Boobs and Bubbles a great afternoon

BREAST Cancer Awareness Month was celebrated in style at Korumburra’s ‘Boobs and Bubbles’ event, reminding women of the importance of checking for changes in their breasts, and raising funds for ‘Love Your Sister’, which focuses on cancer research.

While the event at The Korumburra Middle Hotel had a serious aspect, it was bursting with fun, including popping balloons on the ‘booby wall’ using a miniature bow and arrow, with everyone winning a prize.

Live music, a makeup touch-up bar and pink cocktails added to the vibrant atmosphere.

Four breast cancer survivors spoke of their experiences with the disease and its treatment.

Organiser Dallas Surace said Boobs and Bubbles was a great success last year, with its informative but fun nature, and adopted the same philosophy this time.

Dallas stressed that breast cancer doesn’t only affect older women, with one of the event panellists Renee McLennan diagnosed at age 30, nine years ago.

“I had suffered a late pregnancy loss and I found the tumour a couple of weeks after that, so it was picked up through my obstetrician,” she said.

She wouldn’t have thought to check her breasts at such a young age, believing that was something you start doing when you hit 50.

“You need to check your breasts really early,” is Renee’s message now.

“Know your body and if something doesn’t feel right get it checked, and even if they tell you everything’s ok don’t be scared to get a second or third opinion.”

Angel Akarana, another of the breast cancer survivors speaking at the event, was also diagnosed young, being aged just 40.

She underwent 13 months of treatment, with a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy that was initially administered intravenously and later orally.
Although not returning to work until next year, Angel is enjoying building up her activity levels.

“I’m starting back at the gym, I’ve got a nutrition coach and am just doing things for me,” she said.

Angel said she initially tried to do too much during her treatment but learned to listen to her body.

Her experience highlights the fact breast cancer comes in a number of forms, with hers being a rare variety and non-hormonal, while her sister was previously diagnosed with an entirely different form at age 35.

Angel has now been declared to have no evidence of disease, with the term remission not used for her cancer type.

Like Renee, Angel urges younger women to check their breasts, saying Boobs and Bubbles is crucial in creating that awareness, as well as generating vital funds for cancer research through Love Your Sister.

The ‘cancer vanquishing charity’ was founded by actor Samuel Johnson OAM and his sister Connie who battled several forms of cancer during her life, the final one being breast cancer, which was diagnosed when she was 33.

She died in 2017 aged 40. 

Maria Arestia, another member of the panel at Boobs and Bubbles, is now in remission after being diagnosed with breast cancer 18 months ago at the age of 56, and has returned to work part time.
The other panellist Melissa Glasgow, who is studying nursing, is nearing the end of her treatment and has received confirmation she is in remission.

Melissa stressed the importance of maintaining good mental health during her cancer battle and the fact that even those with strong support networks can benefit from seeking assistance from mental health professionals.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of and it’s so good to have that outside person who has a different perspective, and you can say what you need to say how you need to say it,” she said.
Attendees heard from the quartet of survivors about the challenges of treatment, the recovery process and the reactions of other people during their cancer journeys, including those who didn’t know what to say.

“It’s ok to not know what to say,” Melissa said.

She added that she preferred people to be honest about the situation rather than saying everything will be ok when they have no way of knowing it will.

Renee spoke of the impact of cancer treatment.

“It makes you sicker than the cancer,” she said, adding that it probably took a year to recover from the residual fatigue after finishing her treatment regime.

She said that her experience with cancer has altered her outlook and given her the desire to tackle challenges she would never have considered previously.

“Now I’m not scared to have a crack at anything and I do a lot of charity bike riding for Tour de Cure,” Renee said.

“Not anyone can jump on a bike and do 120 kilometres, which before I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t have.”