Sophie Falkiner on breast lump: ‘I was one of the lucky ones’
When Sophie Falkiner found a lump in her breast, she decided to talk about it in the hope of raising awareness. Here, she reveals how the late Olivia Newton-John is still inspiring women to self-check regularly.
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When TV host Sophie Falkiner heard the news in August that Australian singer and actor Olivia Newton-John had lost her 30-year battle to breast cancer, she grieved with the rest of the world, but she was also compelled to continue the late entertainer’s legacy.
Taking to Instagram, Falkiner, 48, who admits she isn’t usually one to share details of her health on social media, revealed she had found a lump in her breast in July.
“It was quite a shock,” she tells Body+Soul. “I was on a holiday with 18 family members in Thailand, celebrating my gorgeous parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.”
After a morning training session in her accommodation’s gym, Falkiner thought she had pulled a muscle in her right breast.
“I felt a lump, quite a large lump, that was never there before,” she remembers. “And I regularly self-check.”
Although Falkiner booked a telehealth consultation immediately, she says it was hard not to worry about what she had found. “It gave me a small window into what other women must go through. Of course, the worst-case scenarios run through your mind,” she says.
Following a mammogram and ultrasound the day after she returned to Australia, Falkiner underwent two biopsies, which gave her a clean bill of health.
“The hardest time was waiting for the biopsy results,” she admits. “It’s awful. I was one of the lucky ones, but it gave me so much compassion and empathy for women who do have a bad result and have to go through the battle.”
More than 20,000 Australians are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, and more than 3000 will die this year from the disease.
“Someone we know is going to be touched by [breast cancer]. If not us, someone we know,” Falkiner reiterates. “When Olivia Newton-John passed so tragically after a 30-year battle with it, I think it became front of mind for a lot of people – it can happen to anyone.”
Although Newton-John may be best remembered for her music and acting career, her steadfast support of cancer research will, arguably, be her greatest legacy, and Falkiner hopes her passing will encourage all women to become more vigilant about their breast health.
“Olivia Newton-John invested so much of her time and energy into trying to help people with cancer, and after finally losing her battle after 30 years, I really hope it’s brought home to a lot of people just how important it is to self-check and to know your body,” the Luxury Escapes host tells Body+Soul.
“I think it’d be a fitting tribute to her for women to self-check regularly.”
Read the full story at BODYANDSOUL.COM.AU.
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Originally published as Sophie Falkiner on breast lump: ‘I was one of the lucky ones’
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