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Christine (left) and twin sister Fran
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'Faith in my doctors'
My life changed irrevocably when I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in May 2005. To be told you have a disease so rare in comparison with other breast cancers is a shock that touches the lives of everyone around you.
The period immediately after diagnosis sends your head into a whirl. It's a time of fear, anxiety and frustration for us and our families. We, the patients, can be on an emotional roller coaster, full of courage but also fear as we face the unknown.
My diagnosis seemed drawn out, as I went from one doctor to another in Toowoomba over the period of a week, ending up in Brisbane to see a breast surgeon. She confirmed that I had a rare, dangerous and aggressive disease known as inflammatory breast cancer. She'd only ever seen a limited number of cases before. I was to start chemotherapy immediately. If I'd have had a mastectomy first, the likelihood of the cancer spreading straight into my chest wall was very high.
Then began my battle with breast cancer. Three months of chemo and a full mastectomy. Many lymph nodes removed from under my right arm. More chemo, and being a trial ‘case study' for the drug Herceptin®. Staying in Brisbane over a six week period for radiotherapy, during which my skin got so burnt that no gels or creams helped. The dreaded lymphoedema in my right arm, for which a week of intensive physio and bandaging in hospital didn't really help! Finishing my 12 months of Herceptin® only to resume taking the drug, as trials were proving a two-year benefit over one. My latest little operation, nearly nine months ago, in which a 'port-a-cath' was inserted to take the pressure off my delicate veins that just don't want to work anymore! My days of feeling like a pin cushion are numbered!
This is just a small part of my journey with breast cancer, and the obstacles I've had to face along the way. Living with uncertainty, as many of us do, makes me appreciate every single day. One must have a positive outlook on life and embrace all the good that surrounds us. I have complete and utter faith in my doctors; without their support and genius I would never have had the hope in medicine to see me through to the other side. Through CAT scans, gated heart scans, x-rays, ultrasounds, blood tests and mammograms, I never stopped believing or lost faith in my doctors who had the knowledge and persistence to help me through this ordeal.
Thank you to all of you who have continually supported me and the breast cancer cause. I couldn't be a survivor without you.
Last updated August 2007
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