Vanessa
In November 2005 I was lying on the ground doing sit-ups and thought I would conduct a breast examination whilst I was in the best position
for it. I felt a hard almond shape lump in myright breast and immediately got a dreadful feeling about it.
I booked into the doctors the next day and she also could feel it but only when I was laying on my back. It was about 10 o’clock from the nipple and in deep. I was referred immediately for a biopsy and when the results came back as positive for breast cancer we were all baffled as I had no known family history at that stage and I was only 27!
I was referred to an amazing surgeon and he removed the lump (lumpectomy) & did a sentinel node biopsy. The node was positive for cancer so he removed 17 nodes, the rest were clear. The lump was 14mm & I was triple negative. I had clear margins and no invasion into the lymph system or surrounding tissue was identified. Then off to the oncologist who recommended 6 rounds of TAC chemotherapy treatment with radiotherapy to follow (I had to move to Wagga for 6 weeks as the radiotherapy machines in Canberra broke down at this time!! That was a very hard time). I also had to squeeze in IVF before I began treatment just in case the chemotherapy made me infertile. The treatment given was extremely strong and I had to visit the hospital twice for high temperatures (precautionary).
It was a very full on confusing month from the time of diagnosis to my first chemo treatment (just before Christmas). In February 2006 when I was well into my chemotherapy my Mum found a lump that literally came up overnight..she did regular breast checks and the day before the lump came up nothing could be felt so Mum was also diagnosed with breast cancer in her left breast. She also was triple negative with 1 node affected and also had 6 rounds of chemo with radiotherapy.
Mum began to investigate further the family history and we requested her Mother’s death certificate and there was the link…she had died from ovarian cancer..Mum was always told it was cervical. So then came all the gene testing and Mum and I both tested positive to the BRCA 1 gene which after finding out about my grandmother's death and the fact both myself and my Mum had breast cancer, there was no doubt I had the gene / we had the gene. I am now in the process of meeting with surgeons about double mastectomy with reconstruction & hysterectomy but as I have not had children yet, the hysterectomy will just need to wait for now.
I continued with my passion for soccer the whole way through my treatment and it helped me stay active and busy.
I just take one day at a time and try to stay positive and focused to beat this dreadful disease that has threatened my life and my Mums.
Update: Vanessa has a beautiful little boy with her husband. We wish her all the best and congratulations!
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