“When life doesn’t go as planned, scream, cry, swear, then wipe the tears away and use those tough times to find diamonds.”
Amy lives an idyllic life in Margaret River with her husband and two daughters. Surrounded by nature and a welcoming community, Amy has thoroughly enjoyed her time spent in the region. But what happens when a life-changing health concern pops up when living in a small town?
When Amy felt a lump in her breast, her first thought was ‘lumpy boobs’ but to be safe, she went and had a mammogram and was sent home with the ‘all clear’ advice to “keep an eye on it.” Once the lump began to grow, so did Amy’s concerns, so a trip to another imaging centre swiftly resulted in a biopsy, and we all know that when the doctors ask to come in quickly, it’s typically cause for concern. Two days later, it was confirmed regardless of Amy’s age (35) and lack of health concerns within her family history. Breast cancer.
What came next was a myriad of doctors, specialists and treatment discussions, and the plan was to start with chemotherapy. With the closest suitable hospital for her treatment being situated in Bunbury (just over an hour from Margaret River) and the treatment causing fatigue, lack of energy and overall just a horrible feeling, it was difficult for Amy to organise getting to and from treatments.
The River Angels is a volunteer group focused on supporting families experiencing cancer within the region. During difficult times the group provided Amy and her family with wood, fuel, food vouchers, homecooked meals, massages, and more. One memorable experience was Amy’s youngest daughter’s 4th birthday. As this was during Amy’s treatment, the town banded together and provided cake, gifts and decorations, creating a wonderful party for her daughter and the family. The small town didn’t let Amy and her family down, as the community embraced the family and provided support.
Once chemotherapy was complete, the next step was surgery, specifically a double mastectomy. The surgery seemed successful, with only one incision needing to be made to remove the breast tissue and lymph nodes to complete the reconstruction. Amy opted for implants for the sake of her daughters, as she couldn’t bare causing them more change and confusion.
At first, Amy was satisfied, but unfortunately, two years later, her lymph nodes felt swollen again, and after another ultrasound and biopsy, it was confirmed. The cancer had returned.
Just as Amy began to slot back into her ‘regular’ life, the pain of the previous years came swarming around. Round 2 of treatment began with another myriad of consultations. It was decided that round one of surgery was not accomplished to the standard it needed. Further surgery was completed to remove Amy’s lymph nodes.
After this round, Amy’s oncologist recommended that as part of the treatment, Amy’s body needed to be forced into menopause, introducing a post-menopause medication. The word menopause, too many women, causes stress, anxiety and discomfort. Amy wasn’t ready for this. Most women don’t feel ready for it, but forcing your body to reach it prematurely is another hurdle to face. To force menopause, Amy undertook surgery to completely remove her ovaries and uterus. Whilst Amy has two beautiful daughters, reflecting she simply felt angry that she was forced to make this decision.
Of course, the rule of three. 2 years later, Amy discovered the implants in her breasts were causing lymphoma in women across the globe. She immediately had these removed. Without a second thought about now having a flat chest, she knew she never wanted to go through that (cancer) again.
Experiencing breast cancer is something no one ever hopes to go through, and doing so in a small town creates unique hurdles of its own. Amy has only positive thoughts on her experience in Margaret River, including throughout her treatments, as the community’s outpour of support and generosity was incredible. She and her family experienced kindness and care like no other, which is also unique to a small-town environment.
Amy’s advice for rural, regional and remote women managing their health is simple.
“There are so many ways to stay healthy, and it can be different for everyone, but whatever makes you feel happy, go for it!”
Regular movement is important not only for your physical but for your mental health. In particular, Amy loves moments in the bush, screaming lyrics to her favourite songs, and crying her eyes out while walking with some headphones in! Alongside this, fresh produce and meals filled with veggies and high-quality meat fuel her body for this movement and your day. She stresses she does leave out some treats here and there.
Throughout Amy’s experience, she felt anger, hurt, regret, shame, and worry, so finding an outlet and support network, including friends, family, and professionals, was crucial. In the hopes of helping herself and others, Amy has completed a course in Holistic Creative Art Therapies focused on utilising art to move through trauma.
“I also want to use my own experiences to reach out to others and reassure them that it does get better and it’s ok to feel crappy and sad now and then too.”
Amy is still moving forward from these experiences every day, but she has come out of it with a “let’s get into it” attitude. Where she focuses on her health, going on adventures, and spending time with her family, she feels so much gratitude for being in recovery with good health. She wants to utilise the opportunity to bring joy to herself and those around her with a fresh appreciation for life.