My whole adult life, I've always wanted to run a half marathon. In Jan of 2024, I started training for it, following the plan my coach had written for me, and in May of 2024, halfway into my training, I completed my first 10K race! I was on top of the world.
A few weeks before the 10K, I felt something weird in my left boob. Probably nothing, but I'll do the due diligence and get it checked out. After a few weeks of nonchalantly arranged appointments with doctors, some ultrasounds, and ultimately a biopsy (just to be safe) and being told it was probably nothing to worry about, it happened.
On the 14th of June 2024, at 34 years of age, at my fittest, with a 21 month old baby and 5 year old, I heard 7 words I'll never forget. "I'm sorry Louisa, you have breast cancer". I was diagnosed with ER + (estrogen positive) breast cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes, and was classed as late stage 2, early stage 3.
I've been asking my GP for years if I could start having early mammograms due to family history. I was always told it wasn't indicated for my age group, and I was too young for mammograms/ultrasounds, despite the extensive family history I have. Unfortunately, it took for me to find a lump, in which my Breast Surgeon estimated had been growing for possibly 2-3 years. The total disruption and chaos to my life, my kids lives, my health and my entire world, could have easily been avoided if there was better access for women under 40 for Breast health checks; the number of breast cancer in under 40's is scarily on the rise.
As of January 2025, I've completed 5 months of chemotherapy, had surgery, have just started 3 weeks of radiation, and have started on meds which I'll be taking for the next 10 years to keep me in medical menopause, with more medication to come to quash the big C; not to mention a life time of stringent monitoring.
The fire in my belly to run that half is now hotter than ever, and on Sunday May 4 2024, exactly 1 year since finding the lump that changed my life, I'm going to run it at the Hoka Runaway Sydney Half Marathon.
I've ambitiously set myself a goal of raising $21,000 for the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation, a beautiful 100% self funded charity which is dedicated to raising awareness and funds in support of women and men with breast cancer, and who has done so much for me.
About the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation:
Established in 1995, by a group of passionate doctors, surgeons and advocates committed to supporting breast cancer patients by raising much-needed funds in support of clinical education, state of the art technology, compassionate care, awareness and patient centric research. The SBCF are also heavily focused on early detection of Breast Cancer in young adults, and have some incredible initiatives in 2025 to become available for women under 40.
The SBCF host a series of wonderful events through out the year, my favourite being the Annual Ladies Long Lunch, where in 2024, they raised close to $400,000 for the cause! This incredible lunch is a powerful coming together of real life breast cancer warriors, survivors, Health Care Professionals, support staff, loved ones, and well known female powerhouses and brands across Australia in order to support the SBCF and all that they do for the breast cancer community.
Any donation, no matter how large or small, will entirely go towards the ultimate goal of all breast cancer charities, which is to push the survival rate of breast cancer patients to 100%, and encourage women at any age to do their breast checks.
Everyone is a loved one to someone, and cancer doesn't discriminate against age.
See you at the finish line!
Lu
xx
Go Lu! So proud of you