Diary of a family in quarantine #11

This week, in the second round of our weekly Coronavirus lockdown diary, Lisa McLure shares a very personal experience that happened over the past week.
The mum of two, who is married to Tim and is a personal trainer and hairdresser, says in the lead up to Daffodil Day this Friday (August 28), it’s critical to remember that just because our focus is on the pandemic, doesn’t mean other health issues are put on hold.

“With Covid, a lot of us are putting off looking after ourselves because we’re so busy working from home, looking after others, homeschooling – all the changes. We’re more worried about whether we have a runny nose and a sore throat.

My mum died at the age I am now of breast cancer, so I’m at a genetic risk. So last Sunday I thought I better have a poke around – because Covid doesn’t stop cancer – and I found a lump on my boob.

I called the Cowes medical centre straight away and got an appointment the next day and my doctor referred me to radiology in Frankston. Frankston Hospital has had a Covid cluster, but because this was radiology I felt safe and they took every precaution. The procedure was a bit uncomfy, but what would you prefer, that or ignore it and the outcome down the road?

I was pretty calm waiting for the results, I thought it is what it is, you can’t change it and it was good I found it early. Although on Wednesday night I broke the no drinking rule and had a few. But it did nothing for me and I said to Tim I never want to feel that way again like I did the next morning with a hangover; although obviously my adrenal glands played a factor in feeling off too.

The following day I got my results back and it’s not sinister. I’m still waiting on the final results, but it’s all good. The whole experience really hit home that in the midst of the pandemic we’re forgetting this stuff.

So ever since my scan I’ve been posting messages on socials reminding all my girlfriends to get checked and the blokes too. Get your prostates checked, check your boobs, get the pap smear, check your skin. Doctors are still working and our bodies are still doing what they do on the inside, no matter what corona is doing.

The response from my friends has been unbelievable. So many, including nurses, said they keep putting off getting tests or forgetting to do it. As women we are nurturers, we often put others before ourselves. But you can’t nurture your children if you’re not here.

Also I need to clarify last week’s column – where I said I get up in the morning and go for a run then a swim. A lady even came into the hair salon and said ‘good on you’. But in all honesty, full disclosure, it’s not pretty. It’s not like I jump out of bed and it’s all sunshine and rainbows.

When I run it’s like slow motion, like a hound with a face that’s wobbly, I’ve got steam coming off my head and I’m bright red. To get to this point there’s been a lot of tears because of the frustration.
After my hysterectomy two years ago I thought I’d be walking within two weeks, but it has been a long recovery. I have had to start over 16,000 times – give up, start again, the whole cycle.
As a personal trainer I had a lot of self-doubt, thinking I was a fraud, because I couldn’t run.

I used to teach body combat and do burpees and I couldn’t do it anymore because of the surgery. I had to start with a walk and then it was a walk run. It’s been as much a physical battle as a mental one.

It’s frustrating as hell and physically it’s even about getting enough oxygen into my lungs, because I’m not used to it. I’ve found once I stick to it, though, I start to feel better about it and I improve.

It’s the same with jumping in the ocean. I’m not doing laps or anything. I literally jump in: a dunk; like a baptism. I jump in once for myself and once for someone who needs some positivity. I can’t wait to do it today. I feel so alive after it, it’s unbelievable how good it feels."