Callum Jones
A mom diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36 has shared her one regret.
In May 2022, Kate Middlemiss' life was turned upside down after receiving a devastating breast cancer diagnosis.
Kate was in the bath with her three-year-old when she felt a pea-sized lump under her arm, and with a family history of breast cancer, Kate immediately envisaged the worst.
"It was hard and not like a marble more an odd shape like a pebble. It also had a root. So I could like pick it up and move it around but the root connected it somewhere further down," she told the Daily Mail's FEMAIL.
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"I just knew it was bad. I screamed out to my husband who came running into the bathroom."
Kate called the doctors the next day, with her GP sending her for an MRI, CT scan and mammogram.
A later biopsy revealed Kate had one of the most aggressive and hardest to treat breast cancers there is.
"The thought of death never crossed my mind. I have three kids I am too busy to die and they need me," she added.
After much treatment, including chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, Kate is now on the road to recovery and will be considered cancer free once she's passed the five-year post-operation anniversary.
Prior to her cancer diagnosis, Kate had an impressive career, while assisting her husband Reece with the family construction business.
But after all the gruesome and life-changing treatment, Kate came to the conclusion there was one thing she forgot to do... LIVE.
So, Kate, her husband, and their three children are now road-tripping around Australia.
"We have taken 12 months off, put the business on pause and are having the best time," she added.
"I am glad I realised I had to live before it was too late. Even if that message was delivered in a very tough way.
"Unfortunately it takes that sort of trauma to put life in perspective."
While they travel Australia, Kate is working online with beauty brand Monat to help fund her family's travels.
Kate said: "We have changed gears. My husband stepped back from his business when I was sick. Now we have put it on hold to travel. It will be there when we get back. We want to make the most of life for now."
She is now encouraging all women, young and old, to check their breasts for lumps.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.