Paddles Up!
After my active treatment, I participated in an eight-week exercise program for cancer patients at Bendigo Health. It was there I was encouraged to join the local Dragons Abreast team for dragon boat racing. I watched the team training on the lake when I walked my dog for a couple of weeks before getting the courage to try it. When I signed up for the free trial paddling pass, I found out that the team was a part of Dragons Abreast Australia (DAA). I have now been paddling with the team for almost three years and love it so much! Although I am the youngest, it’s so nice to increase our strength and fitness but also support each other through our cancer journeys and into survivorship. A highlight for me was flying over to New Zealand last April to attend the IBCPC Participatory Dragon Boat Festival in Lake Karapiro. It was amazing to stand alongside other breast cancer survivors. Even though we compete against each other, we are united through breast cancer and cheer each other on. The flower ceremony for our angels was incredibly powerful and something that I will never forget. I have had a few injuries recently, so I am looking forward to getting back onto the water with my lovely teammates and racing in more regattas this year. GETTING REGULAR EXERCISE DURING AND FOLLOWING YOUR BREAST CANCER TREATMENT CAN HAVE MANY BENEFITS. IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. DISCOVER BCNA’S INFORMATION AND RESOURCES ON EXERCISE AND STAYING FIT HERE.
Kate with her Dragons Abreast crew from Bendigo
I n February 2020, I landed my dream midwifery job in Sydney. I packed up my life and said goodbye to family and friends in Bendigo to head north. The next day as I jumped in the shower, I had this random thought to check my breasts. Instantly, I put my hand on what felt like a two to three centimetre lump in my left breast. My heart sank. I made an appointment to see a local GP who sent me for tests. Having a nursing background, I knew what I saw on the ultrasound did not look good, and the tone of voice of the head radiologist when he came to perform the biopsy made me think the worst. My head was spinning while I waited for the biopsy results. I tried to pretend nothing was
wrong during the first week in my new job. Coincidently, the hospital where I landed my job was renowned for three specialties— maternity, melanoma and breast cancer treatment. On Friday after my shift, I caught the train to the GP clinic to get my results. I was diagnosed with early breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma, grade 3. My cancer was just 5% estrogen positive, so it was treated as triple negative breast cancer. I was only 39 years old. I met with my surgeon the following week to discuss my treatment plan, including chemotherapy and lumpectomy surgery. However, two weeks into my treatment, COVID lockdown began, which meant my family could no longer visit. Once lockdown eased, I was able to move back to Bendigo for radiotherapy and to be closer to my family.
DRAGONS ABREAST AUSTRALIA (DAA) ARE A HEALTH PROMOTION CHARITY FOUNDED OVER 25 YEARS AGO, WITH GROUPS ACROSS AUSTRALIA AND OVER 1000 MEMBERS. TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT THEIR WEBSITE.
18
April 2024 | Issue 97
Breast Cancer Network Australia
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online