Cancer, but it could have been worse
threatening,’’ she says.
‘‘Nobody wants to hear the words cancer and mastectomy in the same sentence. We did… two weeks before the bull sale.’’
MidCentral Health says 72.6 per cent of the eligible population use the screening programme’s mobile unit in the Tararua area where Friel lives.
‘‘It’s good those women are having the screening done but what about the quarter of women who don’t make their appointments?’’ she asks.
‘‘Are they in the middle of lambing or calving or docking or silage? Let’s face it, the list of busy times on a farm are endless. Families need to pay attention to their wives, mums, sisters and aunties and make sure they attend their breast screening and cervical screening appointments. When the letter comes, make sure they go,’’ Friel says.
‘‘Early detection means choices – in my case reconstruction and no chemo or radiation.’’
BreastScreen Aotearoa (BSA) is New Zealand’s free national breast screening programme for women aged between 45 and 69.
Larger centres have BSA screening units, while mobile units are on a two-year cycle around rural towns and annually in some higher risk areas.
Ann Shaw, who is on the executive on the Central Districts division of the Cancer Society, has worked in health promotion for many years and in breast screening for 16 years until her recent retirement.
‘‘The main message is the service is free for eligible women, get out there and use it,’’ she says.
‘‘If you don’t use it, it might not be as readily available.’’