The diagnosis high school teacher Roslyn Patterson could’ve easily ignored

High school teacher Roslyn Patterson was given until May to live when her breast cancer returned earlier this year. She’s still here, and these are the reasons she says why.

Roslyn Patterson found a lump in her breast but never said or did anything about it – that is until glaring signs became too obvious to ignore.

The day Ms Patterson discovered the lump she was touring her neighbour’s new shed when she came across a photo of the man’s wife and sister.

“He said his wife and sister both died of breast cancer within a few months of each other,” the now 52-year-old said.

That same day her other neighbour was having a party and when she asked the occasion she said she “got the five years clear” for breast cancer.

A few days later a colleague asked her to knock off early because she had an abnormal result from a mammogram and needed to get further checked.

Ms Patterson would’ve ignored all these signs but there was one she couldn’t ignore – her own son.

Roslyn Patterson who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2019 and again this year, with her children Reid, Morgan and Tate. Picture: Supplied by family

“My son, who isn’t normally this way inclined at all, said to me ‘Mum, do you still have to do those checks for lumps and women’s health?’,” the Warradale woman said.

“That was enough.”

A doctor’s appointment and an ultrasound showed a 7cm tumour in Ms Patterson’s breast – something her doctor said if she’d waited for her regular scheduled mammogram would’ve killed her.

In 2019, Ms Patterson was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and beat it.

But in a tragic twist of fate, three years later in March 2023, it returned with a vengeance.

“My doctor … she said don’t make any plans past May,” Ms Patterson said.

The former Cabra College teacher was given months to live.

Roslyn, who is undergoing alternative therapies in conjunction with chemotherapy, with her child Tate. Picture: Supplied by family

“I’ve actually been really positive through the whole thing,” Ms Patterson said.

She said if she’d had a heart attack and died the day she found the lump then she wouldn’t have had the three years with her beautiful children, Morgan, 26, Reid, 22 and Tate, 19.

“Some people just get their life cut short and they don’t get all this time with their kids,” she said.

“At one point I would’ve said that me getting breast cancer was probably one of the best things that happened to me because I finally stopped.

“I literally became a different person overnight and things that used to bother me, didn’t bother me anymore.”

Roslyn and her family are committed to having a positive attitude. Picture: Supplied by family

Ms Patterson and her children, some of which have moved back to South Australia to support their Mum, are looking at alternative treatments to prolong Ms Patterson’s life.

“I came home (from being diagnosed) feeling very sorry for myself,” the mum-of-three said.

“When Morgan said to me ‘Mum, what are you doing? You didn’t let this take you last time and you tried all these alternative things, you’re not just going to sit around and let this go’.”

In conjunction with chemotherapy Ms Patterson has undergone acupuncture as well as maintaining a positive attitude.

Ms Patterson’s children are raising money through a GoFundMe to purchase a hyperbaric oxygen tank for their strong mum.

You can support the family here.