Cat Stone was 43 when she first noticed a suspicious lump near her armpit. However, after testing, it turned out to be an overgrowth of normal breast tissue, which was a great relief.
However, two years later, in September 2019, the lump “changed.”
Little did she know that this small change would lead Kat into a very difficult health journey that included years of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and emotional turmoil.
The Auckland-based doctor, who trained in orthopedic surgery during seven years of medical school before joining the cosmetics industry, admitted that she was several months late getting her lump checked.
“It was the busiest time of the year for us, so when the change happened I didn’t do much about it,” she said.
“I waited until January 2020 and finally got a reservation.”
The lump changed from feeling “soft” and “squishy” to feeling “hard” like the back of a knuckle.
Kat was inspired to get tested by memories of her late friend Helena, who died of breast cancer at the age of 37.
“Thanks to Helena, I was inspired to go and do something, but I didn’t think they would find anything. The mammogram results were good, but I didn’t want an ultrasound anyway. I did a test,” she said.
Dr. Kat Stone was 43 years old when she first noticed a suspicious lump near her armpit.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the Auckland-based cosmetic doctor, who completed seven years of medical school and specializes in surgery, admitted she had been putting off getting her lump checked for months.
“The doctor was casually talking to me about the week and then I saw his face change. He suddenly focused on the ultrasound and I wondered what it was all about. I stuck my head around the corner to see if it was there.”
Kat, a doctor, was able to read the ultrasound and identify signs of cancer. After a biopsy, she was diagnosed with grade 2 hormonal breast cancer.
“My first thought was that I was going to die,” she said.
“Secondly, I was afraid I would lose my breasts and never feel sexy again.”
Kat’s work in the cosmetics industry greatly influenced her thinking.
“Because of my job, how we feel and how we look are so closely intertwined. Society places too much emphasis on a woman’s sexiness based on her breasts,” she says. spoke.
Kat was immediately given a treatment plan and will undergo surgery to remove the tumor at the end of February, followed by regular radiotherapy due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The lump changed from feeling “soft” and “squishy” to feeling “hard” like the back of a knuckle.
Cat developed another lump in the same breast a year later in October 2021
“Soon after that, I started taking tamoxifen, which led to early menopause and ultimately caused me to experience the worst side effects,” she said.
“The medication made me so tired and lightheaded that I could barely get out of bed.”
Tamoxifen is a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) drug used to treat breast cancer. It works by blocking receptors and is intended to prevent the development of breast cancer.
“I had to quit after three months,” she said.
Kat thought her life was back on track…then things took a different turn. Her father was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer in October 2020, and a year later, in October 2021, another lump developed in the same breast.
“I remember it was a tough week because I was feeling painful cramps and wanted to get tests done along with the new lump,” Kat said.
“I found out that my breast cancer had come back. Then I had a pelvic ultrasound, which showed uterine fibroids and an abnormal mass next to my ovary.”
Doctors were unable to cut into Kat’s stomach because she was preparing for breast reconstruction.
After being diagnosed with stage 2 cancer, Kat feared she’d never feel ‘sexy’ again.
In August 2024, Kat experienced strange symptoms she couldn’t explain. She lost a lot of weight and her appetite rapidly decreased. These are all common symptoms of cancer.
Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure that uses the patient’s own abdominal tissue to reconstruct the breast after a mastectomy.
Doctors removed the fibroids from her pelvis, but decided to focus on the breast cancer first.
Before Kat’s father passed away at the end of 2022, Kat decided to start taking tamoxifen again to treat her cancer.
“I flew to Mexico to be cared for by my mother, but I had suicidal thoughts and had to stop taking my medication after a month. I couldn’t stop crying,” she said.
“When I woke up at 4am every morning, it felt like the world was closing in on me. I started thinking about driving my scooter into oncoming traffic.”
Those feelings were completely alien to Kat, who describes herself as a high-energy, positive person.
It would still take 18 months for the tamoxifen to fully leave Kat’s system, during which time she was unable to work.
In October 2023, a scan revealed that the lump on Kat’s ovary had grown by two centimeters in six months, now measuring 6.5 centimeters.
“When I had to have a hysterectomy because of this, I was hoping that my cancer journey would finally be over,” she said.
But that wasn’t the case.
“In 2023, I had to have a hysterectomy because of it, and at that time I was hoping that my cancer journey would finally be over,” she said. but it wasn’t
In August 2024, Kat experienced strange symptoms that were difficult to explain.
She had lost a lot of weight, which is a common symptom of cancer.
“I went to my GP and expressed my concerns. She told me I was fine and that I was unlikely to have a primary cancer again, and refused to test me for cancer markers,” she said. Ta.
Two weeks later, Kat discovered a lump in her other breast and immediately went to see an oncologist.
Doctors scanned her side and found a new lump, as well as calcifications in the upper part of her breast.
Tests revealed that the lump was a highly aggressive precancerous tumor, and Kat had to undergo a second mastectomy.
Kat wanted to wait until December so she could travel to Mexico for her mother’s 70th birthday, but follow-up tests revealed that her breasts had “lightened up like a blizzard”.
“My oncologist said I absolutely couldn’t wait and needed to have surgery right away,” she said.
After surgery, Kat hoped for the best again and hoped her cancer journey would finally be over.
After surgery, Kat once again hoped for the best and hoped her cancer journey would finally come to an end.
“Doctors examined her and discovered three different invasive cancers and an eight-centimeter lump that was a high-grade pre-cancerous tumor,” Cat said.
“They also found cancer in my sentinel lymph node.
“This marked the beginning of the most difficult part of my journey, as I had to undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy and try hormone blockers again, even more aggressively than before. is.”
Kat also underwent surgery to have her lymph nodes removed, and was overjoyed when the results revealed that there was no cancer in her lymph nodes.
She will begin chemotherapy in the first week of December, followed by radiation therapy to her chest and armpits.
Despite experiencing the lowest point in her life, Kat shared the silver lining that came from her diagnosis.
“I used to be a very workaholic, working almost 70 to 80 hours a week,” she said.
“I was also a trainer, giving sessions nationally and internationally and attending conferences all over the world.
“But cancer has forced me to slow down and take care of myself.”
“I’m a trainer and used to give sessions nationally and internationally and attend conferences all over the world. But due to cancer, I had to slow down and take care of myself. It’s gone,” she said.
Doctors said she felt “angry” and “betrayed” after suffering from cancer.
Kat said she felt “angry” and “betrayed” following the latest news of her never-ending cancer journey.
“I’m a doctor. I eat well, exercise, do yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.” Although I’ve done everything in the book to change my life and avoid cancer. , and yet it relapsed,” she said.
“But the anger has gone and I am grateful to be here and lucky to have the support system around me.
“I had a group chat with my friends on Messenger, and every time I needed something, someone would help me. They always came with me at the appointed time, helped me with meals, etc. There were several people.”
Cat’s friends also created an Excel spreadsheet and created a schedule to check on her.
“We often went to the park for picnics. It was nice to have enough contact with people,” she said.
“I didn’t have to worry about every little thing. I could just focus on getting better.”
For assistance, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
