Hamlyn Heights mother of two Nicole Riddle shares breast cancer diagnosis

A mum and teacher has opened up about her personal battle and how she is determined to win the fight.

Nicole Riddle, 41, was diagnosed this year with breast cancer. Picture: Brad Fleet

Nicole Riddle was shocked when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 41.

The mother of two from Hamlyn Heights found a lump on her left breast a few days before Christmas last year.

“On January 15, my doctor rang me with the breast diagnosis,” Mrs Riddle said.

“They discovered quite a lot of cancer in my left breast.

“It came as a real shock because I’m only 41 and apart from finding the lump, I had no other symptoms and we don’t have a history of cancer in our family.

“I didn’t tick any of the usual boxes.”

Mrs Riddle underwent a single mastectomy in February

“My surgeon said my breast was a bit like Swiss cheese so there was no option to try and save it,” she said.

“There were five different lumps … they were all spread out.

“Undergoing a mastectomy was the best option for us and I’ll undergo reconstruction (surgery) later this year or early next year.”

Mrs Riddle had about three months of chemotherapy and will begin three weeks of daily radiation next week.

Her body has also gone into medical, or induced, menopause due to the treatment.

Mrs Riddle said her diagnosis sometimes “doesn’t even feel real”.

“I don’t have any hair at the moment so when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, it still shocks me,” she said.

“You don’t ever think something like this would happen to you.”

It is estimated one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Breast cancer accounts for about 28 per cent of all cancer in Australian women.

Mrs Riddle teaches health and physical education at Christian College.

She took term one off to undergo recover from surgery and undergo cancer treatment but returned to work in term two.

“I love my job and I love being at school with the kids so it’s been really great for my mental health to have a sense of normality,” Mrs Riddle said.

Nicole Riddle, 41, pictured with her father Graeme Gellie. Picture: Brad Fleet

Mrs Riddle is determined to spread awareness for the disease as early detection can save lives.

“If I hadn’t found (my lump) when I did or I hadn’t gone to get it checked as quickly as I did, we would be dealing with something completely different,” she said.

“If you’re concerned about anything reach out to a health care professional because it could save your life.”

Mrs Riddle, whose dad Graeme Gellie played AFL and coached St Kilda, is an ambassador for the Breast Cancer Network Australia’s Pink Lady Match at the MCG on Saturday night between Melbourne and North Melbourne.

She will be a part of a guard of honour for players to run through before the game, which aims to raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer in the community.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.

Originally published as Hamlyn Heights mother of two Nicole Riddle shares breast cancer diagnosis