Educating is so important

Thank you to everyone who has supported my decision to start this blog. I initially thought about it a number of months ago, as I had lots of anger, frustration and disappointment building up inside of me. This would be a way of alleviating those feelings without having to constantly shove it down the throats of friends and family on Facebook.

I was filled with fear at the thought of opening myself up so widely for people to see. It didn't matter if those people were my friends or my family or if they were strangers to me. I had been online and read a number of blogs by other women and I thought it was a good way of keeping people updated, as well as an online diary for myself and a legacy for my daughters. Something they could read when they felt they wanted to, even though they live this journey with me every day. Even those closest to me aren't able to read what is in my mind. At first I started writing this blog without telling anyone but then I thought if those other women could open themselves up to tell their story, then so could I.

What really pushed me was when I was at the BC support group meeting last week, there was a young lady who came to talk to us about her experience. She was 27 when first diagnosed, doing her OE, being in London when diagnosis was made. She is now in her early 30's and since coming back to NZ, has been working tirelessly to reach out to young women, starting in high schools to educate them about breast cancer. I was so struck by her determination and passion, and then I thought of my own daughters who are aged 20 and 17 and I thought she is so right. She has managed to get in to 30 or so schools and speak with over 3,000 young ladies. So inspirational! If I can reach out and touch one person, it will all be worth it.

What people need to realise is that BREAST CANCER KILLS!!!!!! That is a fact...but it doesn't have to be the outcome if people were to become more aware.

We need to educate all women, but we especially need to start educating our young women. If they grow up knowing about breast cancer and learning what the symptoms are and how to self-examine themselves, surely the devastating numbers we have can only decrease. Approximately 3,000 kiwi women (and 20 kiwi men) are diagnosed each year and over 600 will die from it each year. These are phenomenal numbers, it is almost an epidemic. It is such a prevalent disease, almost everyone is touched by this terrible disease in one way or another.

My own mother had breast cancer when I was in my 20's - but it wasn't enough to alert me. I knew I had a lump in my right breast. It was there for months and I did nothing about it. I assumed it had something to do with menopause. Breast cancer did not remotely even occur to me. I am filled with self loathing every time I think about it. How could I have been so stupid...its too late to change my story now but please don't let the same thing happen to you.

I want this blog to be about my living with cancer, not dying of cancer. I want it to inspire other women to be vigilant about their health. How wonderful would it be if each of you turned around to talk to five other women about the risks of breast cancer and they can turn around and speak to another five women and then they talk to another five women each and so on. It would be like a human education chain.

Work is holding a pink and blue ribbon breakfast in October (blue ribbon for prostate cancer) and I have decided to be a speaker. I was so shocked when I was diagnosed and devastated when we discovered it had spread. Now I want to use that shock and devastation to help others.

For now, my health is good and so is life.

27/8/16 - 1.00pm