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How the Journey of Hope gave us wings to fly
In October 2008 Amy Jansen and I were very privileged to be part of a unique motorcycle ride – the 2008 Journey of Hope Breast Cancer Ride. Twelve breast cancer survivors revved up their motorcycles and Hummer support vehicles to create a greater awareness of breast cancer in South Africa. Our other aim was to raise funds for breast cancer reconstruction operations for the many breast cancer survivors in our country who are not in position to finance this expensive surgery themselves.
Life without hope is empty
In December 2004, six months after I turned 50, my carefree career driven life fell apart. Three days after Christmas I felt a lump in my right breast, and a few days later I sat in a doctors consulting room hearing, but not listening as he was telling me that “you have lobular carcinoma in situ.”
After a marathon session of breast cancer treatment that lasted for four months, I could hardly wait to get back to a normal life again. But the day of my last radiation treatment didn’t mark the end of my journey with breast cancer. The ride had just begun!
I now live my best life. I make every day count.
I have always subscribed to a fairly healthy lifestyle. I am the mother of two boys, Ian and Nic (and a lovely daughter-in-law, Julia) and grandmother of a six month old child prodigy (that’s what I believe and I’m sticking to it!) I am happily married and have a demanding job in advertising.
I went for regular mammograms. I did the self-examinations in the shower. I went to the “Cuppa for Cansa” teas. I tut-tutted when I heard of women I knew who were diagnosed with breast cancer. I always thought that breast cancer would never happen to me. How wrong I was! Breast cancer can come like a thief in the night and change your life forever.
Confessions of a serial boober
I had a radical mastectomy the day after my younger son, Nic’s,16th birthday on 7 August 2006. It was a gut-feel, wild impulsive ‘let’s get rid of this bloody cancer” thing to do. I wanted this alien growth, this destroyer of lives, this THING out of my body. After I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I consulted three surgeons to help me make the right decision. Each of them had a different idea.
