Karen Jeffery

A BETTER LIFE AFTER BREAST CANCER

In January 2003 I discovered a lump.

Putting on my moisturiser as I did every other day, I discovered there was a tiny lump on my right breast, it wasn’t there yesterday. ???????

I ignored it for a week or so and finally I thought it was best to get it checked out. The doctor said it was nothing; very strange.  ? ?  I pushed for a mammogram and ultrasound as I now had 2 lumps, but still the doctor said I was worrying unnecessarily.

The mammogram came back clear, but the ultrasound told another story, there was a lump worth investigating, after a biopsy it was confirmed I had breast cancer,so started a long line of biopsy’s and blood tests.

I was a pin cushion

January 20th 2003 I was diagnosed with stage 1 category 3 breast cancer.

There are 4 categories 4 being the most aggressive; category 3 is aggressive usually the younger you are the more aggressive the cancer will be.
I was 40 years old……….

February was the operation, 2 lumps and the lymph nodes from my right breast and arm were removed.

March was the start of 12 weeks of chemotherapy followed by radiation every day for 6 weeks.  Chemo was a hard time to get through both for me and my family; some times I think it was harder for my husband and daughter than it was for me. During my last round of chemo I could hardly stand for more than a few minutes. My body ached I was so pale and fragile.

Not a day went past that my husband and daughter told me how beautiful I was and how much they loved me.

I tried hard not to look sick, I felt pretty second hand most of the time, I tried my best to look normal, I had every coloured turban in the rainbow, but it was obvious to all that I was a sick person and as I did my every day chores people stared and whispered.

I do remember one morning I was standing at the checkout in the supermarket with a purple turban on to match my purple jumper  and a middle aged gentleman approached me and said  I was an attractive lady , I was shocked, what a nice thing to say to some-one who is obviously bald and sick.

September 2003 treatments were finished leaving me in menopause, chemo had killed off my ovaries, burnt the veins in my left arm, I could do little with my right arm as the lymph nodes were gone and the blood didn’t drain from the arm very well at this stage, so it ached if I did too much.

I had High cholesterol – 9

Fracture in my vertebrae due to my bones brittle with osteopenia,(chemo had sucked the calcium from the bones )

Tired, beaten, battered, mentally and physically exhausted.

Self esteem next to zero.

Not a hair on my body,

I will never again take my hair for granted.

After 3 years of trying to get enthusiastic about working out, getting my fitness back and adjusting to having to rest a lot more and coming to terms with the fact that I’m just not able to do the things I used to, I finally gave up “ why bother “.

People would say “you are lucky you caught the cancer early “,
I would say “I’m unlucky I got it in the first place”, I really wasn’t in a great frame of mind constantly feeling sorry for myself.

A close friend invited us to a NABBA body building competition at the Southport RSL Club. I didn’t really want to go but went along with my husband and friends and made a day of it.

I sat and watched and I was enjoying myself, the women’s figure classes came out and I instantly knew this is what I’m going to do. It would help me to get back into shape and focus on getting my cholesterol down and work on my bone density.

The change in my mental attitude was amazing I looked forward to my workouts and I was taking a lot more care with my food.
My husband and I went along to Industry Health Club at Biggera Waters for a work out; there we met the owners, Mark and Leah Ryan,
Mark and Leah also run the NABBA competitions in Queensland. They were so encouraging and sincere, what a wonderfully genuine couple.

I told them of my goal to compete in the next competition, using it as a tool to get my mind and body back into shape, again, they were so supportive helping me with all facets of preparing for the competition.

So many women think that they have to put up with the after math of cancer surgery and all the aggressive treatments, life after cancer doesn’t have to be so different, it actually can be better, sure you have to change a few things, usually for the better, but there is no reason to stop doing what you love, you just talk to people qualified to giving the right information and you can do it.

So many times I was told by people with good intensions that I shouldn’t be lifting weights, and shouldn’t be pushing myself. 

I heard so many times I should sit back and appreciate the fact that I survived, and I do appreciate that I was lucky to catch it early but now it’s about quality of life.

Some of my doctors were not keen on the idea of body building but really didn’t understand what it was I was going to do,  I designed the preparation around my situation so as not to develop lymphodermia - pain I can develop in my arms which can be debilitating if not addressed correctly.

I can’t do a lot of cardio and I do need a lot more rest than normal, I become breathless easily due to the radiation treatment which has affected my lungs. But I’ve taken what I have and worked with what I’ve got.

The pain in my arms has completely disappeared, my cholesterol is down from 9 to 4.6, I’m sleeping soundly and I’m no longer tired all the time, my self esteem is at an all time high, menopausal symptoms are under control and I am doing the right thing by my bones with resistance training....

So off I go the first competition

The Southern Hemisphere Body Building and Figure Championships

Regardless of weather I receive a trophy or not, I will be standing on that stage a winner because I beat cancer and all the ravages that came with it, and the adventure to get to that stage has been so exciting and rewarding. I’m having a ball.

As I arrived I walked into the venue and my legs went to jelly, oh my god what am I doing here. All my friends and family came along,  which made it all the more special and enjoyable and the support from the Industry Health Club members was amazing and very much appreciated, they were genuinely interested in my progress as the weeks went past and very encouraging.

I walked onstage with very shaky legs, I was trembling out of control, but I got through my routine and stood on that stage tall and proud of what I had achieved, I was in the best shape of my life.

As the MC read out the winners you could have knocked me over with a feather, I HAD WON, I had also beaten a Miss universe contestant.

The amount of people that complimented me on my lovely shinny , healthy  hair , how ironic, 4 years prior people stared at me because I was bald, now they are staring at my long locks.. What a fantastic day!!!!

I then went on to compete at the Australian Nationals in Melbourne in October 2007. I also won there as well.

I have the competing bug… I competed again in the southern hemispheres 2008 and defended my title successfully, followed by the Queensland State titles. I’m now helping other competitors with posing, routines and sewing trunks and costumes for the stage.
I’m loving every minute of it.

I’m enjoying my life and my new found positive enthusiasm, I am now positive, happy, healthy person, I won’t tolerate negativity, it’s destructive and is of no benefit to anyone

To other cancer sufferers out their, don’t let yourself be beaten by this disease you can have a quality life, but it’s up to you to make it happen. It was unfortunate that I had the cancer, but it happened and there’s nothing I can do to change that, it’s out of my control.  I can however give myself a quality of life.

Always focus on what you can have and can achieve instead of what you can’t have and can’t achieve, Concentrate on positive things not negative things and don’t ever say I can’t do that. Reaching your little goals ultimately leads you to the big goal - Being happy within yourself.

To date I have won:-

2007 NABBA Southern Hemisphere Masters title

2007 NABBA National Masters Title

2008 NABBA Southern Hemisphere Masters title

2008 NABBA QLD Masters title

2008 IFBB QLD Open figure title

2010 NABBA Southern hemisphere master figure 2nd

2011 1st NABBA Masters QLD Title

2011 1st NABBA National Masters Title

2011 Runner Up Salt Water Classic 2011 Best of the Best

2011 - 7th Miss Universe

I have my own label KAZZA’S KINI’S - making bikinis for other girls who compete and helping them with there posing and routines.

If nothing else I hope my story can encourage breast cancer survivors or any cancer sufferers to not loose hope and to prove that there is a life after cancer and it can be just as if not more rewarding than life pre cancer. There is no disputing that life changes after a cancer has been diagnosed. There are lot of untruths as to what you should do and can’t do 

My story is about positive attitude and kindness of people around me, and if you want something bad enough there is always away to achieve your goals and the hurdles placed in front of you will only make you better and stronger both in mind and body.

Thankyou to my wonderful loving husband and daughter

I was unlucky to get cancer but I’m so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends.

Life is a gift, unwrap it.

To keep competing as it is a wonderful way to stay in shape.

To pass onto others my experience in the sport,

To be the best , surround yourself with the best