ARARAT - Tonight participants in the fourth Ararat Relay for Life will be walking knowing that a friend, a family member, someone they love, has been touched by cancer.
Many have lost their battle with the disease, but there are many more who have fought the battle and won.
One such person is Ararat's Helen Horvath, who has fought the cancer battle three time, won, and feels better than ever.
In her own words, she is woman and she is invincible.
Here is her story.....
I feel I must be the luckiest person alive when I think about what I have been through. This is my story.
It all began in 1993 when at the age of 44 I found a lump in my left breast. Thinking it would probably be nothing I decided to wait and see. My life was already in turmoil because my father was dying from advanced prostate cancer and he actually died on Christmas Eve that year.
Early 1994, unfortunately the lump was still there. I decided to have it checked. That day changed my life.
After a mammogram and needle biopsy I was referred to our local surgeon to have the lump removed and at the same time a frozen section performed. I was told that if pathology showed cancer I would have a lumpectomy and lymph nodes removed for further pathology (nine out of 10 lumps are benign).
Well, I was the one in 10. My lump was high grade breast cancer with lymph node involvement. I had a lumpectomy and auxiliary clearance.
I remember having a deep and meaningful conversation with my friend the surgeon after all pathology results returned some days later.
I was then referred to Peter McCallum Cancer Institute in Melbourne regarding follow up treatment. I had to have three months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiotherapy then a further three months chemo.
I was told by my surgeon that the treatment is hard work and yes it was, although I liked the radiotherapy compared to the chemo.
I remember quite vividly the last chemo appointment. I drove around the hospital several times unable to go in. I was totally `over' feeling sick and couldn't force myself to go through it again, but in I went for the last one.
I slowly picked up and started to feel better, although totally paranoid about every ache and pain I had, expecting secondaries to my breast cancer. After many visits to my GP with brain tumour (?) bone (?) or lung (?) cancer, I slowly realised that every ache and pain was not related to the breast cancer.
I continued very well on Tamoxifen tablets for five years.
In 2000 I was was diagnosed with endometrial cancer - very early stage. I had been checked each year since the breast cancer, because of possible side effects of Tamoxifen causing thickening of the uterus.
Well, I thought the odds again are not working well with me.
I was operated on by a gynaecologist/oncologist having a total hysterectomy, ovaries and glands removed. I was extremely lucky, had caught it at a very early stage and required no further treatment. Well, I had nothing left to cause any more hormonal type cancer I thought, because my type of cancer had receptors to oestrogen. I felt wonderful, recovered quickly and back to work. I stopped worrying and thoroughly enjoyed what I was doing.
Earlier this year, 2009, I decided to have lap band surgery because of a weight problem and associated health issues.
Great success, progressed well and lost weight. Then in May this year I found a lump in my right breast, quite deep, but now obvious because of my weight loss.
I really thought maybe not this time, but odds again, I was diagnosed with breast cancer of the right breast. I requested a bilateral mastectomy performed within days by a breast surgeon at Peter McCallum Hospital. The cancer was the same grade and type as the left breast, but no lymph node involvement this time.
I do not require further treatment, other than Arimadex tablets for the next five years.
I could have kissed my oncologist and thanked him so much for me not requiring chemotherapy this time.
I love being flat chested and I know I made the right decision this time.
I am so lucky to be so well and have moved on completely without any concerns. I am sure the odds are with me now.
I do not believe surviving cancer makes you stronger, but it does make you appreciate the simple little things in life. I watch a magpie feeding her baby, it is so beautiful, and watch an ant carry an enormous load across the ground with great `determination and courage' - that's what life is all about now.
My favourite song, which I play very, very loud each day is 'I AM WOMAN, I AM INVINCIBLE'.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter