HE never imagined that the small change in the appearance of her breast would lead to a breast cancer diagnosis. Not at the age of 29.
Even though there’s a history of cancer in her family – her grandmother and an aunt on her dad’s side – Lauren Harmse wasn’t too worried. But it was odd that her nipple looked like it was inverting, so she went to her doctor to get it checked out and was immediately referred to a breast clinic for further testing.
After a mammogram, biopsy and ultrasound the results came in – it was stage two breast cancer.
“It was a huge shock – and the last thing I expected at 29 years old,” says Lauren (36), who at the time had been planning to start a family with her husband, Johan, when her cancer diagnosis threw a spanner in the works.
“It was so scary.” The tumour in her breast already measured 5cm across, and the cancer was considered aggressive. That was in January 2016, and thanks to the early detection and the course of treatment decided on by her doctors, Lauren was in remission by the end of that year.
Today, she and Johan are parents to a three-year-old son, Luke. She’s incredibly grateful her cancer went into full remission and pays it forward by being a Reach for Recovery volunteer, supporting other young women who’ve been diagnosed with cancer – and there are plenty of them.
The new recommendation that women start having mammograms from the age of 40 instead of 50 can only be a good thing, Lauren says.
Denne historien er fra 29 June 2023-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 29 June 2023-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BALLON IN THE BAG
Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante says his Ballon d'Or win is a victory for Spanish football
IT WAS ALL A LIE
A new doccie exposes the Grey's Anatomy writer who fabricated her life story
'I WILL NEVER GIVE UP'
After her husband, anticorruption activist Alexei Navalny, was poisoned and murdered by the Kremlin, she became the public face of Russia's opposition. In this candid interview Yulia Navalnaya opens up about life on the run, her perilous family life and why she's continuing her husband's fight to save their country
AGREE TO DISAGREE
Trevor Noah on how his childhood squabbles with his mother inspired his delightful new book
PAUSE THE CLOCK
Researchers have discovered that the ageing process spikes at 44 and 60. Here's what you can do to slow it down
MPOOMY ON TOP
We chat to SA's most popular female podcaster about love, loss and her booming success
MY BROTHER IS NOT TO BLAME
Tinus Drotské says his sibling, ex Bok Nǎka, is the victim in the brawl with a neighbour that landed up in court
MATT THE RECLUSE
A year after his friend's tragic death, the actor continues to shun the spotlight
A LEAP OF FAITH
After her husband tried to kill her by tampering with her parachute she thought she'd never trust a man again-but now she's found love
THEY'RE MY KIDS!
This West Coast woman treats her monkeys as iftheyre humans and animal activists are not happy about it