Creative Session - Sydney Portrait Photographer - Breast Cancer Shoot
The Pinktober Project
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as Pinktober.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer amongst women in Australia. Over 20,000 Australians will be diagnosed in 2023, that’s two people every hour!
As someone who has lost their mother and grandmother to this disease, I can speak first hand about the importance of early prevention and the need for more of us to get involved and support organisations like the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
My experience with this disease changed me, it's one of the reasons why I love photography so much. I love celebrating life and all it’s incredible milestones given how fleeting I know it to be. This is why I decided to photograph the beautiful Michelle, a wife, mother, daughter, and fearless breast cancer survivor. I wanted to capture incredible memories for her family, I hoped to document her heroic journey but most importantly, together, we wanted to support PINKTOBER and share her story with the world.
Michelle had breast cancer WITHOUT a lump, she was diagnosed with stage three, triple negative breast cancer.
This is Michelle’s story.
On the 10th February 2023 my world was turned upside down after I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer two days before my 39th birthday. In December 2022 I went to have a routine ultrasound done. I was having yearly ultrasounds after my mother had been diagnosed with hormone positive breast cancer at age 48. At the time I had been breastfeeding my son so I waited a little over a year. The ultrasound showed a couple of enlarged lymph nodes under my right arm but no lump in my breast so I wasn’t too concerned. I was told to get a referral to have a fine needle biopsy to determine why my lymph nodes were enlarged. The results of the fine needle biopsy showed cancer cells in the lymph node, but they could not identify what type of cancer. My GP told me that the number one possible cause was breast cancer despite physical examinations and the ultrasound showing no lump.
I went for a number of tests; mammogram, MRI, CT scan and PET scan which all showed no lumps in my breasts. The PET scan showed cancer only in the lymph nodes under my right arm. My surgeon booked me in the next day after my PET scan to remove two lymph nodes that were sent for biopsy. A week later I had a diagnosis; Triple negative breast cancer- likely stage three. An aggressive form of breast cancer.
Finding out I had cancer brought up a lot of fear. Fear not only for myself but for my three small children who were ages 4, 6, and 1 at the time.
Things moved quickly. In the same week I met with my oncologist and McGrath breast care nurse, had a portacath inserted and started chemo. To start, I had weekly chemotherapy infusions for 12 weeks which I thankfully didn’t experience too many side effects from. I then had 4 infusions of different sets of chemotherapy drugs once every three weeks which did knock me around a bit. I had a few hospitalisations whilst on chemo after developing high temperatures due to common cold bugs.
I had genetic testing done and found that I had BRCA 2 gene mutation, meaning I did indeed have an increased genetic risk of developing certain cancers.
Following chemo and after a period of recovery I had a skin sparing, nipple sacrificing double mastectomy with tissue expanders put in.
Pathology results from my breast tissue and lymph nodes showed no cancer which was the most exciting news to receive!
Next up I will be having radiation everyday for 3.5-4 weeks. Radiation will target my right side to hopefully kill off any stray cancer cells that survived the chemo.
My journey is not yet over, although I am technically cancer free the reoccurrence rate is 40-% and I will continue to be closely monitored. There have been quite a few trials looking into treatment options for triple negative breast cancer to help improve long term survival rate. I have been having immunotherapy along with chemo and hopefully this will reduce chances of reoccurrence for me. I have been focusing on taking it a day at a time and am thankful for how far I have come.
I think that my mothers cancer saved my life because it meant that I went to have a breast ultrasound when I ordinarily might not have and caught my cancer while it was classified as early breast cancer as opposed to being too late to “cure”.
My advice to all women is to remember that you can have breast cancer without a lump. Prior to my diagnosis I thought that breastfeeding reduced my chances of developing breast cancer but this is only for hormone positive breast cancers- I was still breastfeeding my son at the time of diagnosis.
There may not be any obvious signs so know your body and get anything you are concerned about checked out. I often think back to any possible symptoms that I might have had. They only thing that I can think off was that I had been feeling tired. At the time though I just put it down to having three young children and being busy over Christmas. Be your own advocate and push to have investigations for anything you are concerned about.
If there is a family history have regular ultrasounds and mammograms. The geneticist I met with said something that stayed with me. There may not be a family history of cancer or BRCA gene mutations, but the mutation has to start somewhere. You can get the mutation from your father, your mother or both and they may be the first in the family to have it.
My advice to women with breast cancer is to take it a day at a time. Someone else’s story is not yours. Focus on the things that are in your control and remember that you are stronger than you think.
The NBCF strives to significantly reduce breast cancer mortality in the country by creating widespread awareness through community engagement on prevention, early detection and increased access to treatment. If you would like to support the NBCF visit their website for a number of wonderful ways to donate and fundraise for life saving research. Michelle shaved her hair for the NBCF and raised over $5000! She encourages all of you to get involved in your own special way, even if its just wearing pink this month to help spread awareness.
Want to book a session just like this? Reach out to me today
Location - Kurnell Beach, Sutherland Shire, Sydney
These images of breathtaking Michelle and her wonderful family were taken during Pinktober in October.
