My story begins long before cancer – at my local Bakers Delight, where I started working at 16 in the Seaford store and later at Chelsea. I spent eight years there, even training my younger sister Kelsey. Those years behind the counter became an unexpectedly meaningful thread in my life as I navigated what came next. 

I was first diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, undergoing a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. Two years after my initial diagnosis, a lifting incident at my florist job led to a scan on Valentine’s Day — revealing my cancer had returned as metastatic at age 28. I carry the BRCA1 mutation, inherited from my dad, and all three of my siblings also carry it. I have moved through treatment in the public health system, including subsidised medications and hospital‑covered injections, and I say I have learned not to spend time in my “angry space” anymore.

My connection to Bakers Delight brings a gentle poignancy to my story. Right after hearing my first diagnosis at 26, overwhelmed and trying to steady myself, I turned to my mum and said, 

Today, sharing my story as part of the Pink Bun campaign, that moment has come full circle in a way I never expected.

My 13 Truths About Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer

1. It’s okay to ask how I am.
   It’s okay to ask me how I am. Some days I’m good, some days I’m bad… but isn’t that the reality for everybody whether they’re living with metastatic cancer or not? I think it’s important not to assume that because I look well I am doing well, but most of the time I am okay! I'm just getting by like everyone else.
2. Work-Life Balance
   Not only do I manage full time work and studying for my Masters degree, but I also have to manage treatments, appointments, scans and surgeries. This can be exhausting and can often mean I don’t have energy remaining for other things, like replying to my texts or emails (sorry to my friends!).
3. Scanxiety is the Worst.
   When I have a scan coming up I don’t usually let myself feel the anxiety around it until it has happened, which is followed by 3-5 days freaking out while I wait for the results and shutting myself in. You can do whatever it is you need to do to relieve the anxiety, which for me is sometimes Truth No. 4 below…
4. Treat Yourself
   Having Metastatic Cancer has encouraged me to prioritise my quality of life more than before my diagnosis. I haven’t changed my diet or lifestyle choices because of cancer which means yes, I choose to have a drink and yes, I choose to eat sugar. Sometimes the small things make a world of difference. For me it can be eating that slice of cake, a Bakers Delight Fun Bun or having a glass of wine.
5. Social Battery
   Putting up a front for people can contribute to the exhaustion you already feel when you’re living with Metastatic Cancer. Sometimes I choose to switch off rather than push through and drain my social battery even further. I worry this may seem antisocial to others, however it's important to listen to our bodies and remember our time is valuable!
6. The End of “Someday”
   It’s time to stop planning for 2030. If you want to buy the expensive pair of shoes or plan the overseas trip, do it! Don’t wait for later. Start a bucket list and do everything on it, then add more and do that! I keep a notebook in my bag where I write everything I hope to do in my life and I am slowly but surely ticking everything off.
7. Travel. Lots.
   I love to travel because there is so much of the world I want to see and experience. It can be a logistical circus when it comes to packing the meds, organising the paperwork and thinking about the “what if’s”, but the view from the plane or the first meal when I land makes it worth it! 
8. Protect the Partnership
   I’m the one living with cancer, but my husband is the one watching it happen to the person he loves. He deserves kindness and care too. We also do what we can to continue to be “us”, rather than “patient” and “support”. Travel and enjoying life is part of making sure our marriage doesn’t become a medical chart!
9. Sex and Side Effects
   Treatments, surgeries and medications all make their way into the bedroom whether you want them to or not. It is important to discuss this with your partner and remind them that it is nobody’s fault. Communication is key!
10. The Sick Boundary
    You can hug me, I won’t break. But please if you’re sick, try and keep away. My immune system is not what it used to be and something minor like a cold or a cough can mean a trip to the emergency room for someone like me!
11. The “Warrior” Myth
    People often tell me how strong I am and they don’t know how I do it, but I think it is important to remind them I don’t have a choice. If I want to live, I have to take the medication, go to the appointments, and have the scans and the surgeries. I appreciate the kind words and the intentions behind them, but this is just part of my life now.
12. Financial Bleed
    My treatments and medications are something that I have to pay for, and they continue to get more expensive every year. The prices of these are something I must factor into every budget or activity.
13. Dark Humour
    I have an incredibly dark sense of humour and often use it to cope. If I’m not laughing or making light of the situation, I might be crying. Some people get uncomfortable by this, but I try to remind them that they’re allowed to laugh at my jokes too!

I was diagnosed with breast cancer one week before my 37th birthday in July 2024, after finding a lump in my underarm late one night while caring for my three young children. 

With a four-month-old baby at the time, I hoped it was a blocked milk duct, but an ultrasound and biopsy confirmed cancer. I met my new oncologist and began chemotherapy the very next day, navigating 20 weeks of treatment while still doing school drop offs, toddler wrangling, and everything that comes with having three children under six. 

My treatment journey included a double mastectomy, lymph node removal, and reconstruction – decisions I made with the help of BCNA’s resources and firsthand stories from other women. I lost her hair quickly, choosing to shave it and embrace a pixie cut rather than spend extra hours trying cold caps. I believe being a mum meant I never had the luxury of sitting still or spiralling –

I recently finished my final immunotherapy session while adjusting to chemically induced menopause and the reality that I won’t have another child. 

One of the greatest joys in this chapter for me is that my eldest daughter, my seven year old Lily, is proudly involved in the Pink Bun campaign with me. After spending the past year navigating cancer treatment as a young mum, seeing Lily embrace the campaign – with innocence, pride and excitement – is deeply meaningful. 

For me, Lily represents exactly what Baker’s Delight’s “Change Her Story” theme is about: giving the next generation a future shaped by better awareness, better support and better outcomes. 

I feel incredibly fortunate that genetic testing revealed all three of my girls are BRCA clear, a relief that has brought me enormous comfort. With strength, humour and honesty, I continue rebuilding life after treatment – grateful for my girls, my husband, my health, and the chance to help other young families understand what breast cancer can look like at my age.