Fiona Wilcox said when she headed in for her routine mammogram earlier this year, she had not noticed any unusual changes in her breast.
Her first mammogram — two years earlier — had been clear.
When a lump was discovered by the doctor, it really highlighted the importance of mammograms for her, she said.
The doctor had told her the lump was "set really deep" in the breast tissue and she would not have found it.
Mrs Wilcox said that in the case of her breast cancer "the main thing is surgery".
"After a mastectomy 70% of the cancer is gone."
Now she was undergoing chemotherapy, which was "mopping up the rest".
"Hopefully, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event."
Mrs Wilcox said she was taking a positive approach and had her hair shaved off at a family gathering.
"I decided I’m just going to celebrate this.
"Having no hair is very liberating."
Not only had it reduced the time it took for her to get ready, her bathroom vanity had been cleared of hair products.
She said "parading around with a bald head is not for everyone" but the mastectomy and chemotherapy had blindsided her, so she had tried to get out in front of it all.
"Mindset is a choice."
She said while there were definitely days where she felt lower, she knew those days would pass.
"And those days have been very few and far between."
She said due to early detection, her cancer journey was "not a horrible scary thing — it is life changing — but it is not horrible and scary".
"I don’t get ahead of myself, and wait for information to come through from professionals.
"I don’t jump online."
As a busy mother of two, the diagnosis had been a reset for her, she said. Part of that reset had been staying home while receiving treatment, something she acknowledged was "coming from a place of privilege" as others might not have that luxury.
She hoped if people were to take anything away from her cautionary tale it would be to listen to their bodies.
"We ignore things because we are so busy worrying about others.
"If you need to rest then rest. Be aware of any changes at all."
Whether that was an inverted nipple, pain or a lump, "don’t ignore it".
And get routine procedures done.
"Put the embarrassment and discomfort aside and just do it.
"It is only five minutes of discomfort."
Mrs Wilcox will be collecting donations for Breast Cancer Foundation New Zealand’s Pink Ribbon Street Appeal this Saturday at FreshChoice in Geraldine.
