Body & Fitness

Radio host Sarah Gandy has been diagnosed with breast cancer

Sarah has issued to a warning to young women to be vigilant about checking their breasts for lumps.

Kiwi radio presenter Sarah Gandy has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a heartwrenching Instagram post, the former The Hits presenter, who was part of the morning show with Toni Street and Sam Wallace, has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of February and starts her first round of chemotherapy next week.

She explains, “Oh life, you funny monkey. After a pretty weird end to 2018 I was looking forward to taking on some exciting new adventures in 2019…and boy has the universe delivered. At the start of Feb I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I found a lump and had it checked in Jan, and then found myself playing the world’s worst waiting game. The results came back and instead of balling my eyes out or going into shock, I somehow just went ok… what’s next? I’ve been business mode Gandy, crying mode Gandy, scared of needles mode Gandy and cracking bad jokes to doctors Gandy. I’m alive and I intend to keep it that way.”

Sarah revealed, “I start my first round of chemo next week, and I tell ya, the boob ninjas are gonna be out kicking some serious boob cancer butt.”

Sarah goes on to issue a warning to young women to self-check for lumps, saying that doctors have told her “it’s amazing how many young women are now presenting with the old BC“.

“Let’s not screw around here,” she appeals. “LADIES OF ALL AGES!! Please please please check your boobs, and if you’re like “ummm maybe that’s something, or nah nah, it’s probs nothing” er on the side of something and go see your GP! Mammograms are not scary. If you do have cancer it’s ideal to find it and kick it’s ass before it has time to even get a look in.

She finishes her post by saying that she plans on having” many more moments like this with my beautiful husband”, in reference to the image in her post.

“I just hope he likes bald chicks.”

Sarah announced in December 2018 that she would not be returning to The Hits in 2019 – after working 18 years in radio.

She had been off air since October, after suffering a panic attack before work. She told Stuff that following the panic attack she “just didn’t come right”.

“I just got worse and worse, and that turned into a really intense bout of anxiety and depression,” she said.

Sarah at the 2017 TV Awards with co-hosts Toni Street and Sam Wallace.

How to self-examine your breasts

  • It’s best to get in the habit of checking your breasts in the shower each week. Soap and water can make it easier to detect lumps.

  • Pressing firmly, move the pads of your fingers across the entire breast area and up into the armpit – you might like to use a circular motion.

  • A lump can often feel like a pea or marble trapped under the skin. However there are many variations on this, and while most lumps aren’t cancer, it’s important to get a lump that’s still there after a couple of weeks checked by your doctor.

  • Keep an eye out for other changes such as an inverted nipple, discharge, dented or puckering skin (or skin like orange peel) or a rash. It is possible to have these symptoms and not have cancer – but it’s important to get them checked by your GP, just in case.

*For more information visit breastcancerfoundation.org.nz.

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