TAKING ON A KILLER
HOW TO FIGHT BACK:
HAVING survived Australia’s two biggest killers – heart disease and bowel disease – Holloways Beach resident Shirley-Ann Rowley is urging people across the Far North to not take self-care for granted.
The 55-year-old registered nurse was diagnosed with aortic valve stenosis, having a mechanical valve placed in her heart in 2015.
Polynesian by descent, Ms Rowley said she had a strong family history of heart disease.
She lost her father and uncle to heart-related illness, three aunts on her mother’s side of the family as well as her grandparents.
But due to a stressful job and busy lifestyle, she said she initially ignored her symptoms. They included becoming increasingly tired, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness and not sleeping well.
“Heart disease is insidious in that unless there’s something physiologically wrong with you, it can just be insidious in terms of the lifestyle you live,” Ms Rowley said.
“When you’re older, particularly as a woman, you might excuse those symptoms.
“I think because I didn’t have awareness and I was used to not listening to my body, when I got back pain I would think ‘it’s because I’m tired, perhaps it’s because I hung out the washing’.
“Unawareness of the symptoms and excusing them away was the biggest precautionary challenge, because I didn’t think anything was wrong.”
Ms Rowley recovered from heart surgery, but then a year later felt unwell again and was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
After more surgery and chemotherapy and other treatments, Ms Rowley said her best advice for others was to prioritise self-care and minimise stress.
“I really want to encourage people in Cairns to self-care,” she said.
“It is just so important and give yourself permission to just disconnect and go for a walk down the beach, or get that massage.”