MY INGROWN HAIR WAS c nc
Malea discovered the lump on her side wasn’t as innocent as she thought
Malea Parker, 42, Newcastle, NSW
In the shower one day, I felt a tiny but painful lump under my left armpit, like a headless pimple.
That must be an ingrown hair, I reasoned, thinking
I’d got it shaving.
But when it hadn’t gone away ve weeks later, I saw my GP who didn’t think it was a hair, and referred me to a breast cancer clinic.
The appointment was a couple of months away but, being only 40, I wasn’t too worried. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
After I had a mammogram and an ultrasound, the doctor fetched an oncologist surgeon.
‘You have three tumours in your left breast and one in your lymph node,’ she told me. ‘We’re going to biopsy those right now.’
I sat there stunned as a needle was pushed into my breast and armpit.
Afterwards, I was told I had breast cancer.
I struggled to comprehend the news and had to call my husband Andrew, then 39, to come and pick me up.
Back home, Andrew tried to comfort me by saying the ve-year survival rate was 97 per cent.
‘You’ll get through this,’ he assured me.
But, as parents to two boys, Owen, nine, and Sam, seven, the thought of not being there for them left me broken.
What if I never get to watch them grow up?
I panicked.
A week later, my oncologist con rmed it hadn’t spread any further than my lymph node.
‘We can do this,’ I said to Andrew, relieved.
I began eight cycles of chemo which shrunk the tumours. I felt nauseous, lost all my hair and couldn’t drive as treatment temporarily affected my eyesight.
My amazing mother-in-law Robyn, then 67, took leave to look after the boys and take me to hospital, while Andrew worked.
That was followed by a mastectomy of my left breast. Then, learning I had BRCA2 – the breast cancer gene – I also had my ovaries and right breast removed, along with radiation to prevent the cancer from returning.
Today, a year after my last surgery, I’m doing well. I’m so thankful to the doctors and my loved ones for getting me through this, so I can see my boys grow up.
Big advocates for breast cancer research, my family, friends and I have raised $10,000 through fundraisers.
While grateful for all the research that helped me, I’m hopeful for new options as chemo, surgery and radiation are no walk in the park. One trial is looking into ways for BRCA2 sufferers to avoid getting and passing on cancer.
Owen, now 11, and Sam, nine, have a 50 per cent chance of developing breast or prostate cancer, or being carriers, so that would be a huge weight off my mind.
I vow to keep campaigning until there’s a cure. The only way we can
nd better ways to banish this dreadful disease is through research. ●
Visit breastcancertrials.org.au
Chemo, surgery and radiation are no walk in
the park