My breast cancer journey started with something that, at the time, didn’t seem particularly frightening. A swollen lymph node.

It had been there for a few months without any obvious reason, so I went to my GP and asked for a mammogram. I had both a mammogram and ultrasound, which came back clear. I was told I had very dense breast tissue but reassured that everything looked fine and swollen lymph nodes were common. So I trusted that reassurance and got on with my life.

Six months later, my left breast began to feel firmer and looked visibly different from my right. I knew my body and knew something wasn’t right. I made an appointment with breast specialist Michael Isaac, who immediately sent me for an urgent MRI followed by an ultrasound-guided biopsy. 

Nothing prepares you for being told you have cancer. My biopsy showed invasive lobular breast cancer throughout my left breast and in my lymph nodes. Invasive lobular cancer can be difficult to detect on mammograms, particularly in women with dense breast tissue. In my case, my cancer had gone undetected.

Thankfully, my staging scans showed no cancer in my organs or bones, which meant we were treating to cure. My cancer is also highly hormone responsive, giving my doctors another important way to treat it. I immediately began ovarian suppression injections and daily hormone-blocking medication.

I underwent a mastectomy and lymph node removal with Michael and initially recovered feeling positive. I knew chemotherapy was a possibility, but I wasn’t prepared for the final pathology. There was a 14cm area of cancer throughout my breast and all 29 lymph nodes removed contained cancer, making it very advanced stage 3. 

Suddenly, the road ahead became much bigger than I had imagined. My treatment will now include intensive chemotherapy and radiation alongside ongoing endocrine therapy. We are throwing everything we safely can at this disease to give me the very best chance.

Until my diagnosis, my life had been heading in a completely different direction. I’m a mum to three beautiful daughters, aged 10, 14 and 16, and professionally I was heading into what was shaping up to be the biggest year yet for my millinery. After years of building my business, I had an exciting collaboration underway with a leading Australian fashion brand and was preparing for a huge Spring Racing season.

Almost overnight, everything stopped. The collection and the collaboration were put on hold, and my world became appointments, scans, surgery and treatment. It was incredibly difficult to step away from something I had worked so hard to build, but there was no question about what mattered most. I have three daughters who need their mum and far too much life left to live.

If there is one thing I hope women take from my story, it is to trust your body. A clear mammogram doesn’t always mean you should ignore a change, particularly if you have dense breast tissue. If something feels different or simply doesn’t feel right, go back and keep asking questions. 

I’m quite a guarded person, so sharing my diagnosis publicly didn’t come naturally. My hands were literally shaking when I first hit ‘post’, but the response was overwhelming in the best possible way. I’ve discovered an incredible online community of people going through the same thing, and hearing from complete strangers can make you feel so much less alone.

Initially, I wanted to quietly get through treatment and put cancer behind me. I didn’t want it to define me or be my story. But for now, it is part of my life, and I’ve found an unexpected sense of purpose in sharing it. If something I post comforts another woman who is frightened and feeling alone, or encourages someone to listen to her body, then something positive can come from what I’m going through.

So, with some technical assistance from my three daughters, I’m going to continue sharing updates along the way.

The support around me has also been extraordinary. My mum has been looking after me and my girls and will be there throughout chemotherapy. My partner has constantly found ways to make life easier and taken so much off my shoulders, and my sister, who is an ex-chef, has kept my fridge stocked with delicious food, a pretty wonderful form of love.

Friends, work colleagues, school mums and people from every corner of my life have checked in, brought meals, offered lifts or simply asked what they can do. Cancer has shown me just how incredibly kind people can be.

I’ve also learnt that supporting someone with cancer doesn’t require a grand gesture or the perfect words. A message saying you’re thinking of someone can mean far more than you realise.

I know the year ahead will be intense. I’m scared, but I’m determined. Cancer has interrupted my life, but I won’t let it define the rest of it. I have three daughters, a life and a business I love, and an enormous amount still to live for.

If you want more information please go to The National Breast Cancer Foundation https://nbcf.org.au