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Roberta standing on Bald Rock
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‘I did it!'
In February 2006, I found out I had breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and began my chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. This treatment meant I needed to be in Brisbane every three weeks so we decided to live a ‘mini-dream'! We'd go away in our van but stay within a three-hour radius of the hospital.
I'd always had an urge to see Bald Rock, just across the border, so in October (wildflower season) we stayed in Tenterfield for the walk to this landmark. Lovely sunny weather welcomed the day. Taking in the signs at the beginning of the walk, we decided to take the gentler 3km return route. Slow and steady, the track climbed up through beautiful open forest dotted here and there with flowering rock lilies (very like the King Orchid) on the ever-present granite rocks and lots of flowering shrubs.
Now I should explain at this point that I am VERY afraid of heights. Not the ‘get up the ladder to clean the gutters' sort of height, but the narrow pathways along cliff edges with no fencing sort of heights.
We came to a huge, very sloping rock. A quick glance tells me it is one huge surface with beautiful views and a long way above the forest down below! Very, very scary, but with lots of encouragement and almost squeezing hubby's hand to bits I managed to edge up and up.
I kept thinking to myself all the time, just follow those white dots and don't, whatever you do, look down! Before I knew it, the trig station appeared. It was the summit! With very shaky writing I proudly wrote my name in the visitors book there with the comment, ‘Hard walk but worth it. Think Pink. I DID IT!'
Since then, I've visited lots of other beautiful places and met more challenges. I know now that I can do it. We hope to be able to take many longer trips.
I have never thought ‘why me'. My philosophy has been to get in there and deal with it with a positive but enlightened attitude. I write this as a form of encouragement to others. Do whatever you can while you can. Breast cancer is not a sentence but a diagnosis. Live life to the fullest each day, day by day.
Last updated August 2007
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