can. The followup focuses on one of the girls, Lisa, who was a good friend of mine and who died a year after diagnosis. It makes me so sad even to see those pictures, she was such a lovely, lovely girl.
And our friend Juanita, who is a professional photographer, took a photo-journal of my treatment. She was part of our lives through all of it and you can find her view of my story on her photo-blog:
http://broderickphotography.wordpress.com/2008/09/02/amandas-story/. She's amazing, and took some amazing photos.
I'm in remission now, as they call it. There are (supposedly) no cancer cells left in my body. My odds of living cancer-free are really high - as in, you would bet all your savings on it. Even so, I do worry ... I just try not to worry too much. And I definitely appreciate every single day.
Education
I started Easy Peasy Organic because I wanted to reduce the chemicals going into my body. If you want to know a little more about environmental factors (like chemicals) and cancer, here are a couple of good sources:
from the Washington Post
The Breast Cancer Fund's State of the Evidence
If you want more information about breast cancer in younger women, please have a look at some of these sites:
http://www.nbocc.org.au/breast-cancer/about-breast-cancer/younger-women-with-breast-cancer
http://www.youngsurvival.org/young-women-and-bc/
or donate! Breast cancer research, support services, and networks all need our help with funding. I'll post some of my favourites shortly, but there are likely venues closer than you think.
If you have any questions about my breast cancer, or want to talk about anything related to whatever I've written here, please contact me via email at easypeasyorganic@yahoo.com.
Be well,
Amanda xx
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