By Molly Taylor
PINK has always played a prominent role in Penola resident Jenny Pahl’s wardrobe, but the bright colour now holds a heartfelt meaning for the stage four breast cancer survivor.
While helping her husband Jeff with farm work in April, Ms Pahl thought she clumsily pulled a chest muscle.
It was not given a second thought until a week later when an inflamed lump, which she had never noticed beforehand, did not disappear.
Everything changed for Ms Pahl and her family on 17 April when she was diagnosed with stage four invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer.
A 3.4cm tumor was found on her chest, 1.1cm on her sternum, another on her main lymph node, which was highlighted as severe cancer, as well as a lump on her lung lining and rib.
Ms Pahl said she was blown away when doctors told her she had a “good“ cancer as she did not believe it was possible.
“I just thought, how can you have a good cancer? Cancer is cancer,” she said.
“You check yourself, but because I have dense breasts, it would take a mammogram or an ultrasound until it’s too late and that is what happened to me.
“It is what it is and you just have to soldier on.”
With no warning or suspicion, Ms Pahl said it was a complete shock to the system.
“Jeff thinks at night I used to breathe with a whistle and in November last year I had what the doctor thought was a 100-day cough and I could not stop coughing, she said.
“I was just in shock to know.”
After surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment, Ms Pahl was given the all clear and is now in remission.
“My oncologist calls me superwoman … It was a miracle,” she said.
“Other women which have less might have to have a double mastectomy, radiation and lymph nodes removed.
“I just feel like I do not know how it has happened. How can you go from stage four with two to five years to live, with now not having cancer at all?”
Ms Pahl said she knew seven people in Penola from all different walks of life which had been impacted by breast cancer this year.
“It always happens to the nice people … It goes through your head, I am a good person, why is it happening to me?” She said.
“You get angry, but you just can not think like that because then everything turns into a negative.
“You just have to be positive and if it knocks you down, you have to get up again.”
Ms Pahl said she experienced side effects towards the end of chemotherapy treatment which stripped her raw.
“What else do you want to take? Do you want to take my breasts? My life? My hair?,” she said.
“I want normality, I want to live my life normally, but I just can not.
“The things we wanted to do in our 60s are the things we will be doing now.”
Husband Jeff and son Brady shaved their hair in honour of Ms Pahl when she was going through treatment.
Ms Pahl said after her journey, she would tell all women to be checked no matter their age or circumstance.
“I always think, yes I better go and do that,” she said.
Ms Pahl said she thanked Jeff, Brady and eldest son Josh for their support and her close surrounding friends and family.
