Krystal’s second fight
A TOWNSVILLE mum who is battling cancer for the second time in less than two years has a message for women.
After being first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in mid-2018, Krystal Matsen underwent rigorous chemotherapy treatment followed by a left mastectomy before being told she was cancer free in April.
Ms Matsen, 34, said she was in shock to find out only four months later a more aggressive form of cancer had returned and spread to her right side.
“This time around is mentally harder to accept because I just felt like I was starting to become normal again,” Ms Matsen said.
“In late August I started feeling a bit of pulling in my arm and a sore armpit and a sore lung.
“They sent me for CT scans and that revealed (there) ... was a blood clot but the bad thing was in the right armpit.”
Ms Matsen said her two boys, aged seven and four, were her motivation to fight her cancer diagnosis everything she’s got.
“My boys are absolutely everything to me and I just try my best not to fall into pieces for them to show that you’ve got to face things head-on and you’ve got to keep going,” she said.
Ms Matsen said women knew their own bodies better than anyone else and needed to get checked as soon as they sensed an issue.
“I’m glad that I acted upon that straight away because it meant treatment started straight away,” she said.
“Believe me, there is nothing nice about cancer, so just get checked.”
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease.
St Anthony’s Catholic College is holding a High Tea for Her fundraising event tomorrow to “celebrate the brave, strong and resilient women that have and are currently battling breast cancer”, with proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation and Ms Matsen.
The event will be held at the school tomorrow from 2-5pm. with