Councillor’s cancer battle
Tasman District councillor Dana Wensley received crucial support from the Cancer Society in her gruelling battle with breast cancer, and now she’s ready to give back, writes Cherie Sivignon.
It’s been a tough year for Tasman District councillor Dana Wensley.
At the same time the Richmond ward councillor was campaigning for re-election, she was battling cancer.
Since an initial diagnosis of breast cancer in June 2019, Wensley has endured three major operations, including two mastectomies, the second of which was a prophylactic mastectomy in January.
‘‘That was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in this journey, but when the initial pathology came back a few weeks ago, showing pre-cancerous changes, I knew I had made the right decision,’’ Wensley said.
Although there was a history of cancer in her family, ‘‘nothing prepares you for the moment when your doctor tells you that you have cancer’’, she said of the diagnosis she received at age 50. ‘‘The physical impact is huge, as is the emotional and psychological strain.’’
The Nelson-Tasman Cancer Society had provided ‘‘crucial support’’, she said, including counselling and a gym programme, one of only a few in the country specifically established to rehabilitate the mental and physical health of cancer patients.
‘‘It is time now for me to give back and raise awareness of the tremendous work they do,’’ Wensley said, adding that she had signed up for the 2020 Relay for Life, a major fundraiser for the society.
‘‘I would not have been able to recover so well if it wasn’t for the innovative gym programme the Cancer Society funds with personal trainer Tyson Fitzpatrick,’’ she said.
‘‘After my first two operations, I was unable to drive, lift groceries, raise my hands above my head, hang the washing et cetera.
‘‘The gym programme, through Tyson, helped me gain back the movement I had lost and regain my strength.
‘‘My recovery after my mastectomy in January was so much faster this time, because I was already at a high level of fitness.’’
Wensley said she was on longterm adjuvant therapy to lessen the chances of recurrence, but her prognosis was good.
A key part of staying mentally strong was to keep working as much as possible.
‘‘I had some frank discussions with [former] mayor Richard Kempthorne and newly elected mayor Tim King about my diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, and I am thankful for the support and confidence they demonstrated in me.’’
Early detection was the best chance of protection against cancer, Wensley said, adding that nine women a day were diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand. By speaking out, she hoped to encourage women to take the first step towards detection.
Cancer had also given her the ‘‘determination and focus’’ to be a voice for all women to receive appropriate, timely diagnosis and care, no matter where they lived.
Wensley said she was denied a biopsy of her breast lump by Nelson Hospital and told to return six months later for a repeat MRI, ‘‘but because so many close female relatives have had breast cancer, including my mother, I was not happy to wait’’.
She used inheritance money from her mother to pay for a biopsy and treatment.
‘‘My advice to women is that if they don’t think something is right, don’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.’’
Wensley said she was thankful every day that ‘‘I had enough knowledge and the ability to privately fund my own cancer care’’. ‘‘But it shouldn’t be that way’’. She called for a ‘‘rethink’’ on whether the Accident Compensation Corporation spend was justifiable in ‘‘today’s reality of tight health budgets’’.
‘‘If we call the money spent on ACC part of the health budget, doesn’t it begin to look inequitable that $1 billion more a year gets spent on males than females under ACC?’’, she said, referring to the payouts by gender for 2017-18.
‘‘How can that be fair? How can we as a nation stand by and let so much focus be on physical injuries from accidents, some of which stem from high-risk adventure sports, and yet ignore the fact that at the moment women are waiting for timely care?’’ she said.
Thirty-five 35 women faced delayed diagnosis of breast cancer because demand exceeded capacity at the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
Wensley said she was interested to see which political party would be willing to take on ‘‘this issue of gender inequality’’.
‘‘My advice to women is that if they don’t think something is right, don’t accept ‘no’ for an answer.’’ Dana Wensley
The Relay for Life 2020 is scheduled to run from 4pm on March 21 to 8am on March 22 at the Nelson A&P Showgrounds in Richmond. Anyone keen to sponsor Wensley’s team from the Tasman District Council can do so by visiting relayforlifenelson.everydayhero.com/nz/dana.