SINCE being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35, Natimuk's Kete Rowe has become less and less interested in leading a 'regular' life.
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Eight years after her diagnosis she is on an open-ended adventure in the United Kingdom.
Ms Rowe is helping friends on an organic farm in the Shetland Islands after house-sitting in Somerset, Lincolnshire and Fife.
"My trip has been many things - a holiday, a time to think and space to consider what exactly I want out of life and what personal projects I would like to concentrate on," she said.
"Without the life commitments that most people have, my own life has become a kind of open door - if just for a time - and I feel I would be short-changing myself if I didn't take advantage of its opportunities."
Ms Rowe was working as a nature guide at El Questro Wilderness Park in Western Australia's Kimberley region when she found a lump in one of her breasts.
"The month before I had noticed a 'thickening' - an area that felt slightly more dense," she said.
"I made a mental note and forgot about it until the next month's check when I discovered the thickening had become a definite lump."
Ms Rowe had been self-checking for a few years.
"My maternal grandmother had breast cancer," she said.
"My mother had early breast cancer before dying of ovarian cancer eight months before my diagnosis."
Ms Rowe said her father encouraged her to get tested immediately.
"My dad was staying at El Questro at the time, and he insisted I take the next day off and see the doctor," she said.
"He reckoned he now needed to give me the advice he thought my mum would have given me."
Ms Rowe flew to Perth for a needle biopsy and was diagnosed with breast cancer.
She said the worst part was having to tell her family so soon after her mother's death.
"Dad sounded like someone had punched him," she said.
"It was a terrible moment. I think for him, as is the case for many people, the word 'cancer' means a death sentence.
"I was so fortunate I was diagnosed with an early cancer, so I never felt that way - but I quickly had to reassure people like dad that I wasn't going to die - at least, not that way."
"I understand how easy it is to put off a self-examination, especially at a young age."
- KETE ROWE
Ms Rowe had surgery a week later, followed by chemotherapy.
She said she naively viewed cancer and treatment as a bit of an adventure.
"At the start it was like, 'gosh, I've never done this before'," she said.
"As the chemotherapy drew on though, I was less and less able to see it as an adventure.
"By the end I could not wait for it to be over. I tolerated the therapy well compared to some, and it was still gruelling and exhausting."
After chemotherapy, Ms Rowe flew to Tasmania for radiotherapy.
The day after it finished, she jumped on a ferry for the mainland.
Ms Rowe said she wanted to buy a property and started heading towards northern NSW, where she had been researching land for sale.
She said she suddenly remembered previous brief trips through Natimuk.
"I can't explain why I suddenly turned west and began driving towards the Wimmera," she said.
"But I found the most beautiful house for sale and bought it, knowing next to nothing about the amazing community."
Ms Rowe said her experience led her to become a Breast Cancer Network Australia community liaison-consumer representative.
"Eight years on from my diagnosis, I would like to be able to send the message to women affected by breast cancer that life can go on, and it can be wonderful," she said.
"October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a time to acknowledge the effect of breast cancer and ensure women are aware of the support available."
Ms Rowe encouraged women to self-check their breasts monthly.
"If you don't already, check your breasts," she said.
"Boys - encourage your girls to check them as well. It's five minutes, once a month.
"Think about what you, and the people who love you, have to gain."
She said people with a family history of breast cancer should be particularly vigilant.
"After my diagnosis and as a result of my family history, I was tested for genetic mutations and was found to have the BRCA2 gene mutation, which puts carriers at a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer," Ms Rowe said.
"A few years after this diagnosis I opted to have both ovaries removed to reduce the risk of cancer.
"I'm strongly considering bilateral mastectomy in the next few years.
"It's definitely a serious decision, but having gone through treatment I would prefer to never have to go down that road again."
Ms Rowe said despite her circumstances she felt incredibly lucky to have been born in a developed country with a remarkable health care system.
"I am also very, very grateful to myself that I was vigilant in checking my breasts," she said.
"I could so easily have been diagnosed at a far later stage in my cancer.
"I understand how easy it is to put off a self-examination, especially at a young age."
Ms Rowe said she was also grateful to the many people who helped her during the treatment process.
"Everyone will experience challenging events in the course of a lifetime, and this was one of mine," she said.
"The road has sometimes been a hard one - and in ways I might not have expected - but how very lucky I am."
* Breast Cancer Network Australia works to ensure Australians affected by breast cancer receive the very best support, information and care appropriate to their individual needs. People can visit www.bcna.org.au to find out more about programs and services, including the free My Journey Kit for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer