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NSW, diagnosed age 31
‘All I have ever really wanted was to be a Mum.'
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Kylie Rowe and her mother Jill
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It was Fathers day, 5 September 2005, when Dad said the words that every daughter dreads to hear about her mother: ‘Your mother has breast cancer!' A million questions started flooding my mind How? When? WHY??? Ten days and lots of doctor's appointments later Mum was in hospital having a mastectomy of her right breast. We had lots of the questions, which were not able to be answered. Who knows why, Mum was not even 60.
It was 11 December 2006 when I
said the words that every mother dreads to hear about her daughter. ‘I
have breast cancer!' The same million questions, most of them
unanswerable. Nine days later and I was in hospital having a lumpectomy
of my left breast. Who knows why, I had just turned 31.
Prior to
the lumpectomy my partner and I were informed that I would be offered
chemotherapy, radiotherapy then hormone treatment, just to be sure! We
were also informed that these treatments potentially had the biggest
life changing risks possible. We had decided to try for a baby that
year and now we were being told that Chemo and hormone therapy could
decrease my fertility by up to eighty percent and even then we would
not be able to even consider trying for 3- 5 years after the treatment
had finished. That would make me 38. No egg harvesting allowed and no
IVF ever! I felt that my world as I knew it had started to crumble. All
I have ever really wanted was to be a Mum.
Christmas 2006 came and went. I had an appointment on 4 January 2007 to
discuss follow up treatment. My period was two weeks late, probably
stress we thought but I would do a pregnancy test anyway. We discussed
our options again, she made me some appointments. The next stage was
beginning: When the pregnancy test came back positive the emotions that
came with it were almost unbearable. Two fragile lives in one. I had
two options. Keep the baby and have no treatment or abort the baby,
endure the treatment and risk never having the opportunity again. We
decided on the first option and had amazing support from everyone,
doctors included.
It worked out that I would have
fallen pregnant at exactly the same time as I felt the lump. Who knows
what came first but I was determined to get well for the both of us. I
saw naturopaths and doctors regularly and I got through the first
twelve weeks without a hiccup. Devastatingly I had a bleed at 17 weeks
and I lost our little boy at 18 weeks. My body just wasn't ready. Now I
am well, six months have passed since my operation and my recent tests
were all clear. Who knows why things happen. Maybe he came to steer me
in the right direction, I do know that he gave me hope. When I am
strong enough he will send someone else but he will always be with us.
Last Updated 7 December 2007
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Kylie Rowe 
