Anke Shades of Pink Interview

Anke Shades of Pink Interview

Shades of Pink is the new campaign launched by National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). -Shades of Pink' (launching 1 March) aims to encourage better understanding of the breast cancer journey, highlighting that each personal story is contrary to the next. The campaign includes a documentary which documents five Australians who have come forward to share their very personal stories of cancer, like that of Anke, a single mother with a four-month-old baby, having to deal with her diagnoses of breast cancer.

Those interviewed for the campaign include a young woman recovering from breast cancer, a woman and family dealing with advanced breast cancer, a single mother receiving support through her treatment, and a man who lost his wife to the disease.

-Shades of Pink' highlights that more and more, we are celebrating those who are surviving this insidious disease and the continuing advancement in breast cancer research, however not all Pink Ribbon stories will end positively, so everyone deserves to share their 'shade of pink".

Interview with Anke

Single mother with a four-month-old baby when diagnosed with breast cancer at 34. Anke's mother and sister came from Germany to support her through her treatment (single woman have a harder time than those with support). Through her breast cancer journey she developed a strong interest in nutrition, yoga and meditation. Graduated with a Master of Management in Arts Management in 2010 (UTS). Just celebrated 10 years cancer free.

Question: What is the -Shades of Pink' theme?

Carole Renouf, CEO, National Breast Cancer Foundation: When telling the story of breast cancer over past years, most material has tended to focus on the older woman whose breast cancer is caught early and who then goes on to become a -survivor'. Today, the demographics of breast cancer are changing and there is a wide variety of people affected. Not only women, but also some men. Not only older women, but also young ones. Not only women with partners, but also those who go through it alone. And not it's not only the patient breast cancer affects – it's also the loved ones around them, including children. And not everyone who goes through breast cancer will survive. The -Shades of Pink' theme is about communicating the range and diversity of the breast cancer experience today. -Shades of Pink' acknowledges that there are many Pink Ribbon stories that deserve to be told. Not all are what we expect, and not all will have a happy ending.


Question: Why was it important for you to share your story?

Anke: About three months ago I was called by a women at National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) who told me I was identified as a cancer patient within a minority group. I was invited to participate in showing the difference experiences that cancer patients go through as it's not just a mainstream disease as it affects those who are not thought of in high-risk groups. All the stories shared in the documentary shine light on different people and their circumstances.

Being a young woman, who had just had a baby and was breast feeding meant I was not necessarily in a high risk group. I also had the experience of not having a family network here; I was lucky enough to have a lot of friends who supported me but being quite far away from my family (parents and sister).


Question: Why are you passionate about breast cancer research and the National Breast Cancer Foundation?

Anke: If my story was important to NBCF I wanted to support them in spreading the word of even if you are someone who is on the outside of the mainstream you can have hope and support with every chance of being okay even if the odds are a little bit against you. I really wanted to contribute to spreading the word.

I was given drugs that came out of a five year trial which had, had good results in the trial and I was a fairly young woman still as I was 33 years old, at the time. I still feel very strongly that those drugs probably saved my life in combination with the other treatments and what I did afterwards. I am extremely grateful to researchers, fundraisers and educators – it took a few years before I joined that group of people. I had to go through the process of wanting to empower people through the knowledge I had regarding treatment. I found ways of engaging with the communities to make a difference.

I first became involved with NBCF as the host of big breakfasts for fundraising and then I moved to becoming a member of the public speaker forum where we would attend private functions and give a little talk and show our faces because everybody likes to see a survivor of cancer and hear their story. I found it extremely rewarding especially as breast cancer is mostly a women's disease and I find it incredible how much passion and feeling of community there is which has to do with the fact that breast cancer is a genetic disease in a lot of cases. In order to find a cure the only way is to work together and work together to fundraise for research which makes it possible to progress. It is a positive outcome from what I've been through, I am very grateful.


Question: How do you hope to encourage better understanding of the breast cancer journey?

Anke: What I found was important regarding encouraging better understanding was that no two journeys are the same. Every journey is individual and there is no right or wrong in the choices that you make. It is up to the moment and advice that you are receiving as to which decisions you make. Being in the situation where decisions need to be made, very quickly, the journey can be different at that moment to what it would have been, ten years later. I wanted to share the decisions that I made and explain that the most important thing is that you are being treated with respect and surround yourself with people who respect and support your decision making as not everyone makes the same decisions. It is an individual journey.


Question: Would you mind telling us about your experience?

Anke: My baby was three months old and I was breast feeding and I found lumps under my left armpit and I thought it was mastitis (blocked ducts) from breastfeeding so I went to see my GP and he sent me for an ultrasound where they discovered a lump, in my breast. I had to have a biopsy which turned out to be malignant tumour of a very aggressive time which is why it had progressed from the breast to the armpit. I didn't have to have my breast removed but I had a lumpectomy and had lymph nodes removed. I had to have six courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for six weeks.

I have met so many women, in so many different situations and to come to grips with the fact that they basically tell you that women who have and are breastfeeding are more unlikely to develop breast cancer and then come to terms with the information you are getting and the statistics that you have to deal with, it is not easy to understand or make sense of.

I was lucky because I was able to find a quiet place and not freak out. I took it day by day and had hoped that I would basically survive. I never encouraged my doctors to give me the statistical values, I knew it was bad from the way they treated me and I had a very quick surgery date booked. I was lucky that I was given a new cancer drug for my chemotherapy which had just come out of a five year trial. I feel like I was lucky in a lot of ways but because I had such a young child, I also promised myself that I would do everything in my power whether it was surgery, medical treatments or alternative treatments to have a better prognosis.


Question: How did your family supported you since your diagnoses?

Anke: The whole treatment took about seven months and during that time my mother came to support me for three months and then my sister also came to take over from my mum; I had at least one family member with me but it was a very tough time.

Question: How did nutrition, yoga and meditation feature through your recovery?

Anke: The medical treatment took about seven months and in that time you lose your hair. Some of the chemotherapy drugs let you retain water and as I had an allergic reaction to one of the drugs I had other enhancing drugs. I put on weight and once I'd finished the medical treatment I was very open to what other ways I could have the least stressful influence. I came across Screaming Therapy and meditation. I had come across pre-natal yoga but meditation really came to me from two angles; I was very lucky that a friend of a friend of mine gave me some guided meditation with a one-on-one class which was immensely helpful and I used the practice to try and feel what was going on, in my body. It wasn't about verbalising it but regaining the physical feeling that an illness and the treatment brings. The meditation, for me, was the first step in becoming healthy again and concentrating on positive thinking and being quiet; it is almost as if you renovate and regain the strength particularly from the positive thoughts.

I looked into yoga because I wanted something that wasn't very invasive, I, like all cancer patients, was encouraged to do exercise as a positive effect on your mental health as well. Pilates and yoga started as a slow process with low impact. I have a very big need to find quiet and start softly which is why I couldn't have started running marathons (laughs), I had to come from a quiet place and yoga and meditation were that, for me.


Question: You've just celebrated 10 years cancer free; how has the way you live your life, changed?

Anke: In a lot of ways my life is different. You can't deny your personality or go against who you are and what you do. I am an outgoing, passionate person and I love my job and what I do which shines through my journey. Through my experience I've learnt to focus more on what I really want to do and achieve and how I would like to do it, as well. There is no right or wrong as there is no pathway through recovery that is right or wrong, it's about making your own decisions. I started focusing on things that were particularly important to me and I'm very happy that I did because at the time you'll never know if you will be around in five or ten years' time. I look back over the ten years and I think I have lived a very good ten years of my life, I am a better me than I was then.


Question: What advice do you have for single women who may have recently been diagnose with breast cancer?

Anke: My advice would be to accept any help whether it's babysitting or meals being cooked for you or having company from good friends to watch a season of your favourite show. It is important to be able to accept help to concentrate on getting better which enables you to let go of preconceived notions. For many, many people it is a life changing experience and it's good to focus on your health and remove the stress and pressure out of your life to appreciate who is there for you and what you have.


Interview by Brooke Hunter