KEY POINTS:
Brenna Slee was 24, had just had a baby and was planning to get married when she was told she had an aggressive form of breast cancer in May.
This year should have been all about planning a wedding for Brenna and her partner Andrew Nation.
Now the couple, who
got engaged at Easter, have postponed their big day so they can instead focus on Brenna's "bombshell" battle against breast cancer.
The Christchurch personal assistant's world changed forever when she was told by a surgeon she had an aggressive form of breast cancer and needed surgery immediately.
She went in for a lumpectomy operation on May 22 and has endured radiotherapy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy over the past three months.
The diagnosis came as a bolt from the blue for Brenna, who was initially told by a surgeon at Christchurch Hospital he was 100 per cent confident the lump she had found in her right breast was nothing to worry about.
"I guess because of my age and the fact I was in pretty good health, I didn't have any family history on my mother's side and because I had just stopped breast feeding it all pointed to it being nothing," she said.
However, Brenna wanted complete peace of mind and insisted on having a mammogram and core biopsy to be sure the lump was benign.
She is glad she did. Doctors are hopeful the cancer, although aggressive, has been caught in its early stages and in time for treatment to be successful.
Brenna first noticed the growth in mid February, within two weeks of finishing breast feeding her son Benjamin.
"Ever since I was a teenager I have been doing self-examinations. I never thought I knew what I was looking for, but it was a noticeable lump."
At first she thought it might have been a milk blockage but she made an appointment with her regular GP within a week of finding it.
The doctor prescribed antibiotics to clear up any infection if that was the cause and also booked the visit with the surgeon.
Brenna was with her partner Andrew, 27, when the bad news was delivered on May 3.
"The doctor and the nurse left the room for about five minutes. Andrew came and sat on the bed. I cried and he cried a little bit - it was totally unreal. The nurse came back and asked if I had any questions, she was almost crying as well, but I was gob smacked. I didn't know what to ask. I remember sitting there and thinking 'I just have to deal with this'," she said.
"You can't help but think, 'why me?' But I'm glad it's me and not my mum or aunties or friends. I'm glad I got landed with it rather than them."
She has questioned whether the cancer will kill her but tries to direct her thoughts on to more positive things.
The couple, who have been together for two years, are determined to stay as upbeat as possible about the journey ahead - even though they know there will be tough times.
They had been planning to marry in March next year, but have decided to postpone the wedding until after Brenna's treatment.
"It will be my focus point, but when we end up having it will depend on how quickly I recover from treatment. And I certainly don't want to be bald on my wedding day," she said.
However, they are still held an engagement party and Brenna was flown to Wellington by her old school friends for a weekend before she went in for surgery.
The health scare has shown Brenna the importance of self-examination, regardless of what age a person is.
"It's especially important for young girls. You don't think really think it will happen to you. People think 'out of sight, out of mind'. I didn't have any reason to think about it - but something just stuck in my brain and it's good that I did something about it."
Andrew, a valuer, said the diagnosis had been a step learning curve for him as he didn't know anything about breast cancer before.
He was grateful for all the support the family was receiving from family and friends.
Since her diagnosis, Brenna has decided to go ahead with a bi-lateral mastectomy.
The operation is the complete removal of both breasts.
After she has finished the chemotherapy she plans to have the mastectomy and reconstruction and then start hormone treatment for two years.
She said all these treatments put together give her the best possible chance of survival - but could make her infertile.
"But my oncologist said because of my age and general health I only have a 20 per cent chance of losing my fertility and an 80 per cent chance of it returning to normal. So that's good, as I initially thought I had no chance at all.
"There are people far worse off than me. I'm lucky to have one child and I would be extremely lucky to have another."
Brenna said her decision to have the mastectomy was personal preference.
"I wasn't told I should have one but after I decided to, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. It will give me piece of mind and a bit of control. I don't think I could handle waiting for results every year to see if it (the cancer) had come back."
Brenna did a lot of research and talked to a woman who had a mastectomy when she was 30.
She said her fianc was also very supportive of her decision.
"He said it's fine, either way. He has been brilliant and so understanding. He is a great support, I couldn't ask for more. It was a tough decision, as unfortunately these days image is very important."
"If I manage to keep on top of things and not get sick, which would cause delays. The actual knocks of chemo won't kick in till about day 10 to 14, which is when my immune system will be rock bottom and I will be at most risk of infection."
She has already picked out a wig as she plans to shave all her hair off as soon as it starts to fall out.
"It's scary, but it's short term. I don't want clumps of hair falling out all over the place, so this gives me a bit of control. I probably won't wear the wig much though, maybe just for special occasions. I will mainly wear a hat or a bandana."
After the mastectomy Brenna will have a reconstruction, which will involve the transferral of two of her back muscles and implants will also be used to fill out the breast flaps.