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Sue at Dreamworld
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Something I've learned to live with
My name is Sue Thomson and I am 37 years old. I lost my mum to leukaemia when I was 25 and my dad to bowel cancer when I turned 31. So, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2005, I thought my time was up. Having a five year old daughter, Danielle, made it even harder to accept.
We had moved to Darwin in May 2005. Breast cancer was all over the news because of Kylie Minogue. I joined a badminton group and found out that three of its members had survived breast cancer. I thought that I had better check myself - and there it was, a marble-sized lump in my right breast.
I found a local GP and he sent me for scans and biopsies. The results weren't good. I was booked into surgery the following Monday. I had a lumpectomy and an auxiliary clearance. My surgeon was great and made the smallest of scars. But I hated having the drains and IVs attached to me. I didn't want Danielle to see them when she visited.
After a few days I felt fine, but it wasn't over yet. I wasn't looking forward to chemotherapy as I had seen both my parents go through it. I felt okay for the first few days after each chemo session, but by the fourth day I'd get pretty sick. Knowing that I had more sessions to go was the worst feeling. Luckily, my chemo appointments always fell on a weekend so my partner, Ian, was home to look after Danielle. During my third session, my step mum flew out to look after us.
Radiotherapy had to be done in Brisbane, so Ian's mum flew out to look after Danielle. They flew down to the Gold Coast and we went to the theme parks. Ian had a surprise for me as well. He'd arranged for me to have my photo taken with one of the tigers at Dreamworld. It was pretty tiring driving back and forth to Brisbane to have my treatment, but well worth it.
I'm now on tamoxifen, which gives me a few side effects. My life is getting back to normal slowly. It will never be as it was.
Having cancer plays on my mind: thinking the worst and knowing that it could return is something I‘ve learnt to live with. But surviving breast cancer gets easier with time. At first, I checked myself every hour for more lumps and then every day. Now I probably check once or twice a month. And when I've had my yearly scans I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that I have survived another year.
Even though I'm reminded most days of the cancer (because I'm on tamoxifen) I try not to be controlled by a tiny pill. Knowing that it is helping to prevent the cancer from returning, I take it and put up with the side effects.
Having a young child whilst going through cancer has made me want to be strong for her, to put on a brave face and smile and keep her life as normal as I can, answering questions that I thought I wouldn't have to deal with yet. Some days I just look at my daughter growing and know that we are both lucky I am still around; and with each birthday she has I am grateful that I can share it with her. Having Danielle kept me strong through it all, and I WILL be attending her 18th and 21st birthday parties.
Last updated August 2007
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