I was 41 when I noticed a strange ‘indentation’ on my body. Weeks later doctors gave me two years to live but they were wrong. This is what I want all women to know

Danica Bunch will never forget the day doctors told her she had two years to live.

Just days before Christmas 2022, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She felt fine.

Weeks earlier, the fit and healthy mother of two from Orange, New South Wales, had noticed a ‘dent’ in her right breast and knew she had to get it checked out straight away.

‘It almost seemed like my clothes were a little too tight. It was so small, but it was there from morning to evening, so I thought, “Oh, wait a minute, this doesn’t seem right,” the former ballerina turned PR specialist told FEMAIL.

‘I didn’t feel any lump, but I wanted to be checked straight away.’

A doctor referred her for a mammogram, which “didn’t show much,” so she requested an ultrasound, which found a small lump hidden in her breast.

Then her worst fears came true: a biopsy confirmed it was cancer.

A diagnosis was not immediately made and it took several stressful weeks before doctors could give her clear answers or a treatment program.

“The surgeon told me it had spread, but she didn’t elaborate and referred me to the oncology team,” Danica recalled.

‘There we were greeted by the nurse, who was very angry with me. She diagnosed me and told me I had less than two years to live. [She said] it was untreatable. I was devastated, but it just wasn’t right.’

At that moment, she immediately thought of her two children, now 12 and 15, and couldn’t bear the thought of not being there to see them grow up.

‘It was total disbelief. It was like the rug was pulled out from under me,” said Danica, now 43.

‘I thought, “How am I going to handle life? How am I going to support my children?” My life was suddenly taken from me.’

The diagnosis came as a complete shock as she experienced no other symptoms.

During Covid, Danica’s mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer, which made her extra vigilant and eager to get checked out after she turned 40.

But because she had no symptoms, health workers prioritized other patients and she could not be monitored.

She has since undergone genetic testing that confirmed there is “no link” between her mother’s cancer and her own. The cause is unknown.

“For Mom and me, it’s like lightning struck our family twice,” Danica said.

Instead of relying on the in-demand doctors in her regional hometown, Danica decided to contact a treatment clinic in Sydney.

It took weeks of back and forth to undergo a biopsy, followed by an MRI and then more discussion about the results until she was given the diagnosis and devastating prognosis.

Then things took a turn.

During the holiday rush, doctors had mixed up her results with another patient.

Although she did indeed have metastatic breast cancer, it was in fact treatable and her two-year prognosis was incorrect.

She had a chance to fight it and win.

‘It was a relief, but we still knew it was metastatic. So the worry that was going through my mind was: How am I going to find a doctor or an oncologist who is going to help me live?’ Danica said.

Danica was determined to get her disease under control and find a doctor who would treat her as a person, not just a number.

‘I met this amazing oncologist and one of the first things she wanted to know was who I am as a person: my job, how many children I have and what I like to do in my spare time. She said, ‘I just want to know what life you want to live because I want to keep you alive and I want to keep you healthy,'” Danica recalled.

‘Every woman deserves that attitude and that treatment, because women are so essential in life.’

To cope with the chaos, Danica also sought help from a psychologist and received support from close friends and family.

She also kept a regular diary and used the Cancer Council’s support line.

One of the most challenging parts was telling her children that she had cancer.

“I told them points from the story in an age-appropriate way as it was unraveling. It was important to give them the information. “I think too often we underestimate how many kids can see what’s going on,” she said.

Danica basically explained how cancer is treated, that there are many different types and that it can happen to anyone.

“We’ve been prioritizing one-on-one and group adventures together – whether it’s beach walks, park visits, we even went on our first roller coaster together,” she said.

Danica was able to avoid surgery and was instead treated with immunotherapy from January 2023, which she takes in the form of daily tablets.

The treatment was effective in shrinking and eliminating her metastatic breast cancer without the need for surgery.

‘I will continue with the treatment for a very long time. As long as it works, I’ll take it,” she said.

Danica hopes that sharing her experiences will encourage other women to get regular exams and examine themselves.

She also urges women to always seek a second opinion.

“If you need support, seek it,” she said.

“If anyone is going through cancer, I would encourage them to strongly contact the Cancer Council because they have really helped me so much,” she said.