Pauline's story
When Pauline finally booked her first mammogram, it detected an aggressive breast cancer that she could not have found herself. Nine and a half years later, she is sharing her experience to highlight the life-saving importance of breast screening.
My journey started 12 years ago when my previous employer brought in BreastScreen NSW for a talk.
The one thing I remember from that talk was that you didn’t have to wait till you were 50 years of age to have a free mammogram, but you could have them from 40.
I let that information rattle around in my head for two and a half years before I booked in for a check-up.
So, at the age of 48 I had my first mammogram and was diagnosed with an aggressive Grade 3 cancer in my left breast.
I have been advised by two breast surgeons that no matter how many self-examinations I would have done I would not have found it as it was against the chest wall.
After the scan I was advised that the lumpectomy was now going to be a mastectomy of the breast, in lay man’s terms a total removal of the breast.
But the news didn’t stop there – they had also discovered an ovarian cyst. They would remove this after the treatment for my breast.
The next day I went in and had the mastectomy. And the gift that keeps on giving - gave again! Upon waking up I was advised that they had found 6cm of cancer in the lymph node behind my breast and therefore had removed 33 lymph nodes from my chest, underarm and left arm.
There are two things that are negative for me and I could have let them get to me, but I like to take the positives from them.
I could dwell on the fact that I let information rattle around in my head for two and a half years before going and having a mammogram, thinking about how much less treatment I may have had, that I may still have a breast, but I don’t. I like to look at the positive side and that I am alive and have been cancer free for nine and a half years.
I now have lymphoedema and will for the rest of my life, but I look on the bright side. After 20 years as a firefighter, I can no longer get on a truck, but I am thankful that I have been able to use my knowledge and have become a dual member with my local communications brigade. From there six years ago I joined the Operational Communications Centre and I now have the most rewarding job I’ve ever had.
So please don’t be like me and let the information rattle around in your heads. Go and book yourself into having the tests that are relevant for you.
