'I had breast cancer and I'd love for my story to scare the s**t out of you.'

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This article was originally published in Lucy Ormonde's Substack. It has been republished here with permission.

HELLO. My name is Lucy, I'm 38, a Pisces, I like cups of tea and chasing sunsets and last year I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.

Bummer, right?

People love to tell me I don't look like I've had breast cancer (this photo was taken a few months ago), but I promise you I have.

Being in my 30s and with no family history, breast cancer was something that was not remotely on my radar. But when I found a lump in my boob in November 2023, I went to my GP to get it checked over.

Initial ultrasounds didn't show anything, so the doctors told me to come back in a few months if the lump was still there.

I tried to get on with life and convince myself it had gone away or was getting smaller, but those months passed and the lump was… definitely still there. So I went back.

The next step was a referral to a specialist who sent me off for a bunch more tests and the breast cancer diagnosis came quickly after.

Listen: In this special episode of No Filter, Holly Wainwright speaks with Lucy Ormonde to mark the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Post continues below.

That was May last year. It's now been 16 months since I first heard the words 'it is breast cancer' and 16 months since my whole world was completely flipped on its head.

I'm honing in on '16 months' because it's something I'm still trying to get my head around; something I still remind myself on the days when everything feels so hard and I beat myself up for needing a day in bed (something that happens often).

It's only been 16 months.

In those 16 months, I've had three surgeries, 16 rounds of chemo over five months, 15 radiation sessions, one emergency round of egg freezing, two emergency hospital stays, and more doctors appointments, scans, blood tests and injections than I care to count.

There's a whole lot of visible scars on my body and a lot of invisible scars in my body too.

In June, my scans were clear, which technically puts me in remission (woo!), but the fun still continues — these days, because the risk of my cancer coming back is relatively high. I still see my oncologists regularly and take daily medications and have monthly hormone-blocking injections, all designed to keep the cancer away.

That extra treatment will go on for at least seven years, maybe more.

Here is a little bit of what those last 16 months have looked like. Yes, I'm smiling in these photos, but this girl is terrified on the inside (and still is), I promise.

"Yes I'm smiling in these photos, but this girl is terrified on the inside," writes Lucy Ormonde. Image: Supplied.

Sharing my story so publicly is weird for me, because I've never really been one to put myself out there in this kind of way. But writing about cancer has massively helped me digest what's happened in 16 months.

And in an unexpected little bonus, I've discovered that my stories are acting as a reminder to women to be vigilant in checking their boobs.

Since I started writing about my experience with breast cancer, multiple women have contacted me, telling me they have booked their mammograms. And in one case, one of those checks has already resulted in a diagnosis.

Earlier in the year, Charlotte and I finally made time for a quick brekkie when she was in Melbourne from Sydney for work.

We talked a lot about cancer that day, and a few weeks later, my phone lit up with a text from Charlotte.

"I went home after I saw you and I told my mum about you and asked her to talk me through (and show me) how to check my breasts," she said.

"She had just had an all clear on her mammogram, but she had a lump that they said not to worry about. After I saw her, she went to the doctor, and he booked an ultrasound, and it picked up breast cancer that the mammogram couldn't have."

Charlotte's mum's cancer was caught early and she's going to be ok.

"I've discovered that my stories are acting as a reminder to women to be vigilant in checking their boobs," writes Lucy Ormonde. Image: Supplied.

"If you ever worry about talking about cancer or if you ever hesitate before posting your writing, just remember this and how one conversation over a Japanese breakfast made all the difference," Charlotte later said to me.

And that leads us to now and why I am sharing today.

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have one ask. I want you to check your breasts.

I want you to check your breasts because I know breast cancer is treatable.

I want you to check your breasts because I know that early detection makes a less gruelling treatment plan.

I want you to check your breasts because early detection massively increases survival rates. And I want you to check your breasts so you don't have to go through what I went through.

Here is some information on how you can do that:

• If you are under 40, you'll need to check your own boobs or book in to see your GP and get them to do it for you. If you're unsure what to check for, Breast Cancer Network Australia have an amazing new campaign that will show you how.

• If you are over 40 and live in Australia, you are eligible for a free mammogram every two years. To book yours, Contact BreastScreen Australia in your state or territory to book in for an appointment. If you're over 50, you should have been sent an invitation to get this done.

• If you're unsure of any of this, or there's something in your breast that's not feeling right, please, book into your GP and let them show you the way or refer you to someone who can tell you what's what.

• If you're inclined, send me a message or leave a comment when you've booked your mammogram or when you've done your check at home (the shower is a good spot). If you're wanting someone to keep you accountable, send me your email address and I'll keep reminding you.

If you want to take it a step further, you might want to ask a friend or a family member when was the last time they checked theirs.

I thank you 🩷

This article was originally published on Substack. You can find more of Lucy's writing here.

Feature Image: Instagram/lucyormonde