3 year survivor.
Diagnosed: 2006. Age: 54.
Life expands or shrinks in proportion to one’s courage
I am so pleased to be riding with my Journey of Hope sisters again. I was privileged to be one of the riders in the Journey of Hope in 2008. What a fabulous experience that was! I loved every minute of it. Last year I was a brand-new rider – in fact, I received my motorcycle license only a day before we left on our journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Despite my inexperience, all the riders treated me as an equal and under the watchful eye of Mishka Moller, our road captain, I somehow managed to stay on that Harley for the entire trip!
Needless to say, I’m now totally hooked on riding Harleys. My HOG buddy, Alison Rielly from Durban, gave my husband a gentle nudge in the right direction a few months ago and now I am the proud and happy owner of my own Harley, a beautiful Dyna Super Glide, 35th Anniversary model. Thank you, Paul.
Amy Jansen, my fellow JOH rider and I, became so hooked on the whole riding-Harleys-with-girls-for-breast cancer experience, that we rode 2000km with 40 other breast cancer warriors from around the world in Australia in May this year. We rode from Brisbane to Sydney in a 2000km loop and it was truly memorable.
On 1 October 2009 Amy and I are again leaving on another exciting fun-filled Harley ride with the Amazon Heart Thunder Warriors (this time with 24 women from around the world). We are going to ride more than 2000km again – from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I am sooo excited! We’ll be leaving for the USA on the 26th of September and will return back again on the 15th of October … just in time to start the 2000km Journey of Hope ride in Cape Town on 17 October– jet-lagged or not! I can’t believe that I can be so privileged to participate go on TWO new Harley Davidson Breast Cancer Awareness rides soon. Lucky me.
I didn’t always feel so lucky. When I was first diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer in August 2006, I thought my world had come to an end.
After a mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and a Herceptin drip every three weeks for months on end, I thought I had beaten the cancer. My life was taken up with The Temptations Journey of Hope, which took place in October 2008.
Alas, during the ride, I ironically discovered a lump on my sternum. On my return to Johannesburg I had it checked out and the PET scan showed 11 fast growing lumps, including a huge lump in my left hilar node, ready to pounce into my lung. Needless to say, I was devastated! This meant that Herceptin didn’t work for me.
Since then I have undergone some very expensive treatment, not covered by our medical aid - a course of stereotactic radiation in Milan, Italy. This was followed by daily Lapatinib tablets (which cost a fortune!) and more chemotherapy (Cisplatin and Gemzar). This time round it was much harder coming to terms with my breast cancer. I’m a fighter, though. And I won’t give up.
The good news is that breast cancer can be beaten. With early detection, there is hope for every woman out there. I am now living my life in a different way. My priorities have changed. I’m still a party animal, but now I dance my survival dance to a different song. I am kinder to myself and to other people. Every single day is a privilege and not a right. I look at the world with new eyes and I don’t take anything for granted anymore. I celebrate life every single day.
Lance Armstrong’s story of his struggle against cancer is recounted in his book “It’s not about the Bike”. In this instance, I beg to differ! It’s all about the bike and the impact of survivors riding to educate and to spread hope.
I am very excited to take part in the Journey of Hope2009 with a team of brave women. Let’s rev up those engines, girls and give it stick!
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