Myrniong mum Lynn Burgess found a lump in her armpit when she was eight months pregnant.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer when son Oakley was three weeks old.
“The hardest part was seeing my loved ones really sad,” she said.
“It’s easier for you to go through it than watch people you love go through it.”
Lynn endured a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.
“I lost all my hair, I gained weight from being pregnant and gained more weight from steroids,” she said.
“I didn’t really look in the mirror that much; I had no idea who I was.
“I just kept reminding myself that, internally, I am the same person.
“My son got me through it because I woke up in the morning and he just wanted me to be a mum, so that’s what I did.
“Even after my mastectomy, I developed a way to get him out of the cot with one arm.
“I made sure I was there for that baby every single day.
“He had no idea that I had cancer and he didn’t care that I was huge from steroids or bald.
“Cancer made our bond stronger because he just loved me for who I was.”
Lynn had tough days where she feared the worst, and shared her negative feelings with family and friends to get it out of her system.
“If you don’t have that, write it down and burn the piece of paper,” she said.
Lynn urged anyone supporting a woman battling cancer to simply listen.
“If it is your wife, your sister, your auntie, your mum, just tell them they’re beautiful,” she said.
“Never tell them, ‘your hair will grow back’ or ‘it’s just a boob’ or ‘you don’t need a boob’.
“Just say, ‘I don’t understand but what can I do to help?’.”
She also urged women to be vigilent about their health.
“I did the genetic testing and it came back negative,” she said.
“I thought it had to be in your family to get it and I learned fairly quick that it was the roll of a dice and it just picked me for whatever reason.”
Western Health breast care nurse consultant Sue Komp urged women to prioritise their health.
“The most important thing is being aware of your own body and then acting on it as soon as you’re concerned,” she said.
“So if you feel a lump or you feel something is not right, see your GP as soon as you can.”
– By Afraa Kori
