By Olivia Condous
A local woman is encouraging others to be vigilant when it comes to signs of breast cancer, after going through her own challenging but inspiring experience.
Bacchus Marsh resident Renee Jones was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2020 at just 33 years old. She was also 12 weeks pregnant at the time.
She found a lump on her breast and immediately went to her doctor to get a referral for an ultrasound, but waited a few months to get it checked out.
“Being 33, I thought I was too young and it would be nothing… but I noticed the lump had gotten bigger so I had it checked,” Ms Jones said.
While she thought perhaps the breast irregularity was related to her pregnancy, a biopsy scan revealed the lump was cancerous.
“I’ll never forget the drive my hubby and I made from Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat to see the breast surgeon… we had no idea what to do,” she said.
Thankfully, specialist doctors assured her that her pregnancy could go ahead.
Ms Jones had chemotherapy treatment for four months of her pregnancy, giving birth to her son Jagger four days after she finished her last treatment.
She then had to continue with oral chemotherapy for the first year of her son’s life, while also looking after her two-year-old daughter Eden.
“That was probably one of the toughest times, having to go through treatment, deal with all the side effects, and look after a baby and a toddler at the same time.”
Ms Jones said she was lucky to have a strong support network of her mother and husband, but as she was diagnosed and gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, she struggled with feeling isolated from other family and friends.
She also received support from Mummy’s Wish charity and Breast Cancer Network Australia, who helped her to learn more about the disease and helped her to find other support networks.
Ms Jones said her biggest piece of advice was to get checked if anything was out of the ordinary, including younger women.
“Go straight to the GP to get it checked, never just pass it off as nothing.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer you can call Breast Cancer Network Australia’s Helpline on 1800 500 258.
