‘You need to make memories every day’
The past year has been the best and the worst of Constable Alana Jamieson’s life.
The Napier police officer and mum-of-one was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer a year ago, aged 28.
That was rare in itself — breast cancer is unusual in women aged in their 20s — but the devastating diagnosis also came three years after Jamieson survived stage two melanoma.
Cancer experts said at the time, not only was it unusual to get melanoma or breast cancer so young, it was almost unheard of to be diagnosed with both at separate times.
None of that changed Jamieson’s situation, and she embarked on treatment, including a single mastectomy on her 29th birthday, and 18 gruelling weeks of chemotherapy.
One year on she is well, engaged and building a new home.
“People have been asking ‘was the last year of your life the worst?’, and it was the worst. But in some ways it was the best,” she told the Herald on Sunday.
“I’ve learned you can’t take life for granted.
‘You need to love every day and make new memories every day.
“Tell your family you love them, tell your friends, tell your partner.
“Keep everyone close. This has made me focus so much more on family.”
Thirteen days after her final chemotherapy treatment her partner, fellow cop Scott Munro, proposed.
For the past five months the couple, who will marry at Hawke’s Bay’s Linden Estate Winery in February, have been building a house in Napier.
They hope to move in early next month.
Jamieson won’t officially get the all-clear from cancer for five years, but was told at her last appointment with her breast surgeon that everything was looking good.