A persistent cough was the reason Sara Climie walked through the door of her local doctor’s clinic, but it wasn’t the reason she had to visit again — or why she’s been surrounded by doctors for the last six months.
An afterthought during that appointment back in May pointed the doctor towards the 38-year-old’s breast and a much scarier symptom which has since turned her life, and that of her eight-year-old son Teo, completely upside down.
“I got a really bad cough and I also felt really hard ridges all over my right breast for about a month, so I went to get that checked out… the cough was completely irrelevant but it just got me there,” the Noosa woman told Yahoo News.
Within a few weeks Sara was diagnosed with breast cancer and now, only months later, she’s endured a double mastectomy and an intense round of chemotherapy so harsh it’s nicknamed the ‘red devil’.
“It completely changed our lives so fast… it took over… you never think it’s going to happen to you,” she said. “I don’t have any family history of breast cancer.”
Young mum gets double mastectomy months after feeling lump
The trying months Sara received chemotherapy were medically successful, with the ‘red devil’ doing it’s job and allowing her team to green light a double mastectomy.
She was excited at the prospect of getting the ‘all clear’ and moving on, telling her loved ones she’d be back to health by Christmas. However, a post-surgery check revealed residual tumour tissue in her body and now the young family face a further nine months of treatment — more than double the time they’ve already endured.
“I was just looking to the finish line. I was just telling myself that it was temporary and we will be back soon… I realise now it was wishful thinking,” she said.
Sara had a double mastectomy to stop the cancer from spreading. Source: Instagram/saraclimie
The ‘shame’ cancer patients don’t always speak about
The family has drastically cut back in a bid to save money while they live off Sara’s savings. She’s unable to work due to her intense side-effects and multiple hospital appointments each week.
She created a GoFundMe page in a bid to alleviate some of the financial pressure and admitted she never thought she’d need to ask for help like this. However, another factor which weighs heavy on her shoulders — after the priority of looking after her son — is to put on a brave face and look her best.
“You do have that shame around looking sick, it’s a lot of effort not to and that’s obviously really exhausting and a really limiting thing… you don’t want to scare the children,” she said.
Aussies urged to ‘check yourself’ for breast cancer
It’s a message drummed into us again and again but it’s the advice that ultimately helped Sara get on her treatment path.
“Definitely check yourself, no matter how old you are — listen to your body,” she said.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in Australia, with one in seven women diagnosed in their lifetime. Men can also get breast cancer. Aussies are recommended to check their breasts at the start of every season and seek medical assistance if any change is detected.
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