I found a small lump in my left breast in August 2012 when I was 38. This story could sound like many others -except I was 28 weeks pregnant at the time… with twins.
To say that my whole world seemed to be collapsing around me at the time was an understatement. I was devastated and did not know if I would be here to see my children grow up.
I had my first surgery when I was 29 weeks pregnant – a lumpectomy and full auxiliary clearance. I was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma stage 3 breast cancer. I spent three days in the maternity ward recovering and had to endure a drain inserted deep into my armpit for the rest of that week as I approached 30
weeks into the pregnancy. It was an horrendous time, I couldn’t have any further test to see how far the cancer had spread as I was pregnant. The waiting was terrible.
I was forced to have my babies 2 months early at 32 weeks gestation and the babies were taken straight to the neonatal unit and put into humidicribs. Luckily babies Asher Lee and Brynn Lee were good, healthy and strong babies. They spent six weeks in hospital.
At the time of delivery my obstetrician also removed my ovaries and Fallopian tubes so as to stop the spread of the hormone positive cancer and prevent future ovarian cancer.
Another devastating blow, having to endure menopause with two tiny babies and breast cancer!
Further tests revealed that the cancer had not spread to my organs so I was sent soon after to have intensive chemotherapy. I was told I was not to breast feed (so devastating as my body had already prepared me so well) and to cause even more grief the drugs I was given were so toxic that I was unable to have any skin to skin contact with my babies and my then 5 year old son Hudson for up to 10 days after each chemo cycle. I went through six cycles of chemotherapy.
The power of mothers is so inspiring. I was told not to breast feed my babies as the cancer treatment made me toxic. So, I set up my own expressed breast milk group and even had some frozen expressed milk from my sister in law flown up from Adelaide. In all nine women helped to feed my twins. The collective psyche of mothers is very powerful.
I’m just so pleased that Asher and Brynn had the best start in life even if I couldn’t give that nourishment myself. Other powerful and inspiring mums were only too happy to help.
Following chemotherapy I flew to Brisbane, a 2000km round trip, for more breast surgery as the margins were not clear after the initial lumpectomy! I was in Brisbane, away from my children for 10 long days.
Fortunately my surgeon was able to clear the margin. I did have some complications so had to have another surgery and then frequent visits to my Mackay surgeon thereafter.
I was then sent 400km north to Townsville for six weeks of radiation treatment. I relocated my whole family for that time so we could all be together. It was such an exhausting and emotionally draining experience.
I still had three embryos in storage and after lengthy discussions with my oncologists, surgeons, obstetrician and GP regarding the risks of another pregnancy (it could trigger the cancer again) I donated the embryos to give someone else the chance of starting a family.
Motherhood is such a wonderful experience and I just felt compelled to give that gift to someone else.
I completed my active treatment in June of 2013 and now take daily medication to block the hormones which were feeding my cancer. I’m currently waiting for the results of testing for the BRCA 1 and 2 genes.
I will take the medication for 10 years. Like all medications, there are side effects and my medication will deplete my bone density which leads to other issues.
However, I live in hope that my doctors and I have done everything we can to ensure that I get to see my children grow up.
I feel strong and determined and know that I must go on. I do worry about my future and my children’s future but I am learning to live in the moment and embrace all the good times, along with my husband Wayd, wholeheartedly.
My children are a wonderful, beautiful distraction to the demons that pop into my head from time to time, and that’s why I was able to push my beautiful babies in the stroller for the 2014 Mother’s Day Classic, and I raised more than $6500 for research. I’ll be at Mother’s Day Classic again in 2015, doing my best for research, and to help in the fight for a cancer free future.
Mother’s Day Classic will be held in about 100 locations around Australia on Sunday May 10. This year will top $25 million raised for breast cancer research. For more information or to register or donate, go to www.mothersdayclassic.com.au
