When I was at Farmers, I was trying on some clothes in the dressing rooms. I happened to look across at the door and there was a poster about women and changes in their breasts. 

I’d always assumed that I would feel a lump if I had a breast cancer. The poster talked about changes and shape of breasts, and nipple shape and colour. I suddenly realised I fitted into one of those categories. 

From there I saw my GP, my GP made a referral, and I went to Auckland Breast Care and had a high-resolution mammogram and an ultrasound. 

Those came back all fine, but because the nipple was inverted, the specialist decided to refer me for an MRI scan. That’s where the breast cancer was detected. 

When I got the diagnosis, I was really shocked. I had presumed everything would be normal, and just thought it was one of those things that as you age, or gain weight and lose weight, that you will get changes in your breasts. I was quite shocked to know it was breast cancer. 

I first had a partial mastectomy and when that had healed, I had radiotherapy. I was really lucky that it was detected early, it meant that I didn’t have to have the full mastectomy. And my nodes were clear, so I didn’t need chemotherapy. It was limited to the radiotherapy, which is a much more straightforward process. 

If I hadn’t seen the poster in Farmers, I think it would have probably been another year, at least six or eight months anyway, before I would have got round to having my routine mammogram. I was already overdue at that stage, and I thought I’d leave it for a few more months. Then it got into summer and things got busy with Christmas, and things came up one after another and I just didn’t go.  

Breast Cancer Foundation NZ does an amazing job with their education programmes. Things like the posters that are in the community, the Pink Ribbon Walks and Pink Ribbon Street Appeal.  

It’s easy just to fly under the radar and think breast cancer will happen to someone else and ignore things. The promotion of those simple things like the posters are just a reminder that you can’t afford to wait for your mammograms. That actually, you need to be cognisant the whole year through. 

I feel like I’m fortunate, as an older woman. I really feel for young mums who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had amazing support from Breast Cancer Foundation NZ. The money donated from Kiwis is so vital to that, but it’s particularly vital for people who need more support and don’t have family support around or have higher needs.