COOTAMUNDRA local Bernadette Ryan was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 49 in 2010.
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“It was absolute horror,” Bernadette said.
“I remember sitting there listening to my doctor, it was like I was having an out of body experience, all I could hear was breast cancer.”
Her life took a sudden turn; Bernadette was in survival mode, taking every measure necessary to beat the illness.
Living in a rural area made things tough; as with many rural people who fall ill Bernadette travelled far and wide for treatment. She went to Young for chemotherapy, Wagga for radiation therapy and Canberra to undergo a mastectomy.
She turned to her family and friends for support and they stood beside her through two gruelling years of treatment.
“I really don’t know how somebody could go through all of that by themselves,” Bernadette said.
In 2012 Bernadette defeated breast cancer.
By all reports the diagnosis was good, and much to Bernadette’s relief, the treatment phase was over.
However, “they never really give you the all clear until it has been five years.
Bernadette says that she knew from the beginning she was going to beat breast cancer.
How did she know?
“A woman’s intuition.”
Bernadette would like to encourage those diagnosed with breast cancer to take each day as it comes.
She also has some incredible advice, “don’t listen to other people’s experiences, you will end up taking on their experiences.”
“I’ve known lots of women who have breast cancer, we’re all different, the cancer’s different, the treatment’s different, the operation’s different.
“Do whatever it takes to get you through.”
It’s clear that Bernadette has more than her fair share of steely determination, but she wasn’t immune to the gravity of the situation.
“I had a meltdown but that’s okay. Even the strongest people will crack every now and then,” she said.
Bernadette says that while the darkest times are now over the experience is always in the back of her mind.
“I remember different things, I have many little memories, many mixed memories.”
The shocking diagnosis was compounded by the fact that Bernadette has no family history of the disease. She leads a healthy lifestyle, and has always prioritised healthy eating and exercise.
Unfortunately breast cancer knows no bounds, “it can hit anyone,” Bernadette said.
Early intervention may well have saved her life. Prior to the diagnosis, Bernadette checked her body for abnormalities on a monthly basis and as soon as she felt a lump she booked a doctor’s appointment.
“You don’t muck around with lumps,” she said.
Can Assist, the local home care nurses and the McGrath nurse provided Bernadette with much needed support during the treatment.
“I don’t know what I would have done if it wasn’t for Can Assist.”
As a member of Can Assist prior to diagnosis, and the organisation’s secretary in 2012, Bernadette is glad for her involvement in the local charity.The organisation provided financial support for Bernadette, as she was unable to work for eight months. Can Assist helped Bernadette to cover out of town expenses including accommodation and fuel vouchers.
Surgeons also played a key role in her recovery, and Bernadette has nothing but praise for the oncologists she dealt with.
“I felt really comfortable before going into surgery. You have to trust the surgeons; your life is in their hands.”
Now, two years on, Bernadette leads a relatively normal life, working nine to five throughout the week and spending as much time as possible with her family.
Bernadette believes that her experience of breast cancer has only strengthened her values; family is what matters most to her and this has remained constant.
“The only thing that has changed is that I don’t sweat the little things.
“Everything falls into place in the end.”