My Name is Angela and I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 22 in 2008. I have read heaps of stories and really am touched with what we all go through to beat breast cancer. I am over the hard part now and keen to celebrate my new life.

It was Feb 2008 and I was preparing for my last uni subject when I noticed a lump in my left breast. I didn’t think too much of it as it was only faint to touch. I had to see my GP that week for a check-up and decided to ask what it was. I think I may have been from a bump in the breast which I had some bruising at Christmas time. My GP was not too concern however I was sent to get an ultra sound to see what it was. At this stage I was stressing in preparation to finalise my last subject for university and have it all completed before April as that was graduation deadline.

With all the stress over once I graduated I had forgotten about my breast and left it to the last moment. Finally my GP rang me to see if I had had the ultrasound and by late May I went for my ultrasound. After the ultra sound check-up my GP said it had grown and wanted me to do a fine needle biopsy. Within 24 hours my doctor was urgently calling me too see her ASAP.  I never through in my mind that it was cancer and what did she want!! I cried heaps that arvo but still in my mind never through it was cancer.  What was cancer at my age?

My work colleague came with me to see my doctor as my mum lived in another town. My GP told me it was breast cancer. My whole world fell, was this for real was it possible to be so young and have breast cancer.  I had no family history at all of breast cancer. I cried for days and still did not believe it was possible to have breast cancer.  My GP got me an appointment straight away with a breast surgeon specialist at the Hospital.  It was confirmed that I had Grade 2 Breast Cancer and within a week I was having a lumpectomy and had one lymph node removed which came back clear. A week after I was told that I should have a mastectomy for a better chance of long term survival and I should not have to have radiation. My specialist said that he felt like he had hit a bat over my head again. I had lots of negative thoughts at this stage.

My main concern was at this stage being able to have children in the future.  It was then arranged to have an IVF to collect her eggs for the future.  In October, I began 6 chemotherapy sessions every 2 weeks, just before my 23rd birthday.  I did not get really sick as most people do under this treatment; I did sleep a lot and gained a bit of weight.  A found it hard to say goodbye to my long hair as it kept falling out. But the wigs I bought were beautiful. I was also on an injection, Zoladex, which stopped my periods and was an added protection for future pregnancies.  So every 28 days she would have an injection in her stomach.  This treatment basically me into early menopause and the hot flushes kept coming.

Just after my first chemo treatment and my friends organised me a concert to help me out and cheer me up.  We raised some money for breast cancer and everything was pink.  One of the band members from Shiftlock organised the concert with his partner Kylie (my best friend). They named the concert, "Pink Angel".  The bands "Shiftlock, Six Hole Theory and Approaching Aver" all played their music and a few business volunteered their staff for security and work in the canteen to make the night an enjoyable one. Everyone wore pink and even my male friends dressed in a tutu and pink for me.  I will never forget that night and the effort my friends put in to help me through this experience.

While this was all happening I was made redundant, someone rear ended my car and my I had to move out of my rental house. What else could happen! Why was all this bad luck happening…

I started Tamoxifen in Jan 2009 and will be on it for 5 years. I had my mastectomy (Tram Flap) and reconstruction in one operation at the end of March 2009. I was told that I am cancer free after my mastectomy. I feel so relieved and I am really happy that my nightmare is nearly over. I spent a week in hospital and I am happy with my new breast. It is my own tissue and muscle and I got a tummy tuck out of it.
Its now 2011 and I recovered from my operation.  I can do the normal things without a struggle.  It was a hard operation to recover from how I am now very happy with my new breast and my scars have healed.  I am fighting a slow battle to lose weight, which I put on but can say its finally shifting and I am shrinking.  I am back to the gym and I have lots of energy.   The hard part is over and I can start fresh knowing that I do not have to go through with everything again.

I’m so glad to have all the support of my family and friends and Doctors and Breast Care Nurse who looked after me though this dark part of my life I hope to never go back there. I am healthy and focusing on my career until I get the chance to have children. I do worry about my future, whether it will come back, whether I will be able to have children naturally, whether I will ever be able to find someone to have children with and also of they are able to except what I have gone through after having this experience.

Despite all the tears there was also heaps of happiness and I look forward to the future.