October 2019 www.womanthismonth.com 22 SURVIVING AND THRIVING Joanne Lund not only survived breast cancer but has gone on to help other women affected by the disease. She shares her story. When were you first diagnosed and how – self exam, mammogram etc. How did you feel? I was diagnosed in New Zealand in May 2008. I was 46 and had received an invite for a free mammogram, part of a screening programme. I had a recall as they had found something suspicious on the mammogram but I wasn’t afraid as I had no symptoms. They performed an ultrasound guided core biopsy which showed that it was cancer. The tumour was a very aggressive grade three but thankfully, at 13mm, was quite small. As it was deep inside the lower breast it was not palpable, so I was unable to detect it by self-examination. I was diagnosed with ER/ PR Positive infiltrating ductal carcinoma. I was shell shocked and in disbelief. I didn’t feel ill and I couldn’t feel the lump... so how could I have cancer? That moment is still frozen in time for me and was one of the worst days of my life. It wasn’t until we left the clinic that I actually broke down crying. I felt as if there was something foreign in my body and I wanted it gone. My husband – who had attended the clinic with me – reassured me that everything was going to be ok; he was my rock. How did you deal with it; telling family, kids etc? Our first priority was to identify what we needed to do, who we should contact medically and who to seek advice from. My husband rang my family overseas to tell them the news, as I was too upset. My son was 10 years old at the time, so, we decided that we would sit him down and tell him gently that I had a lump in the breast that had to be removed. We didn’t want to hide anything from him, as children are very perceptive. However, we didn’t mention the word cancer. What came next and has the cancer had a lasting effect? I had my lumpectomy 10 days after my diagnosis and then a course of radiotherapy. I was put on a hormone therapy drug called Tamoxifen, which I took for 10 years to prevent the breast cancer from coming back. I have been clear for 11 years and four months! For the first few years I thought about my breast cancer daily. It was hard to forget it as it was such a rollercoaster ride (and still is every time I attend my annual check-up!). But finally, there came a time that I realised I hadn’t thought about breast cancer for a whole day, then a week and then I knew I was healing. Please tell us about your cancer support work in Bahrain. The day after I received my last radiation treatment in New Zealand, I flew to Bahrain as my husband had just started a new job. Overnight my whole support network of friends and doctors had disappeared and I felt alone. So, I reached out to a small group of wonderful ladies who had formed the Breast Cancer Support Group. We met weekly and during those first few meetings there were plenty of tears! I needed to let go of the emotion I was holding in and it felt so good to talk to other ladies who had been down a similar path to myself. After the organiser left for Australia, I was adamant that the group should continue. Feeling eager to help and comfort other newly diagnosed ladies, I became the coordinator of the Bahrain Breast Cancer Support Group and set up a confidential WhatsApp group. It’s made up of some amazingly supportive and inspirational survivors who offer tips on overcoming side effects of treatment, who pick you up when you’re feeling down. The aim is for ladies to know that we are here to listen without judgement, offer emotional support when you need it, help answer your questions and ultimately empower you. We are so lucky to also have some trained FEATURE | breast cancer awareness
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