NINE years ago, Anne Vernon was the fittest and healthiest she had been in her life.
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The last thing she expected was to be told she had breast cancer.
And to make matters worse, it was aggressive stage three.
“I never thought something like this could happen to me,” the Echuca mother-of-three said.
The diagnosis shook her world as she spent almost a year undergoing treatment and recovering from painful and confronting side effects.
But now Anne is using her story to encourage other women to check their bodies and appeal to the community to help raise money for breast care nurses.
“This is my way of giving something back to someone who helped me during the lowest point in my life,” she said.
While Anne's cancer battle began at the age of 47, she had a scare 20 years earlier.
“I found a couple of lumps in my breast and it was like shock horror,” she said.
“I was 27 years old with an eight-month-old baby. It hit me like a brick wall.”
Thankfully, after two lumps were removed, Anne got the all-clear.
When she found another lump 20 years later, she figured it would be a similar situation.
“I didn’t worry too much and put it off for a few months,” she said.
When she finally had a breast scan, her radiologist spotted the cancer immediately.
“He told me ‘you have to go straight back to your doctor. You have a nasty and aggressive cancer’,” she said.
“He told me not to put it off. I was in complete shock.”
Within days, Anne was at The Alfred hospital, diagnosed with stage three hormonal cancer.
“I had a node and large lump removed,” she said.
“A week later, tests for the node came back positive so I went back to surgery to have more lymph nodes removed.
“That was the worst surgery as it removed a lot of breast tissue and lymph nodes which left me with a lot of scarring and bruising and affected my arms.”
But the worst was yet to come – six months of monthly intensive chemotherapy - which started in November 2010.
“That’s when I first met my breast care nurse and during chemo she would come and sit with me, talk with me, provide me with soft bras and things like that,” she said.
The chemo was so intense, Anne immediately went into menopause and lost her hair.
“My husband bought me a convertible after my first chemo treatment and my first drive in it I had clumps of hair falling out,” she said.
“I just wanted to drive in it with the wind blowing through my hair, but my hair was just falling out all over the place.
“I had to shave my head by the second chemo session.
“That was really confronting for me. I didn’t want anyone to see me bald because I thought it was a sign of weakness. I wanted to look strong, so I always covered my head with scarves.
“Then I lost my eyebrows and eyelashes so I couldn’t even make myself look good when I went out.”
Four months of daily radiation followed the chemotherapy, which involved Anne driving from Romsey to Melbourne every day.
“I got some burning and blisters but didn’t get any infections,” she said.
She spent the next five years on hormone therapy and is now in remission.
“I said to my family at the time if I was diagnosed again, I wouldn’t go through chemo. ‘Just let me die’, I told them,” she said.
“I tried to give up after the fourth chemo, but my friends pushed me through it. Now, nine years later, of course I would do it again. Because I’m here today.”
Anne said her cancer experience had changed her for the better.
“I don’t take things for granted anymore,” she said.
“I don’t worry about the little things, life’s too short – go on holidays, make memories.
“I never flew before I had cancer. Now I’ve been to so many places overseas.
“I’ve turned into a bit of a party animal actually.”
Speaking of parties, Anne, along with a committee of volunteers, has organised a special party at Echuca Workers Club next Friday, October 18.
It’s part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Echuca-Moama Pink Up Your Town Committee – chaired by Anne – aims to raise $20,000 for McGrath breast care nurses.
“We’re proud to be taking part in such a wonderful cause and we’re hoping the whole community comes on board to pink the town up and come along to our family fun day and gala night to show their support,” Anne said.
“McGrath breast care nurses make such a wonderful difference and hopefully we raise enough money to help someone else on their journey and ease their burden a bit.”
The family fun day will include The Kazoos’ Professor Silly and Big Bear Brown performing two shows followed by a monster raffle and gala night with Thinking Out Loud set to perform.
The club is also selling pink McGrath Foundation wrist bands for $5.
And as much as raising money is important, raising awareness is even more so, according to Anne.
“Check your breasts, be aware of your body and don’t ignore the signs,” she said.