Alison’s story. Vigilance is key when it comes to your health
Everyone knows someone who has suffered from breast cancer. As the second most common cause of cancer death in Australian women, breast cancer detection and diagnosis rely on vigilance and self-examination, as well as information and education about the disease.
RT Health Key Account Manager, Alison Weatherill, shares the story of her diagnosis and journey in tackling this insidious disease. Alison first experienced breast cancer in May 2021. With no direct family history, except a cousin on her father’s side, Alison was shocked by her diagnosis.
It was an unrelated chest pain that prompted Alison to visit her doctor. She was sent for an ECG and told that her problem was most likely caused by excess stomach acid.
Still wanting more assurance, Alison quizzed her doctor further and recalls asking at the time if she should have her breasts checked.
She was told that early-stage breast cancer is usually painless.
Deciding to rule out breast cancer as a possible cause of her pain, Alison was sent for a mammogram and ultrasound.
“When I had the ultrasound, the technician looked me straight in the eye and said, ‘Make sure you keep coming for yearly tests,’ and I had an idea then that there was something amiss,” says Alison.
“They (the ultrasound technicians) don’t give anything away, as they are not responsible for diagnosis, but the fact that this lady looked me in the eyes and said make sure I keep having the scans every year made it more real.
“Next I got a phone call from my doctor, who was overseas for a family funeral, and I knew then it must be something big,” adds Alison.
“They detected breast calcifications* in my mammogram and in the ultrasound; some calcifications are benign, and some are not.”
Alison did not see her doctor in person for quite a while as he needed to quarantine after returning from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic. “But he kept consulting with me over the phone and sent me for a biopsy,” Alison says.
A breast biopsy is an invasive process where an amount of breast tissue is removed by a large needle. The patient is conscious during the procedure.
Alison was given a first diagnosis of DCIS (Ductal carcinoma in situ), which is pre-cancer or early cancer. She recalls she was relieved.
“When the doctor said it was DCIS, I was actually quite happy and relieved. The call didn’t upset me as I knew DCIS wasn’t invasive cancer.
“It was only when I started going through the processes that followed that I started to get a bit down and emotional,” says Alison.
Early in Alison’s diagnosis, the main focus was on one breast, which displayed the detected abnormalities.
An MRI was scheduled to examine both breasts, just to be sure.
“I made the decision to have further surgery after I’d had the lumpectomy. What they do is take the lump as well as a certain diameter of surrounding tissue to test as well. And the doctor said: ‘We’re going to take a generous amount from you just to be sure that there isn’t any more cancer’.
“When I went to get the results he said, ‘It’s not good news. Unfortunately, pretty much everything we took had cancer,’ so the diagnosis at this stage was that my left breast had multiple cancerous tumours.”
Alison had started getting updates on her cousin back in the UK – she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer and was having chemotherapy.
“Due to that connection I wanted to have the genetic test for the breast cancer gene, which is a simple blood test. Thankfully I don’t have it, so that’s great news, especially for my two daughters who are both still under 10,” she says.
“In the MRI both breasts were glowing bright white. And the doctor said dense breast tissue, which is what I had, often glows white on an MRI and unfortunately is more susceptible to breast cancer.”
With the MRI strongly suggesting there was cancer in her other breast, Alison opted for a double mastectomy. This is often recommended if the size of the cancer is large in comparison to the breast or when there is more than one cancer in the breast.
Alison used her private health cover with rt health and went straight into Sydney Southwest Private Hospital for the operation.
“I was in there for four days ... I then had to wear this sort of vacuum thing (vacuum-assisted wound closure) on my chest for a month to help with the recovery.”
Alison’s aftercare includes taking a hormone treatment, Tamoxifen, for a minimum of five years and up to as long as 10 years.
She’s now vigilant about yearly check-ups, which involve an ultrasound and an appointment with her specialist. Even after a double mastectomy, there’s a one per cent chance of cancer returning in the skin in the area.
As there is no breast tissue, the ultrasound takes the place of a mammogram.
Having a supportive family, friends and workmates has been a huge advantage to Alison throughout the past year on her breast cancer journey.
Originally from Hartlepool in the northeast of England, Alison met her Australian husband, Brad, while they were both living and working in London. They made the move to Australia in 2011 and have since had two beautiful daughters.
On what advice she would give to other women, Alison says:
“Always trust your gut instinct when it comes to your health. Never put off having check-ups – no matter how busy life is. If something doesn’t feel right, go and get it checked out- just to be safe.”
*Breast Calcifications www.melbournebreastcancersurgery.com.au/wp-content/themes/ypo-theme/pdf/breast-calcifications.pdf
**A diagnosis of DCIS means there are abnormal cells in the milk ducts, but it does not reveal or suggest the person has invasive breast cancer. Additional information from the Australian Cancer Council: www.cancer.org.au/mastectom
This story was previously published in Be Well magazine, July 2022