My Breast Cancer Story, By Tawhai Twomey

Kia Ora,

My name is Tawhai Twomey I have been happily married to Tomas for 12 years now and I am mum to two beautiful girls aged 9 and 7. I am of Ngati Awa, Te Arawa, and Ngai te Rangi descent.

After finding a lump through self examination, I was diagnosed in August 2006 with Invasive Ductile Carcinoma which was Her2+ at the age of 32. Initially with a grade 2 tumour (which appeared on my mammogram as 2cm) after my lumpectomy, surgeons discovered it was actually 6cm so I was upgraded to a grade 3 tumour and a second operation for a mastectomy on my right breast. After completing 8 courses of Chemo over 16 weeks and 25 courses of Radiation therapy, my family and I sold the home we loved, and left our whanau and friends to move to Ireland in the hope of receiving Herceptin (which is fully funded by the Irish government.) as we were quoted $103000.00 (incl gst) for a years worth of treatment in New Zealand. Needless to say we did not have that kind of money lying around so the cheaper option was to move to Ireland (where my husband is from) even though I was not guaranteed treatment.

The gamble paid off for us, we were only in the country for just over a month and I was told in the first minute of my first Oncology appointment that I needed Herceptin.  He said they had gone over my notes and had read that I had had my chemo and radiation therapy and because I had her2+ cancer I needed Herceptin and would hopefully starts the following week.  He said because of my age and the fact I had two young children, it was important that I was given every chance possible to see them grow up and my grandchildren as well.  Tom and I were so shocked, (because we didn't have to beg or plead our case) happy and relieved all at the same time. It made the stress of making the decision to move to Ireland, selling the house etc, all worth it.  He said I will be given the year course. There would be no cost at all for this. I was also  given Tamoxifen (which I stopped taking a couple months later as it did not agree with me) and Zoladex, they said it was better to give me both for a better chance and I would start the following week, if that was alright with me.

16 months have passed I had my last lot of Herceptin on the 11^th of July 2008, I was thank full not to experience any side effects and was able to work and live as normal a life around my treatment.

We returned to New Zealand just over 2 weeks ago and it saddens me to see that nothing much has changed. I realise my family and I were lucky that we had a choice to move to Ireland.  It would have been wrong not to take it as families  were still fundraising or re-mortgaging their homes, to fund treatment for their Mums, Nannies, Sisters Daughters and Wives. 

My family and I now look forward to a long and happy life together.