Young and fit, Samuelson assumed the lump in her breast was a cyst.<\/p>\n
But it didn\u2019t go away after five months, so she booked an ultrasound and a mammogram. <\/p>\n
When her doctor asked her to come in and bring a support person, she knew it wasn\u2019t the news she wanted to hear.<\/p>\n
Samuelson received her diagnosis in January and had a full mastectomy in February.<\/p>\n
However, she was not the first person in her family to be diagnosed with breast cancer \u2013 her mum, Sue Shrimpton, and older sister, Tara Williams, have both suffered.<\/p>\n
Shrimpton, now aged 71, was diagnosed in 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s a trooper, that woman,\u201d Samuelson said.<\/p>\n
Williams, aged 49, was diagnosed a year later in 2021, after a free mammogram once she turned 45.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery week there was something,\u201d Williams said. \u201cCT, MRI, and biopsies.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her biggest tumour was 35mm and grade 3. Williams described her five months of chemotherapy as \u201csuper rough\u201d.<\/p>\n
Having seen her older sister endure chemotherapy, Samuelson decided against the treatment. <\/p>\n
She was put on a drug called tamoxifen, which she likened to a hormone blocker, but came off it within two weeks after experiencing every side effect and struggling mentally.<\/p>\n
Steph Samuelson at her home in Pyes P\u0101. She and husband Mikey Samuelson named their property The Sanctuary. Photo \/ Brydie Thompson<\/p>\n
But the sisters said at least they had each other\u2019s backs. \u201cWe\u2019re a really tight family,\u201d Samuelson said.<\/p>\n
Williams said a different family member accompanied her to every chemo session.<\/p>\n
When Samuelson, the youngest of the eight siblings, was diagnosed, Williams\u2019 first thought was: \u201cThis can\u2019t be happening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuelson\u2019s 8-year-old son Kooper Samuelson also struggled. \u201cIt affected him more than he realised,\u201d she said, choking up.<\/p>\n
Her husband, Mikey Samuelson, has been \u201cso supportive and working so bloody hard\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019ll work a 12-hour day, come home, cook and do the dishes. I could not thank him enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuelson said her diagnosis came as a shock even though her mother and sister suffered from breast cancer, because her previous gene testing was negative.<\/p>\n
Williams has teenage daughters, so their future also plays on her mind. She doesn\u2019t want to scare them at such a young age, but advised others to check themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you feel anything different, you\u2019ve got to let your doctor know. No matter what age you are, if you feel something, check. Don\u2019t let it sit there at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuelson said she was at her fittest when she received her diagnosis. \u201cI had never felt better. I was exercising so much. I wouldn\u2019t have known anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams was diagnosed, Samuelson, 32 at the time, said she tried to have a mammogram. However, because of her young age, Samuelson said medical professionals decided against the screening.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Samuelson leaving the hospital after breast cancer surgery. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
She said they predicted that if she were to get breast cancer, it wouldn\u2019t happen until she was in her forties. Two years later, she was diagnosed.<\/p>\n
Recovery has been a \u201cmental battle\u201d for Samuelson, who gets vitamin C and IV fluids every couple of weeks at Godfrey Medical, since she said no to chemotherapy and radiation.<\/p>\n
She has to sit away from others sometimes, because it\u2019s \u201ctoo much\u201d hearing about their experiences. Something will trigger her, setting off an anxiety spiral.<\/p>\n
Samuelson said she had struggled with anxiety and panic attacks ever since her diagnosis. The panic attacks had stopped her from keeping her hairdressing salon open, and she hasn\u2019t been able to return to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI absolutely miss my clients. They\u2019re not just people to me; they are like friends and family. I get messages all the time from them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams isn\u2019t the same either, now facing heart problems that could be a consequence of chemotherapy and radiation. She tends to her garden but experiences fatigue and body aches.<\/p>\n
Breast Cancer Support Service Trust support<\/p>\n
The Breast Cancer Support Service Trust Tauranga had been \u201camazing\u201d throughout both sisters\u2019 journeys.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ladies are so lovely,\u201d Samuelson said. \u201cThey ring you all the time just to check in and see how you are, if you need anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sisters particularly raved about support worker Kath Hamilton and massage therapist Michelle Stewart.<\/p>\n
After Samuelson received her diagnosis, she rang the trust. Hamilton answered and insisted that Samuelson come into their office, saying: \u201cCome in, come in \u2013 just come in!\u201d<\/p>\n
Samuelson left with her arms full of food. \u201cThey just want to give you something all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges Samuelson has faced, when her son Kooper raced in Rotorua\u2019s Crankworx mountain biking competition in March, \u201cnothing\u201d could stop her cheering him on. <\/p>\n
She climbed the hilly Redwood – Whakarewarewa Forest with drains attached to her body.<\/p>\n
Nothing was stopping Samuelson from conquering breast cancer either. Nine months on from diagnosis, she described her stage now as \u201cprecautionary, alternative treatment\u201d.<\/p>\n