Meaghan Tadei was diligent about checking for lumps in her breasts after her mother's battle with breast cancer. (submitted/Meaghan Tadei)

By Alex Rawnsley

GET CHECKED

Nanaimo RMT’s breast cancer journey inspired by mother’s own battle

Mar 14, 2021 | 7:05 AM

NANAIMO — When Meaghan Tadei felt a lump in her breast during a routine self-exam shortly after her 36th birthday, she was already well-versed in what to do and how quick to do it.

“My sister and I have been super on the ball about checking regularly since our mom had breast cancer and we have some other breast cancer in our family as well. I think I was pretty proactive about it.”

Tadei’s mother ultimately lost her battle and the realization of her own breast cancer diagnosis brought on a wave of emotions for Meaghan.

She and her husband had recently married and welcomed their then one-year-old daughter into the world.

Tadei told NanaimoNewsNOW “angry” would be an understatement of how she was feeling upon getting the diagnosis.

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“I felt like I had made it a point to be really healthy in my life, try to avoid breast cancer and perhaps I would have accepted it a little better if I was a bit older.

Following a trip to her doctor and confirmation of cancer in her breast, Tadei made the decision to undergo a mastectomy to remove the tumour.

The operation occurred around five weeks after receiving her diagnosis and was a success.

Following the surgery, doctors informed her no radiation or chemotherapy was necessary as her being proactive with self-checks had caught the lump early enough.

Tadei then opted to have a prophylactic mastectomy of her other breast, a preventative measure to minimize her risk of developing breast cancer again.

“It was more of a mental decision for me, it kind of put my mind at ease, I didn’t want to have breast cancer again, I didn’t want my daughter to watch me get sick again in the future the way I had to watch my mom be sick.”

Life for Tadei quickly went back to normal following her surgeries. She took a doctor-ordered month off work as an RMT in Nanaimo to heal, but was eager to return.

She has check-ups with her doctor every six months and goes for routine blood work every two to three years.

Tadei was also told she does not carry the genes linked to genetic risk of breast cancer, which accounts for between five and ten per cent of all diagnoses.

“You can get breast cancer when you’re in your 20’s or 30’s, it’s not an older women’s disease. You can be as healthy as you want, it doesn’t discriminate.”

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alex.rawnsley@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley