first person: BELINDA STARK, THE TEST THAT SAVED MY LIFE

In 2014, I made a decision that ultimately saved my life—a definite sliding doors moment. I’m sharing my story now, as I reach the 10 year anniversary because it’s very likely I would not be here if I had not made this decision, and it is such a simple act but so important. By life coach and sobriety coach, Belinda Stark…

A few months before, in October 2013, I attended my son’s school spring luncheon where one of the school mums, and a breast cancer survivor, gave a powerful talk. Her words stuck with me: “If you take anything away today, let it be this—book your mammogram.” She kept reiterating the number for BreastScreen Australia, 132050. I still remember it by heart. I had not had a screen before- and it was never something I had considered. But her powerful story struck a chord deep within me. Something triggered me. So, I booked mine for February 2014, thinking I’d just tick it off the list. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I just wanted that done.

As the appointment got closer, life got busier. I had just bought a fashion business, which was set to settle in early March. With all the excitement and chaos that comes with launching a store, I thought about putting off the mammogram. After all, I could always reschedule, right? We women often put things off for ourselves, saving them for last on the to-do list. It just felt like something that could wait, it’s not like i’d have cancer this was just a routine check. But my mum nudged me: “Just get it done before you own the store.”

So, I kept the appointment.

In mid-February, I went in for a mammogram. A few weeks later, my store purchase settled, and I was over the moon! I had just opened the doors to my new shop, filled with fresh stock, loving every minute of it. Everything felt like it was falling into place. Then, two weeks into owning the store, I got that phone call while parked outside.

“Hello, is that Belinda? It’s Breast Screen here. We need you to come back for another mammogram.”

My heart dropped. “Why?” I asked. The nurse assured me it was just a closer look and that only 1 in 10 women end up with any serious diagnosis. But I couldn’t help it—I burst into tears right there in my car, and my immediate thought was, Oh dear, I’ve just sat on the freshly steamed clothing. Funny how our minds react when faced with the unknown.

When I went in for the follow-up mammogram, I felt calm at first. I thought it would be quick and I’d be back at the shop in no time. After the mammogram, I waited in the room, watching other women leave, thinking, Great, I’ll be next. But instead, I was sent in for an ultrasound.

Back to the waiting room I went, thinking about dinner, school pick-ups—the usual juggle! But I still wasn’t allowed to leave. More women left, but I was taken into another room for some biopsies. Lying there on the examination table, I remember staring at the ceiling tiles, I heard the loud clicks from the biopsy machine but felt nothing, my mind was somewhere else, detached from what was happening.

I finally returned back to the waiting room, but everyone else was gone. I was the one left, the one in ten. And then, the words I had been dreading from the head of radiology. : “We are 99% sure you have breast cancer.” I don’t remember much after that, just the flood of tears.

From there, everything moved fast—tests, surgery, and treatment. I had a lumpectomy and surgery to remove five lymph nodes. Thankfully, my lymph nodes were clear, and I didn’t need chemotherapy. I did, however, undergo six weeks of daily radiation and then began taking Tamoxifen, a medication that strips oestrogen from the body, which I had to be on for ten years and am only just coming off at the moment, which has had a huge impact on mt experience of menopause.

Cancer is as much a mental battle as a physical one. The waiting—the agonising uncertainty of results and treatment—is one of the hardest parts. But I stayed busy with my shop, which helped me focus on the positives. I was incredibly lucky; the cancer was caught early, and I managed the treatments with minimal side effects. Even the early menopause from Tamoxifen was something I handled well, thanks to being in a positive headspace and staying occupied with work I loved. I was lucky to be doing something I loved.

Looking back, I think about how close I came to skipping that mammogram. If I had listened to that little voice telling me I was too busy, my story could have been very different.

It has been 10 years since my battle and if I had not made the decision to take that test I feel pretty confident I would not be here today. So, I’m asking you today to do what the woman at the school luncheon told me to do. Please book your mammogram. Life gets busy, I know. But your health, your future, your life is worth that appointment. Early detection saved me—and it could save you too.

I am most certainly one of the lucky ones but that is why I think ten years on it is important for me to share my story, as we often only hear the horror ones. My story is about living that future life and it’s all because I made that decision to get the test, and I continue to get the test every year. You never know what’s around the corner, but you do have the power to take care of yourself.