‘Shock’ stage four breast cancer diagnosis for ‘incredible’ Wollongong nurse Saditsha Dhungana
A Wollongong surgical nurse felt a lump on her breast more than three months before receiving a “shock” stage four breast cancer diagnosis.
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A Wollongong surgical nurse felt a lump on her breast more than three months before receiving a “shock” stage four breast cancer diagnosis.
Newlywed Saditsha Dhungana had been working as a full-time nurse at Wollongong Hospital for six years when she felt an abnormality in her breast in October last year.
The “shock” stage four breast cancer diagnosis halted the 28-year-old’s dreams to buy a house with her husband Manoj Giri and pursue further studies, she told NewsLocal.
It took Ms Dhungana more than three months to receive a diagnosis.
An initial ultrasound did not reveal anything untoward and a GP suggested the lump could be a “fatty gland.”
But Ms Dhungana knew “something must be wrong” when she began experiencing irregular changes to her menstrual cycle, among other symptoms which prevented her from going to work.
“I was coughing and I was short of breath and had back pain,” she said.
Another GP thought Ms Dhungana was suffering from pneumonia or work stress. Blood tests were taken and she was given a pelvic ultrasound. When the blood results came back, she was rushed to hospital.
Ms Dhungana said she should have received a mammogram, which provides X-ray breast images to detect cancer, when she first told the GP about the lump.
Now, Ms Dhungana is undergoing hormonal therapy to stop the cancer growth as well as targeted therapy to attack cancerous cells.
“All we can do is contain the cells and not let it spread further,” she said.
It’s important for women to self-check their breasts in the shower for any abnormalities, which can range from new lumps to nipple sores, Ms Dhungana said.
“If you feel a lump don’t just stay home and think it’s nothing. It might be something,” she said.
Ms Dhungana advised women to “insist” on getting further check-ups from the GP to avoid being brushed off if they know something is not right with their bodies.
To help get through this difficult time, Ms Dhungana purchased a three-month-old spoodle named Brownie, who she refers to as “a little bundle of joy”.
Ms Dhungana is grateful to be surrounded by supportive family and friends who describe her as “an incredible nurse” who compassionately cared for patients.
Her colleague Ashlea Woodhead said Ms Dhungana’s diagnosis was “life-changing and devastating” and organised a GoFundMe to help with medical costs.
Want to help? You can donate to the GoFundMe for Ms Dhungana.
It is estimated one in eight women get breast cancer by the time they are 85. It is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, according to Cancer Council.
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Originally published as ‘Shock’ stage four breast cancer diagnosis for ‘incredible’ Wollongong nurse Saditsha Dhungana
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