A single mother who was diagnosed with shock stage three breast cancer at age 48 has revealed the symptom she ignored for six weeks that could have been fatal.
Emma Gierschick, from Victoria, was taking a shower in August 2015 when she felt a ‘strange’ lump in her left breast.
However, as a busy mother of an active three-year-old girl, she brushed off the symptom and soon forgot about it.
It wasn’t until six weeks later, when Emma had lost a dramatic 18 kg and developed a ‘random’ itch under her armpit, that she decided to see a doctor.
“I was so skinny, all my clothes fell off,” she told FEMAIL. “I had no idea my life would get so much worse.”
A single mom who was diagnosed with shock stage three breast cancer at age 48 has revealed the symptom she ignored for six weeks that could have been fatal
“The weight loss didn’t bother me at the time — I thought it was because I wasn’t eating that much. But the itchy armpit really bothered me.”
Emma originally thought she was allergic to perfumed soaps or deodorants, so she stopped using them, but the itching persisted.
“My doctor recommended that we do a whole bunch of tests while I was there — blood tests, Pap smears, breast check — and that’s when she found the lump,” she said.
“I suddenly remembered my shower six weeks earlier.”
Emma’s GP scheduled a mammogram and ultrasound later that morning and got the results back the same day. It was at a time when she was juggling her ailing little girl’s health appointments and a move.
“When I realized it was stage 3 breast cancer, I wasn’t worried about my life at first. I just thought: how am I going to handle this above all else?’ She said.
It wasn’t until six weeks later, when Emma had lost a dramatic 18kg and developed a ‘random’ itch under her armpit, that she decided to see a doctor
Emma bought several colorful wigs when she started chemotherapy because she was concerned about her daughter’s reaction to her sudden baldness.
“I couldn’t tell her what was going on. I wanted to make her life easier, so the colorful wigs became a game.’
Emma began to feel extremely unwell after her second chemotherapy appointment and struggled to keep up with her daughter’s daily routine.
“A few days after the treatment, I took Amelia to her swimming class and got in the water — which was a terrible idea because of my lowered immunity.
“I woke up the next day with a sore throat and found myself unable to stand. Suddenly I couldn’t walk anymore, I had no feeling in my legs.’
Emma went to the hospital and was eventually hospitalized for nearly three weeks because she had developed proximal myopathy and peripheral neuropathy. This meant she had nerve damage to her lower legs and muscle damage to her thighs.
“I was crawling all over the place at the time and my daughter didn’t understand why. She thought I was playing ‘horse’ and kept trying to get on my back so I could show her around,” she said.
“I kept asking when I would feel my legs again, and no one could give me a conclusive answer. They didn’t even know if I’d ever walk again.’
Eight years later, Emma still has trouble walking and sometimes needs a frame.
“I was crawling all over the place at the time and my daughter didn’t understand why. She thought I was playing ‘horse’ and kept trying to get on my back so I could show her around,” she said.
“She was constantly poking and prodding at me, but I didn’t know how to explain it to her.”
Five months after the original shock, Emma regained feeling in her legs, but it took years before she could walk a mile without falling.
Despite the side effects, her number one priority was to be a single mother to her child, who had health issues related to her Down syndrome.
Despite the side effects, her number one priority was to be a single mother to her child, who had health issues related to her Down syndrome
“I always had to put her first,” Emma said. “I was extremely sick one night and kept throwing up. Amelia heard me and was very worried, and I had to reassure her that I was fine.”
“But I’ve never laughed as much in my life as I did during my cancer. I was fighting for my life and there was no option to lose.
“I couldn’t die, I had to live for my daughter.”
The cancer treatment lasted 12 months and fortunately was successful despite permanent side effects.
Emma was cleared by her oncologist in March 2023, but urges all women to be diligent about their health and consult their GP if they feel the slightest change in their bodies.