It almost always starts with that feeling of a lump, followed by a frenzy of treatments, starting with a biopsy, mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
For Bridgetown’s Caroline Hardy, her experience with breast cancer was hardly different, beginning in October 2018 when she trusted her instincts and got a biopsy.
Her worst fears were soon confirmed: she had breast cancer.
Ms Hardy reflected on her journey this week as part of Breast Cancer Care WA’s Purple Bra Day — a fundraising initiative which now spans August and September in partnership with IGA stores.
She told the Times she got a bilateral mastectomy, but the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, requiring eight chemotherapy treatments and five weeks of radiotherapy
All the while, Ms Hardy was far from her home, working with her care team at Sir Charles Gairdner in Perth before being referred to Breast Cancer Care WA’s specialist nursing and counselling services.
It was with their support she felt she could finally breathe.
But in 2023, a gut feeling about some lower back pain led to Ms Hardy finding out her cancer had spread to her bones and liver, and she was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer.
Ms Hardy and husband Daryn now live in Bridgetown, and while they have found peace in its natural beauty, living in the region with a terminal illness brings unique challenges.
“Daryn and I do the small things together — go for walks, play board games, visit the garden centre, watch films,” Ms Hardy said.
“We were both devastated with the results of the recent scan and he is very conscious that we might not have much more time together.”
While they were hoping for a slower pace of life, they hadn’t anticipated how frequently they would need to travel to Perth for treatment, scans and appointments.
Bridgetown Hospital offers blood tests, but only within a three-hour window each day.
“There’s always a risk of not getting seen, so I usually travel to Manjimup, a 70-minute round trip, just to make sure I get the test done,” Ms Hardy said.
“I have submitted the forms for petrol and accommodation expenses. It can be up to six weeks before I’ve received reimbursement.”
Despite the uncertainty, Ms Hardy is focused on maintaining normality for her family and shielding her two adult children, aged 29 and 23, from the emotional weight of her diagnosis.
“I’ve always told them I’m going to be OK. I kept going to the gym, stayed upbeat, but now that my hair is coming out with this new treatment, they can physically see the changes,” she said.
“That’s the hardest part, knowing exactly what to say.”
One constant in her life has been BCCWA.
“Without them, so many women would feel adrift — unsure how to connect or share what they’re going through. You make something incredibly isolating feel less lonely,” Ms Hardy said.
“If it weren’t for BCCWA, I’d feel more overwhelmed as cancer can be such an isolating experience, especially because people who haven’t experienced it often don’t really understand.
“They mean well and try to say the right things, but it’s the people at BCCWA who really get it.”
https://thewest.com.au/news/manjimup-bridgetown-times/life-with-terminal-illness-in-regional-wa-comes-with-beauty-and-challenges-says-bridgetown-cancer-patient-c-19584415
