Breast aware

I had an appointment today at the breast clinic to have my breasts checked. Breast awareness - I'm being serious now so no rude comments please - is very important to me.

My Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 37. Both my parents knew from the start that the odds were stacked against Mum's survival. Fortunately for us, she had the most incredible character to keep us all going through the 2 years that followed her diagnosis. She passed away when she was 39.

En route to the hospital, I saw my Mum's hands driving the car when I looked down at the steering wheel. Trips like today, always make me wonder what it must have been like for her, and many other women in the same situation. I can only begin to imagine.

Mum's strength of character was the absolute back bone to keeping us all on track. Looking back on those times, I'm in complete awe of her.

She would play games with my brother and I. I always thought it was silly and dull because the main game she'd play with us was called "let's pretend Mum's not here." She named it, not us, she had a sick sense of humour.

I hated it because it involved me having to do the ironing while she lay down on the couch, ordering the odd cup of tea here and there. To which my retort was, "I can't make tea for Mum if we're pretending she's not here!" She gave me the look, half giggling. You never mess with "the look."

I'm lucky to have the warmest memories of her, and her sense of humour. After some surgery, she applied for a disabled badge for the car. Her argument being that she couldn't walk very far with the groceries. But in reality, she was vying for the best parking spots for shopping in the city. She got the badge.

When asked how she was feeling after her mastectomy, her response was "I feel like I've gotten a lot off my chest!"

Medicine has advanced in the 19 years since Mum was diagnosed. But I feel that I have to take control. I'm not satisfied waiting until my 50th birthday for my breast screening. I want to be in the system, being checked. By taking action, it makes me feel like I'm armed. I want to do everything in my power, every preventative measure, to give me the chance that wasn't available to my Mum. I owe it to us both.