Kerry’s Story
Kerry had her usual mammogram in February 2023 at the BreastScreen NSW Bus – she had been having a mammogram for 14 years or so for family reasons – when she received the call to say that they wanted to do more tests. After more tests, it was Kerry’s Temora GP that told her she had breast cancer – an aggressive type. It snowballed into appointments with a surgeon, more scans and mammograms – all in Wagga.
Over the course of 18 months, Kerry had a lumpectomy, which revealed cancer cells there. So Kerry needed another surgery to remove 4 lymph lodes, which came back negative (which was good), but left Kerry with lymphedema. Kerry then started chemo in July. They needed to first put in a chemo port which took 3 surgeries as its insertion didn’t go well. Kerry had first being told it would be 12 weeks of chemo (every 3 weeks), then told it would be another 18 weeks of chemo. But due to a reaction to the chemo (numbness in fingers and toes), this chemo treatment was stopped after week 6, and they started Kerry on chemo injections every 3 weeks (20 injections in total). Kerry also had 21 sessions of radiation which burnt her – she ended up in hospital to heal this wound as it was red and weeping.
Kerry was assisted by Can Assist with accommodation at Lilier Lodge the night before she had surgery, with fuel vouchers for the many kilometres she travelled, a wig, and lymphedema bras. In total Kerry has travelled 12,000 kms for diagnosis and treatment – traveling to Wagga and back after each treatment as she wanted to be home in her own bed each night.
It was Kerry’s ten grandchildren that were “my inspiration … they keep me going.” Whilst Kerry was going through her treatment, she lost her granddaughter Bea which was heartbreaking. Kerry knew that Bea wouldn’t want her to give up.
Kerry also made new friends through cancer. Kerry met Bev who also discovered she had breast cancer because of a visit to the BreastScreen NSW Bus. And Kerry met other cancer people through the cancer support group in Temora that meets regularly.
