Home Janelle Pritchard

Janelle Pritchard

I am a breast cancer survivor. However a fairly new survivor. I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer in May 2003 and aged 45. At the time my children were aged 22, 20 and 15. My condition was diagnosed just a handful of months after losing my mother-in-law to a very aggressive form of cancer. The reality of my condition hit my husband, children and wider family and friends very hard not to mention me. We were all very anxious. Plans were being made in everyone's head. How long did I have, would I die as quickly has my mother-in-law did in just three months from diagnosis. My husband had great difficulty coming to terms with the news and became very depressed. Whilst in hospital recovering from a mastectomy to my left breast, I met a lady called Anna. Anna shared my room at the Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane. Anna was an elderly lady. She was 72 years young. Anna was in hospital on chemotherapy having already undergone surgery on her lung after being diagnosed with cancer which the doctors believed was actually secondary breast cancer. Anna went on to tell me that she was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 27 years old. She shared that it was a very frightening experience her and her young family. Little was known about cancer far less breast cancer then. At that time Anna had a mastectomy followed by a very radical treatment of radium therapy which scared her severely. A quick calculation revealed to me that Anna had survived breast cancer for more than 45 years. She had many stories about her four children. She also had many grand-children and two great-grandchildren. Anna's husband confirmed the details of her first diagnosis and treatment. He spoke of the radium therapy treatment she went through 40 odd years ago and how brave she was to have undergone such a brand new treatment at the time. Meeting Anna gave me great a great sense of relief and a bright ray of hope that there was a chance, a very good chance that I too will survive breast cancer and live to a ripe old age. I too could live as Anna did to see all of my daughters hopefully find happiness, get married and have children. I too might become a Nanna and that my husband and I also enjoy our retirement years. Where ever you are Anna I hope you are well and thank you, your 'survival' story and achievement inspired me and gave me courage. Breast cancer need not be seen as an end to life, but a door to live what God wills us to the max. Every day is a good day.