Carol's Race for Life

My Story

I’ve recently been diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer grade 3, stage 1/2. I’ve had a lumpectomy and I’m starting Chemotherapy on the 13th May. My last chemotherapy will be on the 26th August. So will be doing the race for life whilst having Chemo. My 4th Cycle will be on the 15th July a day after this event. My name is Carol, I’m 40, and a mother to 4 amazing children. I became a mum when I was 17 to my first born daughter Lauren. Everyone said how hard it was going to be. The labour the sleepless nights . Being a mum at a young age was hard but not as hard as telling your children you have Cancer. The most life changing moment in my life. I felt I had let them down, I felt sick and I felt devastated for them. I lost my own dad to Cancer when I was 7. Ironically my dad died at age 40, the age I am now. I never understood how he must of felt, and how difficult it must have been for him to leave us children. But being diagnosed with breast cancer I have made that connection - I now understand how bloody hard it is and how scary it is to even consider the possibility of not watching your children grow and wondering what will happen if I wasn’t in their lives. I’m one of the lucky ones, why, because I have a supportive family. Some people are going through this journey alone and worried about what will happen to their child/ children. I’ve completed two race for life’s in memory of my dad, but this year I’m running because I understand!!