I woke up with pain in my ribs on my left side. It felt like twinges in the area where the scar on my breast and under my right arm is. I thought it strange that I had fractured my ribs so I booked an appointment with my GP.

She sent me for a chest X-ray and during the conversation she also suggested that I have a mammogram and ultrasound. This would be my first breast screening as I had not been long since I turned 50.

It turned out to be stage 1 breast cancer. During the diagnosis, my doctor also informed me that I had a 95% 5-year survival rate.

While I did not make many changes to my lifestyle after I was diagnosed, I did cut down on drinking to about two drinks a week.

I underwent the breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), radiation therapy and hormone therapy that my doctor recommended, along with a lymphadenectomy.

I was happier and somewhat relieved knowing that there was a concrete plan to treat my disease. Although I was motivated, I was also scared at the same time.

I suffered from side effects like fatigue and weight fluctuations but they were well managed with prescribed medication. Thankfully, I didn’t have any financial difficulties.

I am currently in remission but continue to receive hormone therapy.

I kept my alcohol intake low. Cancer impacted my relationships in different ways. I don’t contact my parents as often, and my intimacy with my partner has declined. Nevertheless, I still cherish my time with my daughter, even though we no longer take as many trips together as before. Looking ahead, I plan to travel to Fiji for a well deserved holiday. I hope to do more sightseeing and catching up with friends.

I plan to travel and retire in a caravan. To know that I will be able to retire and spend time with my daughter and family friends is my biggest wish.

One of my biggest fears is whether my cancer will come back worse after five years. I still have that fear of cancer recurrence, and this worries me. I sought cancer counseling to try and overcome this fear.

I may be more courageous and hopeful now, but I can’t shake off the fearful feeling of the unknown, and the worry about the twinges here and there.

Listen to your doctors and treatment team, and don't be afraid to tell people how you feel. The most common thing is that family seems to think that if your cancer is low grade, low stage, you’re cured and life is able to go back to normal. They don't understand that life (after cancer) is a new normal, and each day becomes more important to achieve something or make memories because you don’t know what's around the corner.