Veneta Creary is determined to fight on
“WHENEVER we hear of the ‘Big C’, we get scared. But what that C invariably means is radical change to an individual’s life,” Veneta Creary told All Woman.
Creary, 52, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, shares that when she got her diagnosis it was not easy to accept.
“When my mother died as result of complication from diabetes, I weighed 235 pounds and I changed my diet. I also decided that I wanted my ‘Willie Penny’ belly and I hit the gym and I was the hottest grandmother around,” she said.
Creary said she had everything going for her as she was doing her degree, had her much-craved six-pack, was really enjoying life and getting ready for the “romp season”. But after the death of a friend and work colleague in 2013 to stomach cancer, she sought additional insurance for her family, and the necessary medical checks revealed that she had a lump.
“I did a biopsy and ultrasound which revealed that I had that dreaded ‘C’. I was quite honestly distressed and near depressed. How could my body have so betrayed me? I ate as healthy as I knew how, paid keen attention to my free radicals, played netball and was for many years the sporting guru with my company to regional games, doing regular 5k road races and never liking to sit still,” she explained.
However, in quick response she consulted with her doctors as to the options available to fight the disease.
“This was no easy decision. I consider myself a bit ‘small’ up top. If contending with that inhibition to my womanhood was not enough, I now was now faced with the situation of completely losing one of my light bulbs,” she joked.
But Creary said good sense told her that issues of femininity would have to be dealt with as post-operation matters, because increasing the chance of survivability was paramount for self and family.
Subsequently, she did surgery on February 13, 2014 where one breast was removed. Creary said the margins were clear and no lymph nodes were affected. This was followed by 16 sessions of chemotherapy over a seven-month period. Throughout this time she mentioned that she was still participating in road races and never once gave up on her fitness regimen.
“For me the change factors faced were varied. There were the personal and wider physical acceptance, maintaining a constant regimen for testing or monitoring, altering diet to retard recurrence, the adjustment of family, friends, the impact on my activity level and sustenance of job operations and a heightened sensitivity towards people confronted with the disease.”
As part of the fight, Creary developed an ABCD approach which represents for her Alarm, Bravery, Change and Determination.
“I am determined to beat this terrible disease for as long as I can, which I think is the mantra of all of us survivors. I want to let those either struggling with the disease or who may be so diagnosed know that although my experience has only got to D, we can confront this thing right through to Z until we whip it for good. Cancer is not a death sentence. It is time to change and adapt to a new way of living. Live your ABCs with the motivation to get to your Zs.”
