Day For Anna

Thank you for joining ‘Day for Anna’ Anna is one of our very own, a Roy Hill Truckie, based in the West under Nathan on panel 4. 100% of funds raised will be donated to Anna in her journey to fight this horrible disease! Anna’s story- just the short version Cancer? No that would never happen to me!!! My life started to finally go my way after a few years of struggling as a single mum, career issues and a move after many years in the Pilbara to the big city. My new job at Roy Hill gave me new direction, confidence and financial security to start living my best life. My kids are happy for me and have both flown out of the nest. I started travelling on my own and at every opportunity. It was in Early November 2019 on a trip to Melbourne that I started looking at my health and still dismissively think I’m ok. Nobody in my family has / had cancer. All healthy people so stop fretting. It was the body scanner at the airport. It picked up a density on my right chest. I was pulled aside and patted down. They didn’t think much of it and said it was probably my long hair that blurred the image. As I sat at the airport I googled if it is possible to detect a lump on a body scanner and it said very rarely but it is possible. I booked an appointment with my GP after another swing at work. By now I have felt a lump but was still not convinced that it was one or that it was of any concern. She confirmed and made me an appointment the same day to get a mammogram and ultrasound done at a breast clinic. They did a thorough scan and found two more lumps on the other side. The lovely radiographer simply said that I should prepare myself. The lump we detected first was a whopping 4.5cm long and she could tell it was not good news. They did biopsies straight away and 7 days later I got the official news. I have bilateral Breast Cancer. It wasn’t the news that shattered me. It was my children’s faces as they heard the news. I’ve had a double mastectomy just before Christmas and I am now healing and awaiting chemo therapy and other treatments in the new year. Take courage ladies!! Fun facts: 95 % of breast cancer is treatable. 60-70% of lumps found in breasts are benign. So if my story brings awareness and encouragement to just one person to check regularly and spread the word we are winning this battle. Love Anna